CARRIG-A-BINNIOGH. 19> 



astonished fisherman was standing. Before his surprise had 

 time to abate, a man, armed with a French gun,* leaped upon 

 the bank over which the deer had fallen, and was joined imme- 

 diately by a companion, armed also with a fowling-piece*, 

 Then, for the first time, they observed the startled angler. 

 The discovery was anything but agreeable ; for, after a 

 momentary pause, they rushed down the hill together, and 

 presenting their long guns at Cooney's breast, ordered him to 

 decamp, in terms that admitted of no demur. The angler 

 absconded forthwith ; for, as he reasoned fairly enough, " a 

 man who could drive an ounce of lead through a stag's skull, 

 would find little trouble in drilling a Christian/' On looking 

 round, he saw the deer-stealers place the carcass on their 

 shoulders, and ascend the heights, over which they quickly 

 disappeared. The feat is almost incredible, and it required an 

 amazing effort of strength and determination to transport a 

 full-grown red- deer over a precipitous mountain, which we, 

 in light marching order, and with no burden but our guns, 

 found a difficult task enough to climb. 



From its very base, Carrig-a-binniogh presents a different 

 surface to the moorlands which environ it ; heath is no more 

 seen, and in its place the mountain's rugged sides are clothed 

 with lichen and wild grasses. The face of the hill is broken 

 and irregular, and the ascent rendered extremely disagreeable 

 by multitudes of loose stones which, being lightly bedded in 

 the soil, yield to the pressure of the traveller's foot, and of 

 course increase his difficulties. 



After the first hundred yards had been gallantly sur- 

 mounted, we halted by general consent to recover breath. 

 Again we resumed our labour, and, with occasional pauses, 

 plodded on " our weary way." As we ascended, the hill 

 became more precipitous, the grass shorter, and the hands 

 were as much employed as the feet. The halts were now 



* When the French, under Humbert, landed at Killala in the autumn 

 of 1798, they brought with them a large qua tity of arms and military 

 clothing, to equip the numerous partisans they expected to have found in 

 the country. After the French general was defeated, and the insurrection 

 had been put down, many of the guns which had been distributed among 

 the peasantry were buried, or effectually concealed ; and they have been 

 used in poaching and wild-fowl shooting to the present time. The French 

 barrels are said to throw shot much better than those of English muskets. 

 I have never seen their relative merits proven, but imagine that the 

 superiority of the former is owing to their greater length. 



