BELVIDERE. 69 



ftolen goods home, but to fome bog-hole. 

 Turnips are ftolen by car loads j and two 

 acres of wheat pluckt off in anight. In fhort, 

 their pilfering and ftealing is a perfect nui- 

 fance ! How far it is owing to the opprefiion 

 of laws aimed folely at the religion of thefe 

 people, how far to the conduct of the gentle- 

 men and farmers, and how far to the mifchie- 

 vous difpofition of the people themfelves, it 

 is impoflible for a palling traveller to afcertain. 

 I am apt to believe that a better fyftem of law 

 and management would have good effects. 

 They are much worfe treated than the poor 

 in England, are talked to in more opprobrious 

 terms, and otherwife very much oppreffed. 



Left Packenham-haU. 



Two or three miles from Lord Longford's, 

 in the way to Mullingar, the road leads up a 

 mountain, and commands an exceeding fine 

 view of Loch Derrevaragh, a noble water 

 eight miles long, and from two miles to half a 

 mile over; a vait. reach of it, like a magnifi- 

 cent river, opens as you rife the hill. After- 

 wards I paffed under the principal mountain, 

 which rifes abruptly from the lake into the 

 bolder! outline imaginable ; the water there 

 is very beautiful, filling up the fleep valts 

 formed by this and the oppofite hills. 



Reached Mullingar. 



It was one of the fair days. I faw many cows 

 and beafts, and more horfes, with fome wool : 

 the cattle were of the fame breed that I had ge- 

 nerally feen in coming through the country. 



July 



