LXIX. TRAMORE.—The Alfred Trower, 34 feet by 8 feet, 10 oars.

IT may not be out of place to preface this article with a description of the old and interesting city of Waterford, which is in close proximity to Tramore, and whence substantial support for the maintenance of the Life-boat is received. Indeed the Branch might be aptly described as the Tramore and Waterford Branch.

The traveller approaching Waterford from Milford gets his first glimpse of Ireland in the shape of two small islands lying to the right of the course the vessel is steering. These are named the Saltees, and are guarded by a floating light placed there at the commencement of the century.

As the vessel advances on her course, a tower barred with red and white is seen directly ahead, standing at f he end of a long low peninsula. This is Hook Tower, an ancient Irish building. It is now nsed as a lighthouse, an additional building for that purpose having been erected on top. The peninsula forms the eastern barrier of Waterford Harbour. The name of an opposite point of land on the Water- ford coast was originally Crook, and we believe it was Cromwell who said he would take Waterford by Hook or by Crook.

The steamer after entering the harbour, passes in succession several interesting and beautiful spots, until Passage is reached, where the river may be said to begin. The various windings of the river open new scenes as you advance. From one point Waterford appears as if rising out of the river. In the direction of Waterford, the river is seen descending its winding channel deeply sunk between cultivated hills. At a little distance from the city, the river, dividing into a double stream, encloses Little Island, and, uniting again, proceeds on its course. A mile beyond the island, a bend of the river dis- closes the cathedral and houses of the city, and soon after the vessel is moored along- side the quay. Waterford is supposed by some to have been founded in A.D.

155; by others, and with more probability, in 853. The Danes had been long settled in the country, but still preserved their ancient manners and customs, and had little intercourse or friendship with the Irish people. The founder is said to be Sitiracus, one of three brothers, noble Easterlings, as the Danes were called, who about this time arrived in Ireland. Water- ford is one of the most ancient cities in Ireland, and was a place of considerable im- portance when the Normans under Strong- bow, Earl of Pembroke, invaded Ireland, and subdued the city in 1169. Two years later Henry II. landed here with an army consisting of 500 knights and 4,000 soldiers; but little resistance was offered to the royal invader. It is said that an Easterling lord endeavoured to impede the disembarkation, and for the purpose threw chains across the harbour; but the ob- stacle was speedily removed, and Henry entered Waterford as the rightful sove- reign of the country. At the period of his landing, the trade and riches of the city were esteemed not inferior to Dublin.

Waterford is situated on the south side of the river Suir, about twenty miles from the mouth of the harbour. It was originally surrounded by a ditch and walls enclosing a triangular space with fortified towers at each of the angles.

From one of these, calledReginald's Tower, now the Eing Tower, the city wall ran in a westerly direction, and was terminated by Turgesius's Tower, which formerly stood at the corner of Baron-Strand Street.

From this tower, the wall forming the second side of the triangle proceeded in a southerly direction, enclosing the Black Friary; thence it crossed Peter's Street, and ran to the Castle—then called St.

Martin's Castle. The third side of the triangle united St. Martin's Castle with Reginald's Tower.

Such were the boundaries when the city of Waterford first received Henry II. To the Easterlings he granted many rights and privileges, which were afterwards confirmed to them by succeeding monarchs.

The city was destroyed by fire in the year 1252, and again about thirty years after.

