238 



purchased for Lord Rosse, about sixteen years since, by an 

 inhabitant of Parsonstown ; but the men who had found it, 

 with that strange suspiciousness that is such a peculiar feature 

 of the Irish peasant, had made him promise to keep the details 

 secret during their lives. The last of them died this winter, and 

 then Mr. felt himself at liberty to give me this informa- 

 tion. It was found in the townland marked Doorosheath in 

 sheet 30 of the Ordnance map of King's County, near Whigs- 

 borough, the residence of Mr. Drought, in what appears 

 from the description to have been a piece of cut-out bog, 

 about eighteen inches below the surface. No river is near 

 the spot ; no bones or ornaments, or implements of any kind, 

 were near it : though, had any gold or silver been discovered, 

 the finders would probably not have acknowledged it to any 

 one. 1 could not learn in what position it was found. 



" A very good idea of the appearance of this vessel is given 

 by fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing, for which I am in- 

 debted to Arthur E. Knox, Esq.* The scale is one-third of 

 the original, and he has given very precisely the actual con- 

 dition of its surface. It is composed of two pieces, neatly 

 connected by rivets. The bronze of which the sheets are 

 formed possesses considerable flexibility, but is harder than 

 our ordinary brass ; and it must have required high metal- 

 lurgic skill to make them so thin and uniform. On the other 

 hand, it is singular that, neither in this nor any other bronze 

 implements with which I am acquainted, are there any traces 

 of the art of soldering : if it might be supposed objectionable 

 in vessels exposed to heat, yet in musical instruments this 

 would not apply. 



" Such vessels have often been found, but the contents of 

 this are peculiar. When discovered (without any cover) it 

 seemed full of marl, on removing which it was found to con- 



* This vessel is very similar to one in the Museum of the Academy, which 

 is marked D. 551. As several of the other objects described by Dr. Robin- 

 son resemble the specimens contained in the Museum, a reference to the latter 

 is given in each case. 



