VISITING ACHIL. 1 19 



which the occupier had arranged his numerous goods 

 and chattels ; nothing could exceed the cleanliness 

 of his cottage, and it formed a striking contrast to the 

 filth and misery of the surrounding hovels. 



The boatmen were just landing in their punt, and we 

 descended to the beach to ascertain what addition to 

 our cuisine the spillets had afforded. They produced 

 a pair of fine soles, and a score of large plaice. These, 

 with the mackerel taken in the morning, supplied the 

 fish department admirably. Our purveyor had pur- 

 chased a Keim sheep* ; and at six o'clock we went to 

 dinner. Nothing could be more delicious than our 

 fare ; fish transferred from the sea to the kettle, and 

 diminutive mutton, whose only fault was excessive 

 fatness. We had a grouse, too, one of our stagers, 

 but it was coarse and flavourless ; and if toughness 

 be a test of years, I should set him down as coeval with 

 Saint Patrick. 



The host joined us after dinner, and presented us 

 with a bottle of genuine Inniskea. If such be the 

 customary produce of their stills, those gifted islanders 

 are worthy of being canonized. Although our host's 

 flask was a true Hollander, having an amplitude of bottom 

 that would have put two degenerate wine-bottles to the 

 blush, I regret to say such unyielding thirst beset us, 

 that before any of the company sought a hammock, the 

 honest Dutchman was left without a drop ! 



We were astir betimes next morning. It was an 

 excellent shooting-day ; a brisk breeze had sprung up 

 with the first of flood, and the fog, rising gradually up 

 the mountain-side, cleared the summit of Slieve More, 



* Keim is a mountain district of Achil, celebrated for the flavour 

 and fatness of its sheep. 



