THIS City is the biggest in Ireland, except Dub­lin; its Haven lies on the West-side of Ire­land, and South of Galway; It divideth the Province of Con­naught from Munster, being of a great length, no less than sixty Miles; for so far it is from the mouth of the Haven to the City of Limerick, to whose Walls Mer­chant-men of great Burthen, or Third, and Fourth Rate Frigats may goe up, without meeting with any thing else in all that way, save a number of little Isles, but not any foul Places, Rocks or Sands.

This Harbour is nothing else but a great Lough (half way its length growing some-what nar­row, but immediately inlarging it self again into greater breadth) whereinto the River Shannon, (upon whose Banks Limerick is si­tuated) dischargeth it self a little way below the said City; although the English and the Irish both call it the Shannon, all the way until the Sea, as it were not a Lough into which the River falleth, but the River it self thus enlarged. This City, as aforesaid, standing on the Banks of the Shannon, which encompasseth it so about that its a perfect Island, by which means its very strong by Nature; it's also Fortified with a very high strong Wall, on which are seve­ral Bastions and Redoubts; also, three spacious Gates, well-built with curious Stone, viz. St. John's Gate, St. Peter's Gate, and the New-Gate.

These Gates give the Name to the Three Principal Streets in the City, on which are good Stone-Buildings: It hath also a Castle and Bridge, viz. King's Castle, and Thomand-Bridge, Pieces of great Strength and Beauty, though very Ancient, being of the Foun­dation of King John, who was exceedingly delighted with the Situation. Its distant from Dub­lin eighty four Miles, from Cork thirty seven Miles, and from Gal­way thirty six.

THE Haven of this City is the most considerable in the Province of Connaught, being a very great Bay, some Miles broad, and many more long, ha­ving in the Mouth three Islands, (called the Isles of Arran) the which lye North and South by the side of each other, there remain­ing the Channels for to come out of the Sea into this Bay. One Channel runeth betwixt the Land and the Northern Isle, and called therefore North-Sound: The se­cond between the same Northern Island and the middle-most; which Channel being the most usual of the Three, is commonly stiled St. Gregory's Sound; and the third be­tween the most Southermost Island and the Mane, named South-Sound; the Channel betwixt the Southern and the middle-most Island not be­ing passable, by reason of the Sands and Shelves, wherefore the Name of Half-Sound hath been given unto it.

The whole North-side of this Bay is very foul with Sands and Rocks, so as one may not approach the Shoar in a great way; at the end of which Sand, and in the in­nermost part of the Bay, lyeth a little Island, called Mutton-Island, at the East-side whereof, one may Anchor in five or six Fathoms of Water; but from thence North­wards, until the City of Galway, which is the space of two or three Miles, none but little Vessels and Barks can go, the City standing not on the Bay it self, but on a broad Water like a River, the which not far from Galway coming out of a great Lake, called Lough Corbes, dischargeth it self into the Bay a little above Mutten-Isle.

This City is the principal of the Province of Connaught, both for Beauty, Strength and Trade; its invironed with a very strong Wall, the best in all Ireland, on which is a Counterscarp, Bastion, and o­ther Fortifications; and its no less strong within it self, the Houses be­ing built very regular with Stone, with Battlements at the top, for Guns to be Planted. Its distant from Dublin eighty five Miles, and from Athlone thirty six Miles.

THIS Town is the greatest Pass from Dublin to Con­naught, and so to Leinster: it's a place that is but small, yet of very great Strength, the River Shannon running through it, like London and Southwark; its joyned by a stately Stone-Bridge, on which are Fortifications, built at the charge of Queen Elizabeth, and repaired in the Year 1663. On that part of the Town that is in Connaught stands a great Castle, regularly Fortified according to the modern way by K. Charles the II. a little after his Restauration, with the addition of a high mud Wall round that part of the Town, and several other new Works hath been lately made here by the or­der of King James. Its distant from Dublin forty nine Miler.

THE Haven of this City stands Ten Miles to the East­ward of Kin-sale, the which go­eth in N. N. East, being within large and wide, runing a great way into the Land; for the City (until whose Key this Haven is very clean and deep) is seated many miled from the Sea, and from the Mouth of the Harbour.

The City is but small, consist­ing chiefly of one large Street, reaching out in length, but very populous: It is the only thorough-fare of all English Goods and Com­modities (as they term them) namely, rich Broad Cloaths, Stuffs, and Linnen, Fruits, Spices, &c. Sent most commonly this way out of England, for those two remark­able Port-Towns of Limmerick and Galoway; it is Fortified with a very good Wall, and curious Stone-Bridge, on which are seve­ral Works, and being environed with Water; were it not for the Hills near it, which over looks the City, (in the same nature as at Kin-sale) it might be made a place Impregnable, but the Hills has such a command of it, that a Bat­tery from thence, would Beat the the Town about the Ears of the Garrison: It is distant from Dub­lin One Hundred and Sixteen Miles, from Limmerick Thirty Six Miles.