MITCHELSTOWN. 275 



couple of chickens, will carry an unemployed 

 pair of hands ten miles. In the mountains are 

 a fmall breed of (beep, which are as delicate 

 mutton when properly fattened as the welch, 

 and of fo hardy a breed as to live upon heath, 

 furze, &c. in winter as well as fummer. Hogs 

 are kept in fuch numbers that the little towns 

 and villages fwarm with them ; pigs and chil- 

 dren bafk and roll about, and often refemble 

 one another fo much, that it is neceflary to 

 look twice before the human face divine is con- 

 fefTed. I believe there are more pigs in Mitchels- 

 tpwn than human beings, and yet propaga- 

 tion is the only trade that flouriihed here for 

 ages. 



Tillage is done by horfes ; four in a plough 

 do half an acre a day, five or fix inches deep j 

 the price 6s. to los. an acre. 



Labour is chiefly done in the cottar fyftem, 

 which has been fo often explained ; there are 

 here every gradation of the lower clafles, from 

 the fpalpeens, many among them flrangers, 

 who build themfelves a wretched cabbin in the 

 road, and have neither land, cattle, nor turf, 

 rifing to the regular cottar, and from him to 

 the little joint tenant, who, united with many 

 others, takes fome large farm in partnerfhip j 

 ftill rifing to the greater farmer. 



The population is very great. It is but few 

 diftricts in the north that would equal the pro- 

 portion that holds on this eftate ; the cabbins 

 S 2 are 



