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Natural History of the Isiand of Rathlin. 49 
early as the year 1500, sea-coal had been used as fuel in Raghery. On this subject 
Doctor Hamilton remarks—« It might be imagined that the coals were brought from 
« Britain, but a little reflection will show that supposition to be extremely improbable 
“even so late as the time of Robert Bruce. It was but just then that the English 
‘themselves had discovered the use of sea-coal as fuel ; and we find that in the time 
“of Edward I. after being tried in London, they were immediately prohibited on 
“a hasty opinion that the vapour was noxious to the health of the inhabitants. It is 
‘not, therefore, to be readily believed, that at this early period, England could have 
‘‘had any extensive export trade in coals; or, if so, it must have been to some po- 
*‘pulous and civilized country—to some safe harbour—to a great and commercial 
‘town ; but, at the time we speak of, the British charts do not lay down a single 
“village on all this line of coast. Further reflection on the subject,” continues he, 
“might lead me to suppose, that the building of this castle was of much more ancient 
“date, because, in the time of Edward I. the kingdom of Ireland was an almost unin- 
“terrupted forest, so that the abundance of more convenient fuel would then have 
“anticipated all necessity for searching for fossil coal; indeed, for several ages sub- 
“sequent to the year 1171, at which time the English invaders found Ireland to be a 
“country overrun with wood, instructions may frequently be found among the annual 
‘orders of government, to have successive portions of forest cleared away, for the 
*‘ purpose of rendering the country more accessible to the English forces; and it was 
‘not until four hundred years after, about the latter end of Elizabeth’s reign, that 
‘‘any considerable progress was made in this work of devastation.” 
In 1550, Rathlin was invaded by the English, who were repulsed with the loss of a 
vessel and several men. We are told in the Annals of the Four Masters, as translated 
by Mr. J. O'Donovan, that in 1551, ‘the Lord Chief Justice (Anthony St. Leger) 
marched at the head of an army into Ulster, and dispatched the crew of four ships to 
the island of Reac pyny, to plunder it. James and Colla, the two sons of Mac Donnell 
of Scotland, were on the island to defend it. A battle ensued, which ended in the 
total defeat of the English; not one of whom survived the battle, excepting the lieu- 
tenant who commanded them on this excursion, whom the Albanians ( Scots ) kept as 
a prisoner, until they got in his stead their own brother, Sorley Boy M‘Donnell, who 
had been imprisoned in Dublin a year before that time, besides other ransoms.”’ 
In 1558, the Scots took possession of the island ; but were soon expelled with dread- 
ful slaughter by the Lord Deputy Sussex, who seized upon it for the English crown, 
and left in it a garrison for its defence. In 1575, General Morris landed here with 
a body of men from Carrickfergus, and having killed two hundred and forty of the 
islanders, seized upon the castle. In consequence of successive barbarities committed 
on the peaceable inhabitants of Raghery by various savage invaders during the unset- 
tled ages of Ireland, this little island became at length totally uninhabited, in which 
state it is represented in a manuscript of the country, so late as 1580, now in the 
