Rural Architecture. 349 



tipie, that " rara avis in terris," the black swan of Van Dieman's Land 

 with its splendid red bill. Closely observing his habits, he appeared to us' 

 a much more lively and animated bird than the white ; and such we learned 

 to be the case from a guide who attended us, and is in the habit of noticing 

 him daily : the neck did not appear to be quite so long as that of the white 

 swan. Amongst them were a number of fine geese, which the guide called 

 " American." Passing the bridge under which the water falls, we soon arrived 

 at the house, which appears very old, and fast going to ruin : the rooms are 

 spacious, and contain some excellent paintings. On remarking to our guide 

 that the house appeared much neglected and going to decay, he said, " he 

 supposed His present Lordship would not rebuild it, but that there was 

 every probability of Lord Boyle's (the eldest son) doing so, as he was 

 greatly attached to the place, and always quitted it with tears in his eyes 

 for England, where the family chiefly reside since the death of the amiable 

 countess, who seems to have been almost adored by the people here. Our 

 guide added a piece of intelligence, which to us was most unwelcome, 

 " that, since her death, about seven years ago, the chief flovver-o-arden in 

 which she spent most of her time, has not been entered by any person but 

 the gardener and the assistants, though it is said to be kept in as neat order 

 as ever." As a recompense for this disappointment, he conducted us over 

 a wooden bridge, on a distant part of the canal, to another garden most 

 delightfully situate on the side of a hill gently sloping to the south, and 

 embosomed in a thick wood, through which a winding pathway, planted on 

 each side with the choicest evergreens, led to the entrance gate. Here we 

 were delighted to find a number of half-hardy shrubs, apparently acclimated 

 in a high degree, if we were to judge from their great size and healthy con- 

 dition 1 amongst them the Magnok'« grandiflora and conspfcua, Kalrm'a 

 latifolia, myrtles of every kind, with numerous others. I never saw the 

 Chinese roses, odorata and indica, half so large or healthy as against the 

 green-house wall, with a south-eastern aspect : perhaps the yellow rose 

 would answer equally well here, if tried. In the green-house, or conserv- 

 atory, which is indeed a mean one, and ill suited to so extensive a place, we 

 observed a very fine jVerium splendens, Brugmanswz arborea, and Jcacia, I 

 believe, decipiens. In mentioning the acclimated shrubs in the garden, I 

 omitted Camellia japonica, which seemed quite as hardy as the Primus 

 Lauro-cerasus in its neighbourhood outside, and forming as numerous 

 blossom buds, and as forward, as some under glass. The myrtle is said to 

 thrive particularly well in this part of the country, which lies within four 

 or five miles of the southern coast, from which sea sand is procured 

 for its cultivation. Some that I observed at Youghall, near this, were at 

 least 20 ft. high and well furnished, and required no protection during the 

 winter season. The J rbutus CTnedo, our favourite native, was here, on the 

 banks of the canal, in higher perfection and vigoiu* than I found it at Kil- 

 larney. A vast number of the inhabitants of the sweet village of Castle- 

 martyr, adjoining the demesne, are kept employed almost constantly, not a 

 withered leaf being allowed to remain beyond a day on the walks ; indeed, 

 it exceeds in neatness of keeping many places of note which I have visited 

 in England. — A. B. C. Cork, Oct. 5. 1829. 



Art. IV. Rural Architecture. 



Toli^gate Houses in the neighbourhood of London have been a good 

 deal improved within the last seven or ten years, and it were much to be 

 wished that only the most elegant compositions of this kind were erected 

 all over the country ; because they could not fail to have an influence on the 

 general taste in matters of architecture. Toll-gates and parochial or village 

 schools ought to be particularly attended to as examples of architectural 



