and no inquiry made about them. There is no other country on the face of the earth where such extreme misery prevails as in Ireland. The negro slave, if only from interested motives, is well taken care of,-even the American Indian, the Esquimaux, the Hottentot, live and die in luxury, compared with this description of Irish paupers; yet, notwithstanding all the misery the peasants suffer, their numbers go on increasing to a frightful degree: one would almost be led to conclude, that the nearer the approach to a state of destitution, the more favourable is it for an increase of population.

196

LETTER XI.

WESTPORT TO TUAM AND CLYDAGH HOUSE.

Road to Tuam, through Castlebar--A Four-horsed Coach-A singular Character-Tuam- Roman Catholic Chapel - Dr. M'Hale-Achill Mission-Attempted Destruction of, by M'Hale -His Letter to the Bishop of London-Extract of a Letter, describing M'Hale's Visit-Description of the Mission, and Character of Mr. Nangle-Proceed to Clydagh House, by Headford.

Clydagh House, Lough Corrib, 15th September, 1835. My intention on leaving Westport was to proceed by the direct road to this place, passing between the lakes Mask and Carra, through Ballinrobe, Cong, and Headford. Of the caves of Cong I had heard a great deal, but my taste, I confess, leans more towards lofty mountains than damp and dark underground chambers: even my friend Crofton Croker's legend of the fair lady changed into a white trout, which inhabits one of these caves, could not turn me out of my projected route, not though one traveller has vouched for the pallid whiteness of the trout of the cavern-I suppose from the same cause,-privation of light,-which had changed the colour of a miserable gold fish in

the catacombs of Paris to a deadly white: the poor thing was swimming in a small well or basin, at the foot of a wall of skulls and cross-bones.

The truth is, I had made up my mind to see Tuam and the new Catholic chapel, which is now in progress at that place, and of which so much has been said. I therefore took my seat outside a four-horsed coach, and out we started for Castlebar, where the road to Tuam turns off in a south-east direction. I think it would have astonished one of our four-in-hand whips to have seen us on our road to this town. The poor animals were so miserable in appearance, and so weak, that their united efforts could scarcely drag the coach up some, not very steep, acclivities of the road. The coachman first. enlisted a parcel of ragged boys into his service, who were evidently on the look out for the coach, to trudge alongside, and by shouts and blows to urge the animals up the hill. Finding this to fail, he dismounted from the box, handing over the reins to the passenger who was seated next to him, and, with whip in hand, ran up the hill along with his cattle, flogging them all the way with his utmost energy, until he had got them to the summit, when he resumed his seat:-all this, too, happened at first starting, so you may suppose our progress towards Castlebar was by no means rapid, and our prospect of reaching Tuam not very encouraging; and yet, bad as this is, travelling in Ireland has no doubt wonderfully improved of late years: we now hear

no more of that horrid practice of putting wisps of lighted straw under the bellies of the poor animals, nor does that equally horrid practice of ploughing by the tail, as I understand, any longer exist.

Immediately after leaving Castlebar we came to a part of the road which was under repair, and left in such a state, that I should have supposed it next to impossible to cross it. Every one dismounted and walked on, as it seemed a general opinion that the coach must of necessity be overturned-notwithstanding which they contrived to get it safe over, somehow or other; more, I believe, good luck than good management.

A very singular, wild-looking character got upon the roof of the coach at Castlebar, and seated himself next to me, Fierce as his aspect was, he had much the air and manner of a gentleman, though shabbily dressed. Resolved to enter into conversation with him, I commenced by talking of Croagh Patrick, which just then reared its proud head in the distance, and observed, that I had yesterday ascended to the top, which required some little exertion. As yet my friend had not opened his lips, but now, in a voice of thunder, and in a very abrupt manner, he exclaimed, with extreme rapidity, " Dd nonsense, exerting oneself to get up a hill-exert yourself to get on in life, that's something." How pregnant is the remark of this Cynic! thought I to myself. He now began to open in right earnest, commencing with an extraordinary and quite unin