THEIR HEIGHT, FORM, AND STRENGTH. 131 



138. In 1840? Dr. Arnold, in his History of Rome, 

 says of the (Mayo, Sligo, and Leitrim) labourers : 

 " This statement was sent to Niebuhr by some 

 Englishman, and Niebuhr, taking the fact for 

 granted on his correspondent's authority, was 

 naturally much perplexed by it. But had 

 he travelled ever so rapidly through Wales 

 or Ireland, or had he cast a glance on 

 any of those groups of Irish labourers (from 

 Connacht), who are constantly to be met with in 

 the summer on all the roads in England, he would 

 have at once perceived that his perplexity had been 

 needless. Compared with the Italians, it would be 

 certainly true, that the Celtic nations were generally 

 both light-haired and tall. I should not have 

 ventured to speak so confidently, merely from my 

 own observation ; but Dr. Pritchard, who has for 

 many years turned his attention to this question, 

 assures me, that he is perfectly satisfied as to the 

 truth of the fact here stated; to me it is only 

 surprising that any one should have thought of 

 disputing it." 



139. In 1843, Count d'Aveze, a Frenchman, pub- 

 lished Un Tour en Irlande. He says : " The 

 women of Galway have oval faces, slightly hooked 

 noses (le nez arque), blue eyes and brown hair ; 

 their skin is of wonderful whiteness ; their hands 



