K I L 



452 



K I L 



giWre. w*ver, taiW, and shoemaker. Thry manufacture horn 



" i ~f*** spoons ; needles and fish-hooks out of nails and bits of 



iron ; and brooches out of halfpence and buttons. They 



also make earthen pots of clay brought from the long 



island, and use them for boiling milk. 



A few days after they are born, many of the children 

 are seized with a peculiar distemper, which, for the 

 most part, proves fatal, The same disease is common 

 in the Westmann Islands, on the south coast of Iceland, 

 and is fully described in the appendix to Sir George 

 Mackenzie's Trawls in that country. The people of 

 St. Kilda never connect themselves by marriage with 

 those of the Long Island ; and few of them ever leave 

 their native spot even for a short time. They seem to 

 be endowed with talent for music and poetry ; many of 

 them, both men and women, composing songs with 

 great facility, and exhibiting- imaginations of no despi- 

 cable cast. When they dance, all the* party sing ; and 

 the tune goes round, every one smging a portion and 

 stopping, while the next takes it up instantly where the 

 other left off. This has a singular effect j but it ap- 

 pears greatly to enliven the dance. 



A missionary is settled here by the Society in Scot- 

 land for propagating Christian Knowledge ; and he is 

 instructed to act also as schoolmaster, although, it is 

 feared, the natives are not much troubled with his les- 

 sons. The language is a corrupt dialect of the Gaelic, 

 probably a mixture of Scandinavian and Gaelic ; and it 

 would be of consequence to the poor people of St. Kil- 

 da, to be taught to read either Gaelic or English. Much 

 remains to be done to improve their condition ; and, 

 we hope, that this short notice may excite the benevo- 

 lence of some, who may be able to exercise it towards 

 them. 



It is pleasing to read the encomium addressed to the 

 present proprietor, by Mr. Macdonald, the author of the 

 Agricultural Survey of the Hebrides ; and we are far 

 from undervaluing the great exertions which Colonel 

 M'Leod has made. Yet we may express a hope, that 

 while the people of St. Kilda are taught to cultivate 

 their soil to the best advantage, their minds will not be 

 neglected. 



M'Auley's account of St. Kilda is not very accurate. 

 Martin's description is more correct ; but as St. Kilda 

 was scarcely known to exist in his time, the propensity 

 to amplify, and to raise trifles into importance, pervades 

 the description. We doubt not, however, that, making 

 some allowance for these, our readers will be enter- 

 tained by a perusal of a work now become somewhat 

 scarce. See also Macdonald 's Account of the Hebri- 

 des. 



KILDARE, anciently Chili-dair, or the Wood of 

 oaks, is an inland county of Ireland, in the province of 

 Leinster. It is bounded on the north by Meath ; on 

 the east by Dublin, and Wicklow ; on the south by Car- 

 low ; and on the west by King's county and Queen's 

 county. It extends from north to south 40^ English 

 miles, and from east to west 26^ English miles, form- 

 ing an area of 389,198 English or statute acres, of which 

 41,035 are bog. There are no mountains in Kildare. 

 The county is a flat plain, exhibiting a general appear- 

 ance of desolation and misery, from the wretchedness 

 of the cottages, and the want of gentlemen's seats. The 

 Curragk of Kildare, the celebrated turfy plain on which 

 the races are held, is nearly 5000 acres in extent, af- 

 fording pasture to an immense number of sheep. It 

 consists of the softest turf, and lies on a fine dry 

 loam. 



The principal proprietors are the Duke of Leinster, KiUlare. 

 who has 73,000 acres of wha^ is called gree,n bind, or W -V*-' 

 land fit for tillage and pasture, and all of which is let on '' 

 determinate leases ; Sir Fenton Aylmer, TWio posses- Mu'tenL-M 

 scs an immense tract of land, including 18,000 acres of 

 bog ; Mr. Latouche, and Mr. Wogan Brown, who have 

 estates from 6000 to 7000 per annum. The farms Agricul- 

 in Kildare are generally of a larger size than in most ture. 

 other counties ; and the leases, which formerly were for 

 31 years and three lives, are granted at present for 21 

 years and one life. Farms are often taken by partner- 

 ship, and are frequently advertised to be let to the best 

 bidder. The corn produced in Kildare is sent to Drog- 

 heda and Dublin. Wheat enters into the commoix 

 course of crops; but the fallows are every where bad. 

 Farming is pursued according to the English plan. 

 The ground is tilled with oxen and horses intermixed, 

 the former being placed first. Six are generally yoked 

 together, three pair deep, with a plough of the most 

 absurd construction. Fallows are never ploughed more . 



than thrice. Harrows are used only in seed time, and 

 good rollers are unknown. Clover has been introdu- 

 ced. In the parish of Kilbury, there are quarries of 

 limestone ; but lime is very little used as a manure, as 

 it has always failed on exhausted soils. Limestone 

 gravel is more valuable. Kildare has no determinate 

 breed of cattle. The county is so much occupied with 

 tillage and bogs, that cattle are no object. There are 

 a few graziers, who exclusively fatten sheep purchased 

 at Ballinasloe ; but there is no peculiar breed in the 

 county. 



The following were the prices of labour and articles Prices of 

 of provision, &c. in 1811 : Wages of a man, per day, labour. 

 Is. 6d. ; ditto of a woman, lOd. ; grazing a cow, per 

 week, 3s. 3d. ; grazing a horse, per week, 5s. 3d. ; Kil- 

 kenny coal, per cwt. Is. 6d. ; lime, per barrel, 2s. ; hay, 

 per ton, < 3 ; beef and mutton, per Ib. 6d. ; eggs, per 

 doz. Qd. ; cheese, per Ib. 8d. ; potatoes, per stone, 5d. 



The county of Kildare is full of springs and rivulets. Rivers and 

 The river Barrow forms its south-west border, and re- tanals. 

 ceives the Green. Southwards from Athy, where it 

 meets the Grand Canal, it is a considerable stream, and 

 is navigable, and is ornamented with many delightful 

 retreats. The Liffey runs in a circular direction through 

 the north-east part of the county ; and the river Boyne 

 rises in the Bog ef Allan. The Grand Canal from 

 Dublin crosses the Liffey on an aqueduct bridge ; and 

 near Claire there is a collateral cut to the Shannon. 

 The county derives great advantage from the Royal 

 Canal, which passes through the northern part of it. 



The chief towns are Naas, the assize town, Athy, Towns. 

 Monasteraven, and Kildare. Naas, situated on the 

 great post road between Dublin and Munster, lies near 

 the Grand Canal. Near the entrance of the town is 

 one of the Danish mounds, or Raths-, at the foot of 

 which are the remains of a house of Augustines ; and 

 in the centre of the town are the remains of a monas- 

 tery of Dominicans. Naas was once the residence of 

 the kings of Leinster. Many of the houses testify the 

 dreadful effects of the last civil war. Athy stands on 

 the river Barrow, and is a neat little town. Kildare is 

 pleasantly situated on a rising ground. There are here 

 the remains of several religious houses ; and there is 

 a round tower, in good preservation, and built of white 

 granite to about twelve feet from the ground. The 

 rest of it is of blue stone. It is 1 30 feet high, and. the 

 door is 14 feet above the ground. 



There is no burgh in Kildare of sufficient extent to 



