Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 1.djvu/790

Rh DONKilAL. 780 DONEGAL. hip, ami also created Karl ot Tyrone. In 1607 ho was rd of a conspiracy, with other lords, all of whom fled the country, and the year after Sir ('ii)iir O'Dnghertv, nt' tlio sept of that name, broke out into rebellion, iiii'l look C'ulmorc ami Dcrry. HI- then fortified the rock of Dounc, where the O'Hoiiells had been crowned for many centuries, and v. i there for live months, being, at the expiration of that time, shot while leaning over the edge of the rock. In 1612 O'Donell and his fellow-conspirators were attainted of high treason, and Donegal nnd five other counties in V. <ted to the king. Th-- survey taken at the tiim giv -s the area of the " profitable land" in the county as 110,700 acres. Of these the tcrmon lands, 9,160 acres, were assigned to the see of Buphoe ; 3.680 acres were assigned as the bishop's mensal lands; 6, 600 acres as glebe-hind for 87 lies; '.),'--' acres of monastery land to the college of Dublin; 300 acres to Culmore Fort: 1,000 to Ually- shnnnon; and 1,024 to Sir lialph Bingley. Other " un- dertakers " were Sir John Kingsmill, John Murray, Sir John Stewart, Sir James Cunningham, Sir George Slar- buric, &c. Muff, in Innishowen, was granted to the Grocers' Company. In 1798 the French fleet was cap- tured by Sir John Warren off Tory Island, and in the same year his Majesty's ship Saldanah was lost close to the Fannet Light. The surface of Donegal is mostly covered with mountains, rivers, and lakes, affording grand and picturesque scenery. The midland district, however, from the liberty of Londonderry westward to Letterkenny and liathmelton, and southward along the Foyle to Lifford and Castle Finn, is comparatively flat, and suitable tor cultivation. The country round Bally- shannon and Donegal to the S. of the cuunty, and round liuncrana and Dunfanaghy to the X., is of the same character; but with these exceptions the county consists of mountain and moorland, interspersed with fertile valleys. The (reneral direction of the mountain chains is from S. W. to X.E. In the X.E. of the county, between loughs Swilly and Foyle, are the mountains of Slieve Snaght, 2,019 feet in height, and Knockalla, 1,196 feet. To the W. of Sheephaveu is Sluckish, 2,190 feet, and near the Bloody Foreland, Cartreena, 1,396 feet. I i the chain which runs to the S. of these mountains, the highest points are Errigal, 2,463 feet, and Dovish, '2,1 )'( feet; and again, S. of these, Bluestack. 2,-'l.'l feet, and Silverhill, 1,967 feet. Oilier considerable mountains are Knockroe, 2,202 feet; Agla, 1,953 feet ; Gangin, l.s.iii feet; and Croaghnagur, 1,793 feet. The rivers in the county are numerous but small, the most important being the Foyle. This river rises in Lough Finn, in the Branagh hills, to the N. of Aghla, passes Stranorlar and Lifford, ami enters the sea through Lough Foyle, on which Londonderry is situated. The river is called the Finn from its source to Lifford, win re it is joined on the E. by the Strule, into which the Derg, rism? in Ixuigh Derg, flows, after a course of about 20 miles. On th. tho Deelo flows from Lough Dcele, nearly parallel to the Finn, joining the Foyle below Lifford. The Swilly flows into the head of Lough Swilly, after a course of not more than 15 miles, Letterkcnny stands on the Swilly, about 4 miles from its entrance into the lough. The Deannan also flows into the lough near Rathm . smaller rivers are the Lackagh, flowing into 'haven ; the Clady and Gwcedoro, into Gweedore Bay; the G vecbarra, at the mouth of which stands Ballinacarrick ; the Owenea, which discharges into 1 ne Hay; the Eask, on which D' stands ; ami the F.rnc, flowing from Lough Erne, with 1'iallyshannon at its mouth. Tho southern part of the county if chiefly limestone, covered with a deep ml rich soil. N. of tho Barnesmoro mountain:;, the forma- tion is igm ; ng ;i tract oftmnsitii D along the course of the river Foyle. i i it;lit range consists chiefly of mie;i-.