THE INN OF GLANTANE. 13 



humbug concession a farce and luck or grace would never 

 visit this unhappy island, until Mr. Cornelius Cassidy, of 

 Killcooney House, was sent to represent us in the Imperial 

 Parliament. 



The horses are being put to, and I must say farewell. I 

 shall, however, note my adventures, and in due time favour 

 you with another epistle. 



Adieu, always yours. 



CHAPTER III. 



Journey continued Inn of Glantane Tuam A Bad Night Out of the 

 Frying-pan into the Fire A Country Ball, and the Finish. 



As my journey hither has been singularly propitious, I shall 

 only trouble you with the leading incidents. 



My carriage broke down close to the inn of Glantane, a so- 

 litary house, as the song goes, " delightfully placed in a bog." 

 As some delay must necessarily occur before the repairs of the 

 vehicle could be effected, after the example of that accom- 

 plished cavalier, Major Dalgetty, I determined to seize on this 

 opportunity to provision the garrison. To this prudent pro- 

 ceeding on my part I found there was an insurmountable ob- 

 stacle : the landlady assured me that the " materiel" was in 

 the house there was bacon in the chimney, and chickens in 

 the yard, but there was no turf within, till the boys the devil 

 bother them for staying ! came home from, the blacksmith's 

 funeral. Now, that the hotel of Glantane should be deficient 

 in this point was marvellous. The surface of the circumjacent 

 country, in its proportion of tillage- ground to turbary, bears 

 an acreable ratio of one to five hundred ; and yet, though in 

 the bosom of a bog, there could not be a sufficiency of fire 

 obtained to boil a potato-pot ! But human ingenuity is sur- 

 prising : after a delay of three mortal hours I reascended my 

 chaise, and, without further accident, was deposited in the 

 town of Tuam. 



On the merits of the Mitre Inn I shall be silent ; it produced 

 in good time a respectable quarter of cold lamb, and a dish of 

 exquisite potatoes. By the way, we cannot cook this latter 

 esculent in England. Had my fare been worse, I would have 



