Grtut Sufferings from Want of Fuel. 161 



it is considerable. Very little grain remains 

 uncut ; so early a harvest has not occurred for 

 many years. 



The farms are said to be larger here than in 



most districts. All the farming operations, 



however, appeared to be executed in a slovenly 



manner, especially those of stacking and sowing 



the crops, which must subject the tenants to 



very serious loss. The rent of the land is from 



two to three pounds per acre. The fences, 



which are mostly naked banks without thorns 



or furze, are very insufficient. The Irish car 



seems to be almost the only vehicle in use ; and 



while the cabins composed of clay have a most 



miserable appearance, the high price of fuel 



contributes greatly to the hardships of their 



wretched occupiers. Women and children 



were observed to be employed in pulling up 



weeds, and drying them for firing ; they 



are glad to collect stubble, or any thing else 



that may create a momentary warmth. Let 



the luxuriance of the soil be ever so great, it 



affords no counterpoise in favor of the cottier, 



against the benumbing effects of cold. Here 



population is not entirely in the ratio of food 



only but in that of food and fuel. 



We visited a cabin in the neighbourhood of 



VOL. II. M 