-i ate. topped with granite ; and ] ( i .rii I i rely composed of trap, greenstone, and porphyry. Limestone of various colours occurs in the mountain districts, and the marble of Dunlc'.vry is ' i' Carrara. Lead ore has at IJnylai/h, 1/niirhna-Hroden, on the Dcrryvcagh mountains, and at Kieldrum, in Kilmacre- nan. ('nj'p,-r ami iron pyiit.-, an found at Errigal, I Muckish, and Horn Head. There is a thin s. am of coal at Dromore, near Lough Swilly, nnd also in Innishowen, but it has not yet been worked. A very peculiar n; is found near Convoy, on the Doclc, which i.s used by the people in the neighbourhood for tin- manufacture of and potters' clay are iin|u found, but not much used, i 'onsidi i.ible quantities of ] siliceous sand arc exported from Lough Salt .for the glau manufacture. On the western side of Horn Head there is a natural perforation in a cliff overhanging the sea, through which tho water is driven during gale* from the N.W. to a considerable height, and the noim tow produced is audible for several miles. It is known i_ Mac Swiney's Gun. Near Bnndoi-an there is a similar orifice called the Fairy tiun. At liruwn Hall ti - a subterranean river, possessing a very strong po pi'tri faction. The climate is cold and damp, :- country is exposed along its whole coast-line t north-western gales, but the improvements in the i ing of late years have much increased both the salt of tho atmosphere and the fertility of the soil. S.E. portion of tho county is by far the most limestone formation between Ballyshain being covered with a warm triable soil. l'i kaneely to Kellybcgs and Tellen Head, the soil is light i and gravelly in the lowlands, and in the mountai: consists of peat overlying quart/ gravel. A suitable for potatoes, flax, oats, ami barley, transition formation, and, along the Foyle .1; sufficient to produce abundance of wheat. J the county, near Fannet Head, the dales brown gravelly mould, but most of the land on tlMHl coast is spoiled by the sand which is incess;: up from the sea. Kosapenna House, built by I on llossguill Point, between Sheephaven a: Bay, has been entirely buried by the san i. exception of tho extremities of the chimneys. In a& dition to the grains, flax, and [wtatoes, which ' already been mentioned, turnips, vi wurzcl are now common. The agri< has been much improved by 1 cultural societies established in littphoo and baronies at the commencement of tin The fertile champaign districts afford good grai ing shiep, ;le, and milch cov not fatten readily in any part of the county mountainous districts, where tho grass is pi rushes and coarse herbage, the cattle are M of ague, known as the " cruppan," cured only by to better pasture; but even this change, if per too long, induces another equally severe disease the"galar." The breed of cattle which i best is a cross In t n the Limerick an crossed again with the Devon or HI n i'.nl. Tlif of pigs has been much improved, and gre.v the Strabane and Londmidt nv inn Eggs and fowls are largely exported. V except in the parks of the gentry. n<.m : into U baronies Bannagh, in the S V jii, W. ; Innishowen, East ai ' .; Jtaphoe, North and Soutli, 10.; ud Tyrhugli, S. The parishes munh< : ic :<!. in the county. ( M tin .-e 1 Minsk. largest, containing 100,068 acres. Then towns l.;lli<ril, the t "unty, assize, sessions, anil town;! 1 1 l.itterkenny, sessions shannon r. i;athmelt..n. < (a sessions town), Kaphoe, Moville, St. .1 Killybcgs. Dmieuai and the thru- li.liowir with Dunfanaghy, (Jl. uties, and Jlillord, are 1'iiioin ; the pmperty i^ited to the poor being liallysbannon, Letterkenny, Itatlnm vns have police district stations, 'i lation of the county in lhu'1 was 236,859, being decrease of 69,589 since Isii. when the numlier of per-' sons iu the county was i':"), I IS. Two members are sent to the imperial parliament for the county, but'"