The Hartlib Papers

Title:Letter & Notes On Natural History Of Ireland, Thomas Field To Hartlib?
Dating:27 March 1654
Ref:31/14/1A-4B: 1B, 4B, 5A-6B, BLANK
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Worthy sir
Hauing seene your booke intituled your legacy to the comon-welth of England: and in it perused your epistele to your frend in Ireland concerning answars to your alphabet of interogatoryes towards the compleating of a[altered] naturall history of Ireland: which would be a worke not onely plesant but also profetable to all that haue or may haue relation to the place. and haueing liued there some years (During which time I was not altogether remisse in obseruing what came within the rang of my capasiti) giue me leaue to informe you with what I haue obserud (ether in my trauels or other the time of my abod there) in that alphabetacall way which you desier from your frend residing there: omiting those things to which I canot giue a punctuall and perfect answar. and answering the rest so far as my knolege will direct mee. Desireing your worship to pardon my bouldnes in presuming thus peremtoryly to take vpon me to informe you with what you desire not of me. yet perceuing your publike genus allwayes working for a generall good I could not neglect what I thought might be any wayes conducable towards the perfecting of so profetable a worke. wherefore I desier your worship [deletion] to accept it from him which desiers to subscribe himselfe
                         Sir your worships humble seruant
from my poure house in thebols parcke      Thomas Field
this. 27th. of march. 1654
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                    Acars
The proportion between the Irish and English acars is almost as .5. to .3... the Irish rodd beeing .7. yards long being squared is .49. squar yards. the English rod of .5 yards and a halfe long being squard contains but .30. squared yards and a quarter: so I conclude by that proportion that .30. Irish acars and a roode is .49. English acars
                    Alder
Alder there is greate plentie in the woodland countryes in the wet boggy ground it groweth very strayght and talle and is much vsed in building especially by the Irish to shun sawing it is vsed also in makeing of trenchers trayes and other Irish vesels as cohons madders [quinyocks?] and other. the bark is much vsed in dying blacke
                    Ants
There is some smalle ones but I neuer saw any greate wood ants nether any store of ant hills in medows or pasturs as is heare in many places
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                    Aples
There is but small store but what haue beene planted by the English, yet those that are: thriue very well and rippen kindly. the greatest store is about kelkeny. the woods in most places are stord with crabtrees: which is an argument that there might be store of aples: ware the inhabitants industrious.
                    Aprecoks
There is in many places: at Belfast in the north of Ireland: planted by that Industrious Comonwelths man Edward lord Chichchester, without Belfast. and at Dery wheare the Bishop of that place <had> hath a garden before this rebelion planted with al sorts of rare fruits and flowers
                    Aps[altered] or poplar
I sawe uery litle in those places wher I traueled.
                    Bayes
there is very litle but that which is there thriues very well
                    Black Birds
Defar nothing ether in shape or qualitie and in plenti much as they are heare
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                    Barnacles
I haue seene wonderful store in seuerall places as in the bay of knockfergus lough Cone: laugh [gaman? altered] by Wexford and many other lakes and quiet bayes where they feede at low water where they feede at low among the sea weeds. they are of coler blacke with white belyes of the bignes of a green goose when she is stub fethered they com from the northward about the later end of August and returne aboute the begining of may. the make a great noyes especialy when they rise to wing like a kenell of hounds. they fly in good order one leading the way and the rest folow in a maner of a Roman Capital [samll crosses in a V shape] and it is obserued the leaders do return backe to conduct other flocks at there going away   there are some lame ones and others through fatnes disabled to flye which are forced to stay behind which in Ilands and other solitary places they Engender lay eggs and breed as other fowls doe. wherefore I thinke it to be a mere fiction which is reported of there breeding other wayes. I haue seene vpon ships which haue binn long at sea: or vpon ould timber cast ashore: infinet of those they cale barnacles growing as mushrums grow out of deadwood vpon a tugh sinowey thing sumthing resembling a Cowes dugg: some as bigg and long as a mans finger some lesse acording to the time of growth in a shell not much vnlike a musell. the fish within Doth sumthing resemble a yonge bird. but I Could neuer saw any tending to the maturitie of a fowlle in any degree although I often tooke the best notes I could: the greatest and least being all of one form and fashon
                    Beech trees
I could neuer see nor heare of any although I made diligent serch in the woods and also inquired often times in seuerall coutryes after them
                    Berryes
I haue seene greate store strawberyes. resberyes. hurtle beryes. and blacke beryes in the woods: and crane beryes in the redd boggs. any of thease as great and good as in any parte of England   [catchword:Broome]
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[left column:]
                    Broome
I neuer saw but in one place in the south naturaly growing and that in smale quantitie but I haue seene it sowed in rowes in seueral places insteed of hedges which in seven years will grow to .7. or .8. foote high. Buchers broome I neuer sawe any
