Corpus of Electronic Texts Edition
Pococke's Tour in Ireland in 1752 (Author: Richard Pococke)

entry 20

On the 14th I set out to go round Inishowen and came in two miles to the strand, where I saw people at work with wooden shovels, in turning up the sand, as the sea left the strand, and enquiring what they were about, they told me they were catching sand eeles; I observ'd that the moment the wave leaves the sand, they run in the shovel, and turn up the sand and the fish are taken; they are about 4 or 5 inches long, very small for their length, are made like a whiteing and they say are very good: We came to Burn Cranmer a village of one Street on a little height over the sea, between two rivlets, one of which gives name to the place, Burn signifying a rivlet. Here Mr. Vaughan endeavoured to establish a linnen manufacture and erected buildings for that purpose, but the people breaking, his design came to nothing. A little beyond the village Mr. Vaughan has a house pleasantly


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situated, with fine fields and plantations about it. I went on towards Desert Egnè and passed by the old church, there being a chapel below for divine service. From this place we ascended still higher and found all bog and heath, and passing two or three hills, we crossed a river, which I suppose is that in Petty called Owen Kirk, and even here the herdsmen who keep the cattle have two or three acres under corn, gained out of the heath and morass. On a height near Desert Egni I observed some stones set up an end as in a circle round a single stone, like those in Cornwall.

We had high rocky mountains to the north, the barriers against the northern ocean, and going over a high hill, came to the country called from the parish Clanmany, a very rough spot of ground, but surprizingly improved, where ever a plough and spade can work: Coming to a rivlet which runs into a bay, I saw a road which leads to Bigny a hamlet to the north west of the point made by these hills; we went on and came to the Strand Strabeghy (the deceitful Strand) by reason that it is full of holes and difficult to pass. I was too late and was obliged to go all round it, having been directed this way in hopes of getting the strand; for otherwise the short way is directly across the mountain by Carne, which road they told me was not very good. The way was on the south and east side of the strand and crossing a rivlet at the east end of it on a bridge, I came into that peninsula which is called Malin: The morass to the east is called Monei reilta (the starry bog) for there being several holes in it full of water it appears in a moonshiny night like stars, which may serve as an instance of the significancy of Irish names, which commonly are descriptive of the Place. We went westward near the Strand and turning to the north passed by


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an old church called Malin Church, where they say there was a Convent, and going over two hills I came to what they call Malin Well, which is the most northern point of Ireland in the degree of 55.19. They told me they had not above two hours night in which they could not read in the longest days, and that the sun was excessively hot in summer. This is farther north than ever I was before: Coming near the sea cliff I look'd for the house I was going to, and could see none, but came to a passage down the cliff where I found the house on the beach under the rocks, and enquiring for the well, they showed me a hollow under a rock at the south end of a high small rocky Island, which at low water is a peninsula: Here people bathe with great success, the water being very salt, as not mixed with the fresh. And the Roman Catholicks plunge in with superstitious notions that the water receives some virtue from the Saint (Terence Marialla) who lived in a cave in the rock of the cliff, where poor people lodge, who come for cure. The house for accomodation is exceeding bad. There is a high beach of pebbles which are esteemed the best in Ireland, except those of a port to the north of Green Castle. They are mostly Jaspar, some jaspar Agates, Cornelian and Agates; and I met with one which seems to be Chalcedony. I had a letter to Mr. Harvey within a mile of the wells, which I sent to him, and soon followed, and met with a most hospitable reception: they presented me with several curious pebbles and a very curious crab dryed, the legs of which are mark'd with winding lines that are white; and from the variegated colour 'tis supposed that it has obtained the name of the Highlander; they are exceeding scarce, and it may be they do not meet with one in seven years. I observ'd a fine square head of land to the west called Malin Arde, which

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is under corn and appears very beautiful, being a peninsula: To the east are very high rocks, where there are eagles which frequently carry off lambs; and a man being let down by ropes to the nest of one of them, in which he found eggs, he met also with a salmon and a Breme; the former swimming in shallow water might easily be taken, but the Breme keeping deep in the sea must have been supposed to have been thrown up. The fishermen observe an extraordinary thing here, that if they find a stone in the cod fish that it is a certain sign of an approaching storm, and it is supposed they swallow it in order to sink themselves to the bottom of the sea, that they may not be dashed against the rocks, as they frequently are, and are taken up dead sometimes in great numbers; It is supposed also that they have a power of disgorging the stone.