ARDS. 191 



are chiefly from the country; the whole baro- 

 ny of Ards are fifhermen, failors, and farmers, 

 by turns. This little port has a tolerable {hare 

 of trade: they have 12 lhips, which go an- 

 nually to Loch Swilly herring-fifhery, which 

 is a winter one on the bounty of 20s. a ton -, 

 they have 15 fhips belonging to the place 3 

 from 30 to 1 50 tons, at 6 men each, and ma- 

 ny others trade here. Coals are brought from 

 Whitehaven ; and from Gottenburgh and 

 Norway timber and iron. Trade increafes, 

 and the place is much more flourishing than it 

 was. 



Rode in the evening to Millen Hill on the 

 coaft of Ards, to fee the herring fleet go out. 

 It is in the town-land of Tara, and is an ex- 

 cellent fpot for a light-houfe, which is much 

 wanted on this coaft, for it is exceedingly rocky 

 and dangerous from St. John's point to Do- 

 naghadee, fo that no winter panes without 

 fhipwrecks, and in fome there are a dozen. 

 Under the hill appeared the north and fouth 

 rock, with foul ground all around. A light- 

 houfe might be built here for 60I. and the 

 annual expenfe would not exceed 1 50I. 



The barony of Ards is in general a wet, 

 ftrong, or clay foil, with a good deal of bog; 

 lets on an average at 10s. 6d. an acre, the 

 whole county 10s. the fize of the farms on a 

 medium about 40 acres, a few up to 100, and 

 many down to 5 in weavers hands. Courfe 

 of crops. 



X. Potatoes 