Richard II. landed here with an army in 1394, and again in 1399. At this time a degree of poverty and wretchedness existed which was not to be expected in so notable a city. A stray instance is given of this in King Richard II.'s last voyage, "To unload our baggage they waded up to the waste in ooze." A charter of incorporation, under the authority of a mayor and bailiffs, was granted the citizens during the reign of Henry V. in 1412. Water- ford was noted for its loyalty during the insurrection which took place first in the year 1487, at the time of a plot to raise Lambert Simnel to the throne, when the citizens of Waterford took a distinguished part, and gave the greatest proof of their courage and devotion; and second, in the year 1497, when Perkin Warbeck ad- vanced to the city, and prepared to invest it. For this act of service among other honours they received the following motto: " Intacta manet Waterfordia." A very important Act was passed in 1539, re- specting the lands of absentees, to the effect that in consequence of the evils arising from non-residence of proprietors their lands should revert to the crown, and that none should enjoy estates who were indifferent to the comfort and happi- ness of their tenantry. In the great civil war Waterford held out loyally for King Charles, and after his downfall was able to drive away Cromwell from its walls in 1649, although Ireton, his son-in-law, suc- ceeded in capturing it in the following year. The more recent history of the city is comparatively uninteresting. It has been quite distanced in prosperity by Cork and Belfast, which were formally its equals.

Of late years it has shown some signs of revival. There are few manufactures, and the place depends for its prosperity mainly on the great provision traffic which it carries on with England. In early times when agriculture was much neg- lected, trading in cattle was the staple commodity; much attention was likewise given to the butter business. In maritime trade it is the fourth port in Ireland ; the number and tonnage of vessels entering the port being little inferior to those of Cork. Large steamers freighted with live or dead stock leave the quays daily, and it is not unusual for one of these to carry 1000 cattle, and 500 sheep. Pigs are usually sent in the form of bacon, though the traveller, on arriving at New Milford en route to Waterford, would hardly think so from the innumerable number of these animals which crowd the landing stage alongside which the newly arrived steamer has lately discharged its living cargo. It is most interesting to visit one of the great bacon-curing establishments. The rapidity with which the unhappy animals are killed, singed and cut up is wonderful.

Waterford bacon commands the first price in the London market. The principal street, or place of business, the quay, unequalled by anything of the kind in Ireland, is an English mile in length—a continued line with scarcely any interrup- tion throughout its entire extent along the river bank. For the advantages of this noble quay, the residents are indebted to David Lewis, during whose mayoralty in 1705 the quay was greatly enlarged by throwing down the town walls; there is still room for improvement. To see the quay to any advantage the observer should ascend the hill on the opposite side of the river, which commands a fine view of the city, river, quay, and much of the adjoin- ing country. From this point of view a considerable portion of the Suir comes under observation; above the town the picturesque Castle of Grancey hangs over the river; nearer are the high and pre- cipitous hills between which the bridge is erected. All these objects, with the steeple and towers of the city, present altogether a beautiful and imposing land- scape. There are few towns in the king- dom so favourably situated for commerce, the river, opposite the post office, being nearly 1000 feet wide, and having an average depth of about 30 feet at low water. The building of the long wooden bridge which spans it at the western end of the city, connecting Waterford and Kilkenny, was undertaken, in 1793, by a company, which subscribed 30,0002.

to complete the work, including the purchase of the ferry. The present bridge was built of American oak by Mr.

Cox, a native of Boston, who also erected the magnificent bridge over the Slaney.

It is said to be 840 feet in length. Two tablets affixed to the centre piers give an account of the manner in which the foundation was laid, the date of erection, and the materials of which it was com- posed. The sum annually collected in tolls is over 60002., and the shares of the company which own the bridge have for many years been worth more than double their original cost.

The Cathedral of Waterford dedicated to the Blessed Trinity was built by the Ostmen, i.e. the Danes, in the year 1096, when they first embraced the Christian religion. During the rebellion and wars of 1641, the estates and movable property of the cathedral were entirely plundered by the enemies of the establishment. Im- mediately after this the cathedral experi- enced new calamities in the revolutionary wars. Several articles were said to have been taken from it in the year 1651, when the city was surrendered to General Ireton. Amongst the property most re- gretted are the brazen ornaments of the tombs, grave stones, and altars. The great standing pelican to support the Bible, the brazen eagle, the great font of brass, together with sundry gold and silver gilt vessels. At the time of the restoration some portion of the property was recovered, but much inconvenience and confusion prevailed owing to the loss of title deeds.