                    Birds
I neuer saw any but what we haue the like naturaly bred in England
                    Cabbage
I haue seene as greate and as good as euer I saw in England. There was one Mr Turner dweling not far from wicklow which presented one to the lord Deputie wentworth in .1646. which was reported to be a porters burthen from high streete in dublin to the Castle. it was sayd to be as bigg as would goe in at an ordinary doer
                    Cane aples
There is great store in munster in the glins and doutles if triall ware made might be very good stocks to graft aples or pears vpon
                    Cockles
are in greate plentie in many places in the sands and slimes
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                    Crowes
I neuer any black ones but pied such as wee call roystone crowes. there are rauons rookes
                    Dawes
Ther are such as our daws in all respects and others which are caled choughs with bills as redd as bloud: they are longer bodied and wingd then the other and as blacke as a rocke ousle and breed in cony holes most comonly
                    Ducks
Ther are innumerable in most riuers loughs and bayes
                    Eeles
Ther are great store in the riuers loughs and mirye boggs. but the riuer Barrow is the most famos in all Ireland I had a country man which had three payer of mills tow payer aboue athy and one paier at laughlin brige where he tooke such store that hee payed his rent with the profet of his eele fishing
                    Elmes
I neuer saw any but I hard of a gentleman which had planted some about his house which did thriue uery well. wich elme I haue seene hear and there in the woods
                    Cheryes
I neuer saw or hard of any blacke or hony cheryes there. I haue seene some great red cheryes which ware very fayer and good but there is but very fewe
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                    Salmon
There is great store in most riuers and lakes which haue uent to the sea [esecealy?] the lake neEugh and the riuer band which runs from it to the sea by Colrane. a litle aboue which towne it is crosed with a Catrake or rocke from whence it faleth and maketh a large and deep poole. to which about the begining of may the salmon swarme so infinitly to get to the lough to spaun that they are taken in such plentie: that the farmer of the fishing: lodeth seuerall ships yearly with bareld salmon from thence. I hard it credably reported by by seueral suficient men that aboute that time of the yeare in .1645 as I remember. on a saboth day, ther was one of the fishermen accidentaly drownd in the poole: and his felowes by leaue from the souerain and the minister of the place: that their sayen to see if they might find him at which draught they tooke .50. barrels of salmon. which of ordinary fish could not be lese then .3000.
                    Salte
I haue seene in many places in holes of the rocks where the salt water hath bine left by the spring tides. which in hot dry wether hath bine turnd to perfect salt a bushel in a place
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                    Tortases
I neuer sawe but one which coming ashore one euening at Carno-bay ten mills south from wexford the fishermen killd it and deuided it among them and brought the hede and shell to Mr Iames Codd of Clough Est lord of the soyle at which time I lay at the gentlemans house hauing som orations with him. the shel was .2. foote .3.inches long
  A Catalogu of such things as the country doth not naturaly produce
   Of Timber. beech. elme. maple. eugh. hornbeame. chesnut. walnut. [seruice?]. blacke cheryes, any of these are very rare
  Of harbes. wild time, saint Iohns wort centary. Cowslipps. I neuer saw any of these but in gardens
  Of fish. dace. gudions minowes. [2 words deleted] these I could neuer see nor heare of. Carp. tench and roch are very rare
  Of fowle partridges but fewe but what ware caryed ouer by the late lord deputi waintworth erle of staford. which caused many couuies to be brought ouer and let goe which they say haue bred and increst to many. nether any magpyes but tame ones. only about knokfergus. belfast. milone and therabout there are seene store. they ware first brought ouer by sir. Arther Chichester lord deputie of Ireland
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nether any gray owles. there is a kind of litle owle with pricke eares. and white ones. such as [so?] hear nether the nightinggale. nor [nicol?] nor turtle doue not the buzturd.
    There is nether. snake. adder. slowworme. frogg. toad. or mouwle. there is a litle serpent called a lizard much like those wee cale aspes but the people will take them in their hands and say they are not hurtfull.
    some of these things are of consequence and although some be but triuall yet it is not amise to [word deleted] mention them for the satisefaction of those which desier to be informed
   Nether is there any thing (for ought I can larne by any) which this country doth produce but England hath the like. only. the cocke of the wood. the Egle. and the wolfe.
    There be other things which I did intend to answer: as for the secret of makeing of soape which is an especiall comoditie there. and as yet very litle is made there. as also the makeing of pot ashe. and prouiding of oyle which are the cheefe ingrediants for the making of soape. with the wayes of planting of nurseryes of al sorts of fruite and timber trees. as also of herbes. and flowers. hopps. and liquerish and saforne:
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Also something concerning bricke and tilles. and sumthing concerning the placing and building of townes vileges farmes and cotages but as yet my family afayers wil not permit mee laysuer