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“lv“TH‘E miss PENNY JOURNAL.‘
NUMBER 12.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER .19, 1840.
Vowiun . I. l
THE TOWN or ANTRIM. '
TRAVELLERS whose only knowledge of our towns is that de-
rived in passing through the principal street or streets, will
be very apt to form an erroneous estimate of the amount of
picturesque beauty which they often possess, and which is rarel
seen save by those who go out of their way expressly to loo '
for it. This is particularly the case in our smaller towns, in
which the princi al thoroughfare has usually a stiff and for-
mal character, the entrance on either side being generally a
range of mud cabins, which, gradually improving in appear-
ance, merge at length into houses of a better description, with
in. public building or two towards the centre of the town. In
these characteristics the highway of one town is only a rope-
tition of that of another, and in such there is rarely any com-
bination of‘ picturesque lines or striking features to create a
present interestintlie mind, orleave a.pleasurableimp1'ession on
the memory. . Yet in most instances, it’ we visit the suburbs of
these towns, and more particularly it’ they happen, as is usu-
ally the case, to be placed upon a river, and we get down to
the river banks, we shall most probably be surprised and gra-
tified at the picturesque combinations of forms, and the-dc-
lightful variety of effects, presented to us in the varied outline
0 their buildings, contrasted by intervening masses ofdark
foliage, and the whole reflected on the tranquil surface of the
water, broken only by the enlivenin effect of those silvery
streaks of light produced by the eclc ies and currents of the
s ream. - ' - .
1
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Our prefiioed view of the town of Antrim may‘be'taken as
an illustration of the preceding remarks. ‘As seen'by'tli'o
passing traveller, the town a pears situated on ‘a rich, open,
ut comparativel uninteresting plain, termiuatin the well-
cultivated vale o the Six-mile-water towards the at shore of
Loch Nea h; and with the exception of its very handsome
church an castellated entrance into Lord Ferrard's adjoining
demcsne, has little or no attraction; but viewed in connection
with its river, Antrim appears eminently icturesque from se-
veral points as well as from that selecteif for our view--the
prospect of the town looking from the deer-park of Lord Mas-
sarene. .
In front, the Six-mile-water river flowing placidly over kl.
broad gravelly bed, makes a. very imposing a gearance, not
much inferior to that of the Litfey at Island‘: ridge. Tho
expanse of water at this point, however, forms a contrast to
the general appearance of the stream, which, although it brings
down a considerable body of water,’ Hows in many parts Of Its
course between banks of not more than twenty feet asunder.
The vale which it waters is one of the most productive dis-
tricts of the county,‘and towards Antrim is adorned "by nu-
merous handsome residences ‘rising among ithevpenlivening
scenery of bleachogreeus, for which ipanufacture it affords a
copious water-power. . Scenes of this descri tion imparta
peculiar beauty to landscapes in the north of Ire and. The linen
webs of a snowy whiteness, spread on green closely-slizwen
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