AN OCEAN WAIF. 301 



are daily presented during the stormy season to the active and 

 intelligent shooter. That wild being, Hennessey, has pre- 

 served an infinity of curious specimens ; and many a rare pro- 

 duction that the ornithologist would prize, is here shot, and 

 disregarded by the peasant who is so fortunate as to possess a 

 gun. 



Among the natural advantages which this remote coast 

 possesses, the ocean contributes largely to the stock, and 

 even the tempest does not rage in vain. The prevailing 

 westerly winds drive many a serviceable waif to the shore ; 

 and seldom a winter passes, but some valuable wreck or dere- 

 lict property adds to my kinsman's limited resources. True, 

 these <( angel visits" are irregular, and come in questionable 

 shape ; but still, be they in form of butter or rum, train-oil 

 or mahogany, they answer (( for the nonce," and even a dead 

 body has not been profitless to the finder. 



I possibly have thus digressed from having witnessed the 

 triumphant arrival of a huge beam of Dantzic oak and a ship's 

 topmast, which certain retainers of my gentle cousin have 

 towed in. It appears that these " spolia opima" were dis- 

 covered early in the morning about the centre of the bay, and 

 a boat from both shores approached them nearly at the same 

 time. Both, like true vassals, claimed on behalf of their 

 respective master ; and it being impossible, on what an Irish- 

 man would very naturally term " debatable land," to settle 

 the question of property, the respective crews fought the 

 thing fairly out, and my kinsman's representatives being men 

 of thews and sinews, after breaking two heads, and chucking 

 one gentleman of " the Capulets" overboard, brought the 

 godsends safely hither. Law there will be, of course. The 

 rival claimant was formerly an attorney, who managed to 

 spoliate an unhappy fool who was litigiously inclined, and of 

 course became owner of the property. He who thus gets 

 them will be most tenacious of ill- acquired rights ; and this 

 log and spar will most likely terminate in being made a droit 

 of the Admiralty. 



"We started on our last chasse and the ultima dies of our 

 Sporting wanderings has come. The shortened days and 

 wet moors have made us desert grouse-shooting, and we 

 crossed the estuary to shoot a fen some three miles off, 

 which at this season is thickly tenanted with snipes and 

 waterfowl. 



