The morning of the 26th was windy with mizzling rain. With some difficulty I got on board a turf boat, unconscious of the risk I ran of not being able to reach Limerick that night. I afterwards heard that it was seldom that these boats could [p. 94] reach Limerick in a single tide and certainly I must have passed a very uncomfortable night on board one of them.
The Shannon from about two miles below Limerick to the sea is a very wide irregular river. The Banks are in some places tolerably wooded and adorned with Gentlemen's seats — each sheltered with its own plantations & some of these are of considerable importance both as to extent and the size of the Timber. There are also [p. 95] two or three conspicuous ruins on its shores.
Limestone continues to occupy the valley and lower eminences on both sides of the River above Limerick and it is said that to this circumstance the City was indebted for its present name. The old name was [...]108. Approached from the water Limerick seems to consist of lofty warehouses and high brick houses — in fact its chief buildings [p. 96] are good brickhouses for its public edifices are neither large nor numerous.
[p. 97] Having desired my friends to write to me at Limerick I felt rather impatient to receive their letters & I was not disappointed.