50 VISIT TO IRELAND. [1836-37. 



have told you that nurse took her to the door one day, when she 

 saw all these things. She crossed herself, and was very glad to 

 get away. It is said that the housemaid never passed the door 

 without crossing herself. . . . 



One of his earliest (Tertiary) geological expeditions 

 was made from Norwich in 1836, where, under the 

 guidance of Mr Samuel Woodward, the geologist and 

 antiquary, he paid his first visit to the Thorpe Crag 

 pits, and there obtained a fine molar of Elephas meri- 

 dionalis, now in the Norwich Museum. 



What with geology and what with business, 1836 

 was indeed a busy year : but could any year of his life 

 be pointed to which was not busy ? 



J. Prestwich to his Sister, Mrs JRussell Scott. 



LIVERPOOL, Nov. 25, 1836. 



MY DEAKEST ISABELLA, . . . My letter to "The Lawn" 

 will probably have informed you of my proceedings in Ireland 

 of my trip up the Shannon, and my visit to Ballinasloe. I thence 

 went to Galway. As this is the most thoroughly Catholic town 

 in Ireland I felt curious to see the monastic establishments, and 

 having an hour to spare I applied to a Father Flynn for direc- 

 tions. He very civilly volunteered me his guidance. We pro- 

 ceeded to the Presentation Convent, a fine large building on the 

 outskirts of the town. Its objects are religious seclusion and the 

 education of the poor. I was much pleased with the schoolrooms, 

 of which there were five, containing about five hundred girls from 

 six to eighteen years of age. They were clean and tidy, and are 

 taught reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and needlework. 

 In one room the children were working patterns on net, a large 

 quantity of which is sent over by the Nottingham manufacturers 

 for that purpose. I found the nuns very obliging. They showed 

 and explained everything to me. Their dress somewhat resembles 

 that of the Sisters of Charity in Paris. There were twenty-five in 

 this convent ; some were young and pretty. One of them had a 

 fortune of 10,000. Poor girl! They all looked happy and 



