84 ARRIVAL OF THE POST-BAG. 



The messenger presented himself with the post-bag, being 

 anxious to render a personal account of the causes of his delay. 

 His night's adventure is quite characteristic of the wild life, 

 and bold and reckless spirit of these mountain peasants. 



The route to the next post-town lies through the ridge of 

 hills which 1 have already described, as bounding the valley 

 where we are quartered. The usual way to reach it is by an 

 old and rugged horse-path, which, although seldom frequented 

 now, was fifty years since the only means of communication 

 which Erris had with the southern baronies. This easier, but 

 more circuitous route was abandoned by the young peasant, 

 who hoped, by directly crossing the heights, to arrive at the 

 cabin before the night shut in. He took this perilous direction 

 accordingly ; but the rain was still falling fast, and when he 

 topped the ridge of the hills, the valley beneath was covered by 

 a dense mist. Presently the mountain streams rose, the light 

 failed to advance or retreat was impossible ; and the isolated 

 peasant had no choice left but to seek a shelter in the rocks, and 

 remain there until morning dawned. He easily discovered a 

 fissure in the steep bank above the river, crept in " blessed 

 himself" and lay down to sleep upon his cold and rugged 

 bed. 



What situation could be more desolate and heart- sinking 

 than this ? Imprisoned among savage mountains, perched in 

 a wild rock far above the rest of mankind, separated, from 

 human help by an impassable torrent, cold, hungry, and ex- 

 hausted ; yet all these dejecting circumstances were unheeded 

 by the hardy mountaineer. He had but one source of terror ; 

 the otter-hunter had often described this glen as a favourite 

 haunt of fairies ; and " what would become of him if the 

 gentle-people caught him there 1" 



The midnight hour passed, however, without any super- 

 natural visitation. No fairy revelry disturbed the peasant's 

 slumbers ; the rain ceased ; the flood was falling ; the chough* 

 and raven were preparing to take wing ; and while the first 



* Cornish chough, or red-legged crow. (Corvus GraciUs, Linn. Le 

 Coracias, Buff.) This bird is about the size of the jackdaw. The bill is 

 long, curved, sharp at the tip, and of a bright red colour ; the iris of the 

 eye is composed of two circles, the outer one red, the inner one blue ; 

 the eyelids are red; the plumage is altogether of a purplish-violet 

 black; the legs are as red as the bill; the claws are large, hooked and 



