Beautiful View of Mountains in Miniature. 273 



most singular one, was the foreground ; this 

 consisted of a double row of hills below us : in 

 the upper range, I could distinguish eleven of 

 beautiful rotundity, covered with ripening grain 

 and potatoes ; and in some instances, where 

 they were enclosed with a few trees, they had 

 more the appearance of Fairy Land than a por- 

 tion of Ireland. The length occupied by these 

 hills might be about two miles, the breadth 

 something less. There appeared to be little 

 interval or separation between the two rows : 

 the hills of the outward row gradually sloped 

 down to the sea. The irregular strips of 

 grain and potatoes, the crops of which were 

 exuberant, had a singular effect ; giving some 

 of the hills the appearance of a harlequin's dress. 

 I cannot express the sensation produced on my 

 mind by this group of mountains in miniature, 

 which would form a most unique and beautiful 

 landscape. To our right, about two miles 

 below the station we had taken, was seen the 

 spacious bay of Donegal ; probably not less 

 than six miles from shore to shore, and fifteen 

 from its termination to the ocean, where the 

 magnificent mountains of Ross end in a pro- 

 montory, and form the entrance on one 

 side, while the Sligo hills form on the other 

 the opposite and more distant boundary of the 

 VOL. i. T 



