CRANIOLOGY. 187 



were superb. Well, she stole the box, however; but as the 

 inspired psalmist I mean penman, says Ah, me ! I have no 

 memory ; I wish Miss Clarke was here. Well, George, any 

 appearance of dinner ?" 



*' So says the butler, madam, and here he comes/* 

 " Colonel, take down my aunt ;" and thus ended Lady 

 L 's lamentation over sin, snuff-boxes, and Mrs. P . 



CHAPTER XXX. 



The Otter-killers return Craniology Superstitions Sea-horse- -Master, 

 otter Anecdotes of it Ghosts and fairies Their influence upon man 

 and animals Cure of witchcraft Holy lakes Lough Keirawn 

 Its butter fishery The Faragurta Its causes, imaginary and real 

 Cures and cases Swearing Comparative value upon the book, the 

 vestment, and the skull The clearing of Miss Currigan An uncatholic 

 cook. 



THE otter-killer arrived here last evening, after havi/ig, 

 according to his own account, worked wonders upon a 

 damaged head. From the specimens I have seen during my 

 short sojourn at Ballycroy, I have come to a conclusion, that 

 the skulls of the natives are fabricated of different materials te 

 those of all the world besides. Their endurance is miraciK 

 lous a fellow who was reported as " beaten to a jelly, and 

 anointed by the priest," last week, actually cleared a fair with 

 an unpronounceable name, yesterday, after qualifying for 

 admission to the next infirmary some half-score of his Ma- 

 jesty's liege subjects. This is an every-day exploit ; and of 

 all the corners of the earth that I have visited, I would name 

 this as the place wherein to establish a resident craniologist. 



Like all wild people, these aborigines are absurdly credu- 

 lous, and open to the grossest superstitions. Charms, as 

 they believe, are employed with decided success, in every 

 disease you name. The existence of ghosts and fairies is 

 universally acknowledged ; and animals of extraordinary for- 

 mation, and strange virtues, are supposed to inhabit lakes and 

 rivers. Among these the sea-horse and master-otter* are pre- 



* There is a strange coincidence between the master-otter of the Irish 

 ind the Jungunus crocodile of the Japanese. 



