THEIR HEIGHT, FORM, AND STRENGTH. 105 



of occasional famines to affect the characteristics of 

 a race." 



104. Maurice C. J. Blake, Esq., Lieutenant- 

 Colonel of the North Mayo Militia, Deputy Lieu- 

 tenant of Co. Mayo, of Tower Hill, Mayo, and 

 Bunowen Castle, Co. Galway : " Bunowen Castle, 

 August 15th, 1886. I should fancy that in 19th 

 century statements of that kind bear their own 

 refutation on their face. The average height of the 

 Battalion under my command is 5 feet 5| inches,* 

 and from my knowledge of the Galway and Ros- 

 common regiments, I think they would be over 5 

 feet 6 inches. From where I write in the far west 

 of Connemara the men are a very fine race, averag- 

 ing fully 5 feet 8 inches, and they are so along the 

 west coast of Galway. In the southern parts of 

 Galway, and in most of Mayo the men are not so 

 large ; but will bear favourable comparison with the 

 peasantry of most countries in Europe, and exceed 

 many. I speak from experience, as I have travelled 

 over a great portion of the Continent. The Con- 

 naught regiments could, in the time of the 

 Napoleonic war, and now, hold their own with any 

 regiments in the service. I know well the county 

 Mayo (in which I reside), of Galway and Roscommon, 



* The militia contains many lads not fully grown. E. H. 