The old cathedral was pulled down, and a new one built in its place between the years 1773 and 1779. It was a matter of great regret to many who recollected the ancient edifice that the profane hands of the last generation should have violated this beautiful remnant of antiquity. Be- tween the western end and the body of the church is a lofty and spacious porch in which are preserved some of the monu- ments of the old cathedral, amongst others is a splendid monument erected by the family of the Fitzgeralds. In the front is a statue of Time, an inverted broken hour glass in one hand, and in the other a scythe. Piety veiled is bending over a medallion of the persons to whose memory the monument was erected. Another singular statue is that of James Eice, who was Mayor of Waterford in 1469. On this monument the effigy of " Eice " in high relief is represented lying on his back having a shroud tied in a knot at the head and feet: vermin resembling frogs and toads are cut in the stone, as it were creeping out of the body. It is said that this individual left directions in his will that after a certain lapse of time his coffin should be opened, and the appearance of his body depicted on the stone.

Of all the watering places near Waterford, Tramore is the most accessible: it is reached by a short line of railway 7 miles in length. Tramore stands in a bay of the same name on the south coast of the county of Waterford, facing the Atlantic.

The great attraction of the place is its magnificent strand, extending eastward from the town for a distance of 3 miles into an average breadth at low water of about 250 yards. Brownstown Head forms the eastern promontory of the bay, and Great Newtown Head the western.

Two high white towers stand on the former, and three on the latter, to enable mariners to distinguish and consequently avoid the dangerous bay of Tramore, which, from the similarity of its ap- pearance with the land at the entrance of Waterford Harbour has been so fruitful with disaster to shipping. A bar or mound of sand raised by the winter in- fluences of the tides and land streams prevents the further encroachments of the sea. The part thus separated from the open bay is the famous back strand, for which Tramore is noted. Numerous suggestions have been made for reclaiming this tract of ground of 1,000 acres from the ocean, but the cost of making such a foundation for an embankment as would resist the enormous pressure of the heavy Atlantic and rolling sea which comes into Tramore Bay with the wind from S.S.E.

to S.W. has probably damped the ardour of those who were in favour of such an undertaking. In the month of January 1816, the Sea Horse Transport, having on board the 2nd Battalion of the 59th foot, was driven by a raging tempest into this inhospitable bay. It occurred in the daytime; the shore was crowded with people who were aware of the inevitable fate of the crew, and had no possible means of relieving them. As the vessel neared the shore, those on board were distinctly seen awaiting in agony the dreadful catastrophe. The vessel struck and went into pieces, when 292 men and 71 women and children perished in sight of the assembled thousands. Only 30 men were rescued; a considerable number of soldiers were interred in the sand at a distance of 100 yards from the scene, where a monument has been erected over their remains recording their unhappy fate.

This bay, then, so notorious for shipwrecks, engaged the attention of the residents, who held a public meeting in September 1858, at which a resolution was passed that a Life-boat was much required, and that the Life-boat Institution be asked to establish a station in the bay. The In- stitution was not slow to comply with this request, and a public trial of a fine Life-boat shortly took place at Tramore in a stiff gale and rough sea. She behaved admirably and gave infinite satisfaction to all present. In 1865, this boat was replaced, it having been con- sidered that a larger and more powerful boat was required. The new boat was named the " Tom Egan " and its cost was collected amongst members of the Cam- bridge University Boat Club.

In 1880, this boat in its turn was re- placed by a still larger one, the cost being defrayed by Mr. Henry Trower, of St.

Mary-at-Hill, London, and friends, in memory of the late Mr. Alfred Trower, a well-known boating and yachting man, after whom the boat was named.

The Tramore Life-boats have saved altogether 94 lives.

Mr. Edward Jacob, the valued Hon.

Secretary of the branch, has held that office for eighteen years, and is a, general favourite in the neighbourhood..