A 



TOUR, &c. 



PART II. 



Qbfervations on the preceding Intelligence. 



TO regifter the minutes received upon fueh a journey as 

 this, and leave them fimply to fpeak for themfelves, 

 would have its ufe ; but it would leave to the inquifitive rea- 

 der fo much labour and trouble in collecting general facts, that 

 not one in five hundred would attempt it. That it is a matter 

 of importance to have accurate general ideas of a country, 

 inftead of erroneous ones, will hardly be difputed ; no books 

 of geography but fpeak generally of foil, climate, product, 

 rental, population, &c. but they are too often mere guefles ; 

 or, if founded at all, the facts that fupport them of too old a 

 date to yield the leaft truth at prefent in points fubject to 

 change. When one country is mentioned in another it is ufu- 

 ally in general terms: and by companion, England has not fo 

 rich a foil a$ Ireland. Producls in England larger than in France. 

 Rents higher in Ireland than in Scotland. A thoufand intHnces 

 might be produced, in which ideas of this fort are particulariz- 

 ed, and in which general errors are often found the caufe of 

 political meafures, even of the higheft confequence. That 

 my Englifh tours give exafl information relative to England, I 

 cannot aflert ; but I may venture to fay, that they are the only 

 information extant, relative to the rental, produce, (lock of 

 that country, which are taken from an actual examination : I 

 wifh to offer equal information relative to our fitter ifland ; and 

 I am encouraged to do it, not only from my own ideas, but the 

 opinions of many perfons with whom I have either correfpond- 

 ed or converfed from moft parts of Europe, including fome of 

 themoft refpectable for abilities and rank. 



A S E C T 1 O It 



