160 NOTES OF AN 



fair that day, and the road was alive with company. The hills 

 poured out their hundreds singly and in groups, all bearing or 

 driving their little market-store : a single sheep, or two neatly 

 tethered with a hay-band ; here and there a cow, or a colt or 

 two ; a few with pigs ; some with a bundle of flax under their 

 arm ; and baskets and panniers of potatoes in abundance. If all 

 the other roads were thronged like this, there would be many 

 thousand people, and no small amount of property, at the fair. 

 It was an uncommonly interesting sight. We could not help 

 exceedingly admiring many of the faces and figures that we met. 

 There was nothing low or degraded in the countenances of 

 the men; and the women, in their picturesque costume, bare- 

 foot, but some with gay scarlet cloaks, and now and then a 

 smart cap and trappings, — bonnets were very rare, — presented 

 many a remarkably fine study. There was an attention to 

 little matters of attire and cleanliness, and a taste displayed 

 that we little expected to meet with in this remote district, and 

 was therefore the more pleasing ; and I mention these circum- 

 stances because, however. trifling, there are no surer indications 

 of the tone of character, and state of civilization of a people, 

 than the attentions paid to dress and personal appearance. 

 Further on the road came several troops, who were probably 

 the later and more lazy buyers. Many of them were well 

 mounted, most of them double, men and their helpmates. A 

 few of the latter, mounted alone, were astride, but which was 

 somehow managed with the greatest decency. . . . The ascent 

 of the Reek is a "station" among the Catholics, and we saw 

 several pilgrims on the road. 



We did not expect to find Louisburg otherwise than a very 

 poor place. Still it has its Catholic and its Protestant church ; 

 and it was gratifying to learn that both the people and their 

 respective pastors were living together in the greatest harmony. 

 The minister, as the Protestant clergyman is called, has a good 

 house, and was spoken of with much respect. We ordered 

 breakfast at the only half-hotel, half-shop, of the place, and 

 while it v/as getting ready walked a mile or so towards the 

 beach, accompanied by a civil man who offered his services. 

 We had rather thought of visiting Cleir Island, which is best 

 accomplished from this point. It is a high mountain, cut off' 

 from the main land, or rather the extensive summit of a lofty 

 mountain which the sea has surrounded, and presents a 



