On the 10th about 1/2 past seven I set out to walk to Doolin the nearest place on the coast. At a small elevation we left the limestone and soon after had to cross a bog. The road passes by Lisdoon Varna where is a good chalybeate spring & considering the accommodations very much frequented. Another spring rises near it which appears by the taste to be aluminous. The peasantry wash their ulcers in it & think they receive great benefit. A number of little shining crystals in the bed of earth in which it is found were pointed [p. 118] out to me as alum but as they were perfectly tasteless I concluded them rather to be gypsum. Both these springs were in a deep ravine whose half naked banks exposed a soil rather earth than rock, of a crumbling shale. Many little Streams about have in like manner worked themselves deep and narrow beds. There is something romantic in the larger
[p. 119] As the shore on the North of Doolin is Limestone I was in hopes of being able to observe the junction of the different soils but a space of sand hills intervenes between the ranges of hill and prevented my observation. The cliffs to the South of Doolin are the abrupt termination of a range of schistose or rather perhaps of shaly hills139. They are very high, black and perpendicular — the edge of the summit is quite sharp and there can be no doubt that it is the continual action of the sea undermining the base and gaining on the shore which preserves their absolute perpendicularity. They are said to be 1100 feet in height — I think they must be more than half that.140 I was too late for the tide to search for seaweeds on the rocks — but hunted a long while in vain for the Maiden hair on the Shore and returned from a long and dreary walk without meeting any botanical recompense.
[p. 120] Here and at other places along the coast of Clare the fishermen use a boat they call the Corragh or naviog141 & the English Irish a canoe. A slight frame of wood gives the shape. The rest is a coarse sort of wicker work covered with a horse skin and secured with woollen yarn. The inhabitants assert that they answer better on these rocky and inhospitable shore than any other make. If by chance they should get a hole some sea weed will stop it up. An Irishman will make shift any how. Sure it has done for their fathers before them! They have no keel and are so light that a man may easily carry one on his shoulders.