Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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tions are of considerable importance. With the excep-
tion of a diversified district on the eastern coast and
the entire vale of the Lagan, nearly the whole is occupied
by basaltic beds, presenting abrupt declivities on the
eastern and northern coasts, which are truly magnificent.
These secondary beds consist of enormous unstratified
masses, the average depth of which is about 300 feet,
though in the north, at Knock-laid, it is 980 feet; the
base of that mountain is composed of mica slate. The
island of Rathlin is principally occupied by these bas-
altic beds, which are classified by Dr. Berger under the
following heads: — tabular basalt, columnar basalt,
green-stone, grey-stone, porphyry, bole or red ochre,
wacke, amygdaloidal wacke, and wood coal: and imbed-
ded in them are granular olivine augite, calcareous spar,
steatite, zeolite, iron pyrites, glassy feldspar, and chal-
cedony. The beds of columnar basalt occur almost ex-
clusively towards the northern extremity of the county,
and form an amazing display of natural grandeur along
the shore. Besides the well-known columnar strata
composing the Giant’s Causeway and the adjacent cliffs,
similar strata are seen in divers parts of the county,
particularly near Antrim and Kilroot: the pillars com-
posing the Giant’s Causeway (which is minutely des-
cribed in the article on Billy), are irregular prisms stand-
ing in the closest contact, and of various forms, from
three to nine sides, the hexagonal equalling in number
all the rest. Slievemish, or Slemish, mountain is an
enormous mass of greenstone, which likewise occurs in
other situations. Porphyry occupies a considerable
district to the south of Connor and Kells, and is met
with in several other places, particularly near Cushen-
dall. The remarkable substance called wood coal occurs
in thin strata at Portnoffer, Kiltymorris, Ballintoy, and
elsewhere. All the other rocks of Antrim are beneath
the basaltic beds in geological position. The first is
hard chalk, sometimes called white limestone, which
does not average more than 200 feet in thickness, and
occurs on the eastern and southern sides of the county,
and on the southern coast of Rathlin island. Mulattoe,
or green sandstone next occurs in the neighbourhood of
Belfast, to the north of Carrickfergus, near Larne, at
Garron Point, &c.; and under this are found lias beds
on the coast between Garron Point and Larne, and in
other places. These, together with the chalk and basalt,
are based upon beds of reddish and reddish-brown
sandstone of various textures, Which are found under
the entire south-eastern border of the county, in several
detached spots along the eastern coast, and in consider-
able tracts from Red bay to Ballycastle: the upper
strata form a marl, in which are veins of gypsum. The
coal district of Ballycastle comprises an extent of about
two miles along the coast; the beds crop out above the
level of the sea, dipping to the south-east about one
foot in nine, and alternate with others of sandstone and
slate clay, being themselves of a slaty quality. The
only rocks lying under the strata of the great coal dis-
trict, besides the primitive rocks of mica-slate, &c, al-
ready mentioned, are those of “old red sandstone,”
between the bays of Cushendall and Cushendun. All the
above-mentioned strata are occasionally intersected and
dislocated by remarkable dykes of basalt or whinstone,
varying from three inches to sixteen feet in width. Some-
times very minute dykes or veins of greenstone pene-
trate these enormous beds of basalt, and are particu-
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larly observable near Portrush, where they are seen in
the face of the cliff not more than an inch broad. Chert
is also found in abundance and variety at Portrush.
Fullers’ earth exists in the basaltic district, in which
also a rough tripoli is found at Agnew’s Hill, and a vein
of steatite or French chalk in the path to the Gobbins.
In Belfast Lough, lying under the level of the ordinary
tides, but generally left bare at the ebb, is a stratum of
submarine peat and timber, in which nuts are singularly
petrified on the east and west sides of the Lough.
Numerous organic remains are also found in the beds
of chalk, &c.; large and beautiful crystals in the
basaltic region, particularly near the Giant’s Cause-
way, -where agates, opal, and chalcedony are met with
in different situations. Of all this variety of subter-
ranean productions, the coal has been procured to the
greatest extent. The collieries of Ballycastle, once
flourishing, are now but little worked; they were
formerly twelve in number, and exported from 10,000
to 15,000 tons annually. Gypsum or alabaster is dug
in different places, and the various species of stone are
quarried in spots convenient for building and other
purposes.
As this county is situated in the centre of the dis-
trict in which the linen and cotton manufactures are
most vigorously carried on, a brief historical view of
the progress of these branches of industry, the most
valuable in the island, may here be introduced. The
linen manufacture, of which Belfast is the grand mart,
is most extensively carried on at Lisburn and the
surrounding country: it is of remote antiquity in
Ireland, but appears to have been first particularly en-
couraged in the north about 1637, by Lord Strafford,
who induced the Scottish and English settlers, then
recently established in Ulster, to cultivate flax, offering
them every facility in exporting the yarn. But this
rising trade was for some time entirely destroyed by the
civil war which speedily followed, and its revival effec-
tually prevented by the competition of the French and
Dutch in the English market. In 1678, an act prohibit-
ing the importation of linen from France was passed,
which was soon afterwards disannulled by Jas. II.,
who afforded great encouragement to the French manu-
facturers. The first parliament of Wm. III. declared
the importation of French linens highly injurious to the
interests of the three kingdoms; and the progress of
the woollen trade in Ireland, having alarmed the English
manufacturers, the king was prevailed upon to suppress
it, and re-establish in lieu the manufacture of linen,
which was accordingly so much encouraged as to induce
many of the Hugonots to emigrate hither from France,
several of whom had carried on the trade extensively
in their native country. Amongst these emigrants was
Mr. Crommelin, who received from Government a grant
of £800 per annum, as an equivalent for the interest of
capital to be expended by him in establishing the. linen
manufacture at Lisburn, with a patent for its improve-
ment, and an additional salary of £’200, on condition
that, with the assistance of three other persons, also re-
munerated from the public purse, he should instruct
the Irish farmers in the cultivation of flax, which had
been altogether neglected for upwards of half a cen-
tury. These and similar efforts, aided by protecting
legislative enactments, produced the most important re-
sults: a board of trustees of the linen and hempen