50 Alexander Goodman More. [1854 



the two counties. Several small lakes seen close to the 

 road had generally one end thickly overgrown with reeds 

 and sedges ; Cladium mariscus we particularly noticed. 

 No birds were seen on the water. 



"We soon entered the well-wooded demesne of Mr. Blood, 

 and drove through trees for about half-an-hour, quite a 

 novelty in this part of the country. Further on more rock, 

 and a good and rather near view of some of the Burren 

 a very perfect old ruin of a castle the exterior wall with 

 its corner tower still remaining. At Corofin, a large village, 

 we first found Senebiera didyma. . . . Starting hence we 

 noticed the great change produced by the strata. Instead 

 of dry, short pasture appeared heavy clay lands, producing 

 in the valleys luxuriant crops of hay, and even along the 

 hill-sides a most deplorable crop of rushes, docks, &c. The 

 country now became undulating, with streams running 

 along the hollows, bogs in some places, and the conspi- 

 cuous foxglove reminding one somewhat of Connemara. 

 The rank vegetation of coarse weeds was to my eye any- 

 thing but a pleasant contrast with the neat and bright 

 flowers of the mountain limestone, and certainly offered 

 far less variety to the botanist. The water, too, besides 

 accumulating on a less pervious soil, has not the drainage 

 afforded by ' swallows ' and caverns, but works its way in 

 the usual manner towards the sea. The flat slates or flags 

 were very remarkable at Inistymon, where the road crosses 

 the river, which occupies an enormous breadth of bottom 

 and is very shallow, disappearing in the distance in a dark 

 sluggish stream below some trees. 



"We soon reached Lahinch, and got an excellent view 

 of Hag's Head, and the hill that slopes down from the 

 Cliffs of Moher. Here a most surprising multitude of 

 people had collected as if the whole population had 

 migrated to the seaside, crowding every available wall and 

 seat, as thick as crows, all inhaling the sea-breeze. It is 

 wonderful how anxious the people here are for a trip to 

 the sea ; they appear to consider it quite indispensable. 

 A great number of lodges of every sort, all well white- 

 washed, give one the idea of a very important watering- 

 place. Skirting along the bay to the left, we proceeded 



