ae || 
Mr. Oulley thinks it impoflible to affign any exact age to 
this inftrument, but fuppofes ic at leaft previous to the fettle- 
‘ment of the Englifh in this ifland, as no fuch thing is men- 
tioned by Cambrenfis, or any other author that has written of 
the affairs of Ireland fince that period. Lord Dillon concludes, 
from. the great accumulation of bog over it, that it mu% be 
prefumed to have Jain in the fituation where it was found 
many ages; and this is further confirmed by the great rude- 
nefs of its. contrivance and workmanthip, particularly of the 
wooden part, which feems ftrongly to fupport its claim to re- 
mote antiquity. The old Irifh tales, Mr. Oufley obferves, men- 
tion the Benwowen or Buabbhal as a military inftrument of mu- 
fic, ufed only on emergencies, and capable of producing a moft 
tremendous found, which ‘might .be heard to the diftance of 
feven miles, and whofe effets on all animals within the reach 
of its blaft are defcribed in ‘very exaggerated terms ; and Mr. 
O'Halloran, p. 363 of his Introduétion to the Antiquities of 
Ireland, mentions the Buabbal as a well-known military cla- 
rion. Indeed this word is ufed at this day in the Irifh lan- 
guage to denote a horn. Still, however, it muft remain to be 
determined whether this’ may be confidered as one of the in- 
{truments known by thefe names. 
