750 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



He immediately accompanied me ; 

 andwlien wearrivedat a particular 

 spot, I knew where we were, and 

 having thanked him for the trou- 

 ble he had taken, said I was now 

 perfectly acquainted with the re- 

 mainder of the road, and begged 

 he would now return home. He 

 would not consent ; but, after we 

 liad gone some distance further 

 I insisted upon his leaving me, 

 otherwise I should relinquish my 

 visit. He apparently complied, 

 but I could perceive, that, from 

 his great care of me, he still fol- 

 lowed. Being arrived at the door 

 of my friend's house, I waited 

 for some time, that I might again 

 have an opportunity of thanking 

 him ; but as soon as he saw that 

 I had reached a place of security, 

 he turned round, and went to- 

 wards home. 



" The Irish, by reason of their 

 liberality and prodigality, seldom 

 have it in their power to assist 

 their friends in pecuniary mat- 

 ters : they are generally in 

 straitened circumstances them- 

 selves, and therefore cannot, or 

 do not aim at the comforts and 

 elegance of the English : neither 

 do they take pains to acquire 

 riches and honours like the Scotch, 

 by limiting their expenses when 

 in the receipt of good incomes, 

 and paying attention to the great. 

 In consequence of this want of 

 prudence, they seldom attain to 

 high dignities, and but few of 

 them, comparatively, make much 

 progress in science. 



" Their great national defect, 

 however, is excess in drinking. 

 The rich expend a vast deal in 

 wine ; and the common people 

 consume immense quantities of a 

 fiery spirit, called whiskey, which 



is the peculiar manufacture of this 

 country and part of Scotland. 



" One evening that I dined in 

 a large company, we sat down 

 to table at six o'clock : the master 

 of the house immediately com- 

 menced asking us to drink wine, 

 and under various pretences re- 

 plenished our glasses; but per- 

 ceiving that I was backward in 

 emptying mine, he called for two 

 water glasses, and having filled 

 them with claret, insisted upon my 

 taking up one of them. After the 

 table-cloth was removed, he first 

 drank the health of the king, 

 then of the queen : after which 

 he toasted a number of beautiful 

 young ladies with whom I was 

 acquainted, none of which I dared 

 to refuse. Thus the time passed 

 till two o'clock in the morning ; 

 and we had been sitting for eight 

 hours: he then called to his ser- 

 vants to bring a fresh supply of 

 wine. Although I was so much 

 intoxicated that I could scarcely 

 walk, yet on hearing this order, 

 I was so frightened, that I arose 

 and requested permission to retire. 

 He said he was sorry I should 

 think of going away so soon ; 

 that he wished I would stay sup- 

 per, after which we might have 

 a bottle or two more by ourselves. 

 I had heard from Englishmen, 

 that the Irish after they get 

 drunk at table, quarrel, and kill 

 each other in duels ; but I must 

 declare, that I never saw them 

 guilty of any rudeness, or of the 

 smallest impropriety." 



From Dublin, Abu Taleb cross- 

 ed over to England, where he re- 

 mained a considerable time, and 

 had abundant scope for acute ob- 

 servation. His descriptions of 

 the buildings, manners, customs, 



