Natural History of the Island of Rathlin. 53 
Ah! no, a race inured to toil severe, 
Of manners simple, and of heart sincere, 
Sons of the rock and nurslings of the surge, 
Around the kiln their daily labours urge; 
O’er the dried weed the smoky volume coils, 
And deep beneath, the precious kali boils.” 
Drummond. 
The customs and manners of the islanders differ in some points from those of their 
fellow-men on this side of the channel. ‘The island is divided into townlands ; and 
when one of the natives dies, even an infant, the inhabitants of his townland will do 
no work that can possibly be avoided: whether they deem it irreligious, or merely 
a fit opportunity for self-indulgence, I cannot determine. They observe all their 
holidays and fast-days very strictly ; and hence, between these and the funeral holidays, 
they idle no inconsiderable portion of time. They possess, in an eminent degree, the 
virtue of hospitality. I found them remarkably kind and obliging—ever ready to 
point out to my attention any object particularly worthy of notice, or to give me any 
information I required. 
The only ¢radesmen in Rathlin are, a smith, two or three tailors and shoemakers, 
and a few boat-builders. The natives manufacture the chief part of their woollen and 
linen clothing from their own wool and flax, grown and spun on the island ; they 
also plait straw hats, and knit their own stockings. A public-house has been estab- 
lished within these few years, and a shop for groceries and a few medicines. 
There are three public schools—one male and two female, to which competent 
teachers are appointed, and which are under the superintendence of Mr. Gage’s fa- 
mily, who devote much attention to the children. A mixture of Irish and Gaelic 
forms the native dialect ; and though the English has made some progress, by many it 
is neither spoken nor understood. On entering some of the cottages, I not unfre- 
quently found the only house-keepers to be two or three children under seven or eight 
years of age. On putting a question to them, I was answered by a wild stare, evine- 
ing their total ignorance of the language in which I addressed them. In different 
parts of the island, the women particularly, knew nothing of the English tongue. 
To the taste which some at least of the islanders possess for music, I can bear wit- 
ness ; and I shall make an extract from the journal which I kept, as it contains a 
short account of the first eyening I spent in Raghery : 
“I reached Ballycastle on Friday the 27th June, 1834, at '7 P. M. My first in- 
quiry was for a boat to Rathlin, but to my disappointment I was informed that one 
had started about an hour before my arrival. I found one, however, which had just 
reached Ballycastle quay, laden with potatoes from the island ; and although the crew 
did not purpose returning till morning, I induced them to leave for the island this 
evening, which they did at 8 o’clock. Although already sufficiently impatient to visit 
VOL, XVII. MM 
