LETTER XLII 



TO THE SAME 



SELBORNE, March gfA, 1774. 



DEAR SIR, Some future faunist, a man of fortune, will, 

 I hope, extend his visits to the kingdom of Ireland ; a new 

 field and a country little known to the naturalist. 1 He 

 will not, it is to be wished, undertake that tour unaccom- 

 panied by a botanist, because the mountains have scarcely 

 been sufficiently examined ; and the southerly counties of 

 so mild an island may possibly afford some plants little to 

 be expected within the British dominions. A person of a 

 thinking turn of mind will draw many just remarks from 

 the modern improvements of that country, both in arts 

 and agriculture, where premiums obtained long before they 

 were heard of with us. The manners of the wild natives, 

 their superstitions, their prejudices, their sordid way of life, 

 will extort from him many useful reflections. He should 

 also take with him an able draughtsman ; for he must by 

 no means pass over the noble castles and seats, the exten- 

 sive and picturesque lakes and waterfalls, and the lofty 

 stupendous mountains, so little known, and so engaging to 

 the imagination when described and exhibited in a lively 

 manner ; such a work would be well received. 2 



As I have seen no modern map of Scotland, I cannot 



1 Besides the four volumes on the " Birds of Ireland," published by the late 

 Wm. Thompson, many excellent memoirs have been lately published by Mr. 

 R. J. Ussher, Mr. Barrett- Hamilton, and other good observers in that country. 

 [R. B. S.1 



2 The above sentence is modified from a portion of a letter written to 

 Pennant on the igth of March 1772. See also note to Bell's edition (vol. i. 

 p. 106). fR. B. S.] 



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