Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1827 edition. Excerpt: ... carvings and tracery, mulKons and fretworks of the Gothic style of building. It seemed to stand the weather much better than the soft sandstone of which these ornaments are usually formed in Cathedrals, and which has proved so perishable. On the contrary, I observed this material in walls and other exposed places, and there was no sign of decomposition or exfoliation from the weather. It appears that in the ancient Ecclesiastical architecture of Ireland, they made use of this steatite, for I observed it employed in abundance in the old Abbey of Kilmacrenan, said to be built by Columkill--at all events this Abbey is evidently one of the oldest buildings in Ireland, and here it was used to form a beautiful east window, which is now thrown down and destroyed, but still a great deal of its carved interlacing' and fretted work cut out of this cam stone (as it is here called, ) lie. scattered about the church-yard as bead-stones to graves; and the angles are just as sharp and the carvings as accurate as the day they were chiseled: a friend of mine cut off a bas relief, representing a tiger passant, from a solid block of this stone, with a common hand saw, and he said it was easier to him than if he wrought on so much wood of the same diameter. This bas relief must have been chiseled at least 700 years ago.--There are many valuable lead and copper mines also in this country; also in some of its larger rivers, pearls of a considerable size and fine colour are found. SKETCHES IN DONEGAL. LETTER IV. TO THE REV. SIR F. L. B SSE. Before I left Donegal, I was determined to make a pilgrimage to Purgatory in the far-famed Island in Lough Derg.--So leaving my hospitable friend's house at Convoy, and proceeding through Stranorlar and Ballybofey; I..
