i88 NEWTOWN STEWART. 



ner at Mr. Blackwood's, a Doctor Haliday was 

 mentioned as a gentleman of general know- 

 ledge, and at the fame time of a liberal dif- 

 pofition : it was the only name I knew at Bel- 

 faft after my two letters proved ufelefs. I de- 

 termined to make known to this Doctor Hali- 

 day my wants, and beg his affiftance in grati- 

 fying them, and accordingly wrote a note and 

 fent it. He alfo in the country. Still I was 

 unwilling to give up all thoughts of Belfaft ; 

 and as I had planned going to Strangford, and 

 from thence toLifburn in my way north, I de- 

 termined upon returning again to Belfait, in 

 order for a farther chance of meeting with 

 fomebody that could anfwer me a few quefti- 

 ons about the progrefs of the commerce of the 

 place. 



July 28th, took the road to Portaferry, by 

 Newtown, wherelbreakfafted; it is an improv- 

 ing place, belonging to Mr. Stewart, who has 

 built a very handfome market-houfe, and laid 

 out a fquare around it, 4 which he dellgns build- 

 ing. I was informed here that the linen ma- 

 nufacture is much lefsconfiderablethan it was. 

 Since the decline of 1772 and 1773, many 

 weavers they told me had turned labourers, 

 but the fpinning bufinefs continues as much 

 as ever. 



Leaving the town, the road leads at once to 

 the more of Strangford Loch, where I ob^ 

 ferved heaps of white fhells, and upon enqui- 

 ry found that they dig them at low water in 



th* 



