re are no better school facilities in the
United Kingdom than are to be enjoyed in this metropolis of Northern
Ireland. From Cave Hill, in the suburbs, an elevation over a thousand
feet in height, a most admirable view of the city and its surroundings
may be enjoyed, the coast of Scotland being visible on the far horizon.
The streets of Belfast are regular, broad, and cleanly, and many of the
public buildings are superb in architectural effect. The city hall, the
custom house, the Ulster Bank, and Linen Hall are all noble structures.
This is the great headquarters of the Irish linen trade.

A short journey of about a hundred miles due south by railway will bring
us to Dublin, the capital of Ireland. It has a population of about four
hundred thousand, and is situated on the shore of Dublin Bay, with the
river Liffey flowing through its centre. It is an attractive city with
very beautiful surroundings. There are many grand public buildings,
several large parks, a number of interesting old churches, and a
cathedral,--St. Patrick's,--connected with which are the associations of
six centuries. The remains of Dean Swift are buried here. Near by is the
house where Thomas Moore, the poet, was born, and not far away is the
birthplace of the Duke of Wellington. Dublin has its public library, its
museum, its Royal College of Surgeons, and its famous Trinity College,
where Goldsmith, Swift, Burke, and many others graduated. It has also
many noble charitable organizations and societies for the diffusion of
science. The zooelogical garden is one of the most extensive in Great
Britain. Dublin Castle is near the centre of the city, on slightly
elevated ground, containing an armory, a chapel, and various government
offices. This city claims great antiquity, having existed as a capital
since the days of Ptolemy. It was for centuries held by the Danes; in
1169 it was taken by the English under Strongbow, whose remains lie in
Christ Church Cathedral.

From Dublin we take passage on board of a steamer for Liverpool, the
commercial metropolis of England, which contains about seven hundred
thousand inhabitants. It is situated on the river Mersey, four miles
from the sea. To the traveller it presents few attractions save those of
a great shipping depot, which is unsurpassed in the department of
maritime enterprise.

The moral and physical character of the population, taken in mass, is
rather low, though the city has many institutions and ass