370 Dr. Berger's Reply to Mr. Hensloic. [May, 



Conformably to the general opinion, I have in my memoir 

 given the name of Curragh to the flat country only, situate to 

 the north of the group of mountains in the Isle, for I had never 

 heard that this name was applied to the tourbihes of the moun- 

 tainous country ; the flat country which I speak of having been 

 long used in agriculture, I thought it sufficient to state the 

 opinion of a respectable man (Bishop Wilson), relating to the 

 trees which they procured from it especially more than 20 

 years since. I have preferred to make known, by characters 

 which are, I think, unequivocal, the use and profit that the agri- 

 culturist now derives from the marl which is also met with in 

 this district below the sandy soil, to the subject, into the details 

 of which Mr. H. has entered with sufficient minuteness. The 

 discovery of elk bones and of earthy phosphate of iron in this soil 

 is unquestionably interesting, although it does not possess any 

 thing which is very extraordinary. 



With respect to the shingly beach situate a little to the north of 

 the sandy hills which I have marked in my map by the name of 

 Balla-Chirrym Hills, Mr. Henslow exclaims against the annual 

 increase which I assign to it, from the assertion of several inha- 

 bitants of the Isle. But has he not frequently had occasion to re- 

 mark, how little the accuracy of expressions used in conversation 

 is observed; and was not the manner of stating this assertion, 

 which I evidenly considered as an exaggeration, sufficient to 

 undeceive any clear-sighted person ?* 



I have now finished a hasty examination of a criticism, which 

 is undoubtedly rather prolix and inflated. I should have silently 

 profited by the truth which it may contain, if it had not been of 

 an injurious nature with respect to me, for it tends to induce the 

 belief that I have little respect for truth ; besides which, Mr. 

 Henslow's supplementary observations to my memoir have been 

 published in the Transactions of a Society of which I am myself 

 a member. Cuique Suum. 



* " Some go so far as to say that the increase is no less than two yards in a year." 

 I will add that I wrote my memoir upon the Isle of Man in a foreign language, and 

 without the assistance of any person. 



