Lewis Topographical Dictionary - OSi Online Shop

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other in the north of Ireland Turaw mountain, rising
boldly from the waters of Lough Erne, forms a beauti-
ful and striking feature of its scenery. The other
mountains of remarkable elevation are Glcnkeel near
Derrygonnelly, 1223 feet; North Shean, 1135; Tappahan
on the borders of Tyrone, 1110; and Carnmore near
Rosslea, 1034 feet. But the grand distinguishing
characteristic of the county is Lough Erne, which extends
forty miles from north-west to south-east, forming in
reality two lakes, embayed by mountains and connected
by a deep and winding strait, on an island in the centre
of which stands the county town of Enniskillen. Of the
two lakes, the northern or lower, between Belleek and
Enniskillen, is the larger, being upwards of 20 miles in
length, and 7½ in its greatest breadth; the southern or up-
per, between the latter town and Belturbet, is 1 C 2 miles long
by 4½ broad. Both are studded with numerous islands,
which in some parts of the upper lake are clustered so
closely together as to present the appearance rather of a
flooded country than of a spacious lake. It is a popular
opinion, that the number of these islands equals that of
the days in the year; but accurate investigation has as-
certained that there are 109 in the lower lake, and 90 in
the upper. The largest is Bo or Cow island, near the
northern extremity of the upper lake; it takes its name
from being mostly under pasture. Ennismacsaint, also
in the upper lake, is noted for a burying-ground, which
is held in great veneration; Devenish island, in the same
lake, near Enniskillen, is particularly remarkable for its
ancient round tower and other relics of antiquity, all of
which are described in the article on the parish of that
name. The other more remarkable islands in this divi-
sion are Eagle, Innisnakill, and Gully, all richly wooded;
Cor and Ferney, mostly under pasture, and Herring
island, said to derive its name from the quantities of
fresh-water herring found near its shores. Innismore,
the largest island in the upper lake, forms part of the
two nearest parishes on the main land. Belleislo has
long been celebrated for its natural beauties, which were
much heightened by the judicious improvements they
received when it was the residence of the Earl of Rosso:
it is connected with the main land by an elegant bridge.
Near it is Lady Rosse’s island, so called from the im-
provements bestowed on it by that lady. Knockninny
was used as a deer-park by the nobleman just named.
In descending the lake from Belturbet, the first two miles
present the appearance of a large river winding through
the county without any striking features to arrest atten-
tion 5 but as the lake widens,usuccoK.siou of rich and pictu-
resque views opens upon the eye. The bunks on each
side, as well as the islands that present themselves in
rapid succession, arc clothed with stately timber, which
rises boldly from the, water’s edge, occasionally inter-
rupted by sweeps of low marsh overgrown with rushes
and enlivened by herons and other aquatic fowl. After
narrowing in to the strait of Enniskillen, and expanding
again into a still wider sheet of water in the lower lake,
it is finally contracted into a river which quits the
county at the village of Belleek in a magnificent, fall.
The lakes called Lough Melvin, Lough Maenean, and
Lough Kane, which form part of the boundary between.
Fermanagh and Leitrim, may be considered as partly
belonging to the former county.
The soil in some parts is a rich loam upon a substratum
of limestone, or calcareous gravel; in others, a light
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friable soil on slaty gravel; and again in others, a heavy
soil mixed with stones, beneath which is blue and yellow
clay on a substratum of basalt, here called whinstone;
but throughout almost every part, the soil is wet and
cold, obstinately retaining the surface water unless coun-
teracted by constant draining. The size of farms varies
from 3 acres to 500; those of large size are mostly near
the mountains, and occupied in grazing young cattle.
Considerable tracts of land are let in bulk, and the
holders of them are generally middlemen, who sublet in
small portions: proprietors of this description are called
Terney begs, or “Little Lords.” The manure, which is
seldom used for any crop except, potatoes’, is generally
a compost of stable dung, Lime, and bog mould; the
scourings of ditches are sometimes used as a substitute
for lime. Marl is in high repute; it is of a dusky white
colour, mostly found at the bottom of bogs; near
Florence-Court and in some other places it shews itself
in large ridges resting upon gravel, whence issue nu-
merous springs impregnated with vitriolic acid: in the
vicinity of these springs the marl is found in various
curious shapes, cylindrical, spherical, oblong, and curved,
highly indurated, and of a dirty red colour, but when ex-
posed to the action of a winter’s atmosphere, and used
either in top-dressing or as a compost, it retains its elli-
eacy for two or three successive seasons. The staple
crops are oats and potatoes, with some wheat; flux,
barley, turnips, clover, and vetches are occasionally
planted; the culture of barley it every year extending,
but that of all the others is chiefly confined to the gentry
and wealthy farmers. In the mountain districts, much
of the land is cultivated with the spade or the old heavy
wooden plough; in other parts, the use of the improved
iron plough and light angular harrow is universal, as
well as that of all other new and improved implements.
The old car with solid wooden wheels has given way to
the light cart, with spoke-wheels, and the slide-car is
rarely used, except, in the most mountainous districts
to bring turf down the precipitous roads. These moun-
tain farms are ehicfly appropriated to the rearing of
young cattle, great numbers of which are annually pur-
chased in Leitrim, Sligo, and Donegal, at. a year old, and
kept by the mountain farmer for one or two years, when
they are sold to the graziers of the adjoining counties;
great numbers of mileh cows are kept, and large qunu-
titios of butter made, which is mostly salted in firking,
and bought, up in the neighbouring markets, chirly for
the merchants of Belfast and Newry, Perhaps lesn at-
tention is paid to the breed of cattle in this than in any
other county in Ireland; almost every sort of stuck
known in the kingdom is to bo found here in a day’s
journey, but so crossed as to defy the possibility of dis-
tinguishing the original breeds; that best adapted to the
soil and elimate is the long horned Roscommon. Sheep
are numerous in some districts; they are generally a
small mountain breed, and mostly kept for the purpose
of furnishing wool for domestic clothing, but many of
the gentry have very excellent stocks, being for the most
part a cross between the Leicester and Sligo breed.
Pigs, though found in all parts, are by no mean so nume-
rous as in the adjoining county of Monaghan; indeed in
many instances the food which should bo given to the
pig is carefully saved for the cow. Goats are so nume-
rous as to be highly detrimental to the hedges, which
are everywhere stunted by the browning of this animal.