NOTES ON IRISH NATURAL HISTORY. 573 



I could not have determined with the naked eye; — yet Me- 

 naan is a mere plaything compared with the stupendous Croag- 

 han, and sinks into insignificance. The summit of this cliff 

 is thickly covered with plants, and I doubt not would amply 

 reward the botanist who would carefully explore it. The 

 plants, dwarfish though they be, are not sufficiently humble to 

 escape the power of the Atlantie breezes. There is an extent 

 of miles covered with a dense net-work of vegetation, every 

 twig of which leans away from the ocean; this network or mat 

 springs beneath the feet with great elasticity : it is principally 

 composed of Salix herbacea, Salix repens, Arbutus Uva-urs? y 

 Juniperus nanus, Calluna vulgaris, Erica cinerea, and a va- 

 riety of Carices. Descending from these heights I visited a 

 farm in the bosom of the mountains ; it is the only one of any 

 extent in the island, and is occupied by a Mr. Long. I no- 

 tice this farm as bearing on the extreme productiveness of 

 the soil of Achill ; it had abundant crops of oats and pota- 

 toes, the former so heavy that the only fear respecting them 

 was that they would be laid by the high winds. The soil 

 will produce oats and wheat, year after year, without manure, 

 but wheat is not a desirable crop on account of the want of a 

 good market. Mr. Long's garden contained cabbages, sa- 

 voys, sea-cale, broad beans, peas, early potatoes, carrots, pars- 

 nips, lettuces, onions and turnips, all of them kept free from 

 weeds, and in a slate of vigour and luxuriance that would not 

 be despised by the London market-gardeners. The farm con- 

 sists of 600 acres. From this farm to the village of Dukinelly 

 the land is well cultivated, although divided into infinitely 

 small patches. The entire island is the nominal property of 

 the Marquis of Sligo, but let for ever to Sir Richard O'Don- 

 nel, who, when the land is reclaimed and producing crops, 

 obtains the enormous rent of one shilling per Irish acre from 

 his tenantry. 



The natives of Achill are charged with being thieves and 

 murderers ; and if I were to place full reliance on all I heard 

 at the Settlement, they would appear to be so. Mr. Long, 

 however, with everything constantly exposed, — walls and 

 hedges being here unknown, and living amongst a population 

 from whom he has no power at all to defend himself, has ne- 

 ver lost even a potato. I allude not to this subject politically ; 

 but bearing in mind solely the natural history of the island and 

 its capability of improvement, I pronounce without hesita- 

 tion, that if goodness of soil, lowness of rent, cheapness of 

 labour and safety of property be recommendations, — then 

 that no spot I have ever seen is more likely to reward the 

 emigrant than the island of Achill. Would that some unpo- 



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