xli 



still. On excavating the centre, the remains of a cask were found, 

 which, to judge from the size of the hoops, must have been of con- 

 siderable size ; the hoops were of ash, and the staves and bottom 

 of oak. A variety of bones, apparently horses' teeth, and bones of 

 sheep, goats, or deer, were got, as also a piece of a skull. 



"Tradition says that a large sum of money is buried here, and 

 several persons have dug for it, but, as far as I am aware, without 

 success ; no coin was found by us. There is also a report that a 

 large silver bell, formerly belonging to the Seven Churches, was 

 thrown from the island, and lies buried at the bottom of the lake. 



" I send some of the bullets, a piece of the tube, a small spear, 

 and the piece of the skull found. 



" P. J. Klasen, 

 " District Engineer, Ferbane. 



"January 19, 1852." 



[From Mr. S. U. Eoberts.] 



" Drainage Office, Galway, 

 "January 19, 1852. 



" My dear Sir, — In accordance with the instructions contained 

 in your letter of 27th November last, I forward this day, by rail- 

 way, a box containing all the antiquities collected in the course of 

 the execution of the works under my superintendence, labelled with 

 a description of the locality, &c, where they were found, as di- 

 rected by you. I annex a catalogue of the articles, which were 

 found in every instance at or near Galway, in the channel of the 

 River Corrib. 



" I regret that the collection is not a larger one, and more wor- 

 thy of admission into the national collection of antiquities, though 

 care has been taken to preserve every relic of antiquity which has 

 been found. 



" The small number of antiquities may, in a great measure, be 

 ascribed to the rapid flow of the river, as it formerly existed, at the 

 shoals, where our excavations have been carried on. By this means 

 many objects of antiquarian interest have probably been carried 

 into the deep water adjacent, or into the sea. It is, however, to be 

 hoped that our works of clearing up the navigation channel through 

 the lake, during the approaching season, may disclose some remains 

 of antiquarian interest. 



