426 



them for presents to and from royalty ; and the high value of 

 the material, in the estimation of the maker, is evidenced by 

 the thinness of the sheets of which they are formed. 



" No. 3. A great number of gold-coloured skeynes, made 

 of bronze, were found at Derreens, but it is to be regretted 

 that the finders left scarcely one of them unbroken. The 

 specimens marked C, D, and E, are of this class. It must 

 be remarked here, that the metal of which these skeynes are 

 composed was not brittle, for the ends of that marked C were 

 bent together when it came into my possession, and I, without 

 breaking, straightened it. Some of these skeynes had the 

 rivets remaining in the handles: and the wooden handle was 

 attached to one of them ; but it in a short time crumbled into 

 dust. 



No. 4. The gold-coloured bronze arrow-heads, or, as some 

 suppose, razor blades, marked F. I had two more of these. 

 One of them, represented of the true size in the drawing G, 

 I gave away, but I know not what became of the third. The 

 blade figured in the drawing had two parallel ribs running 

 lengthwise on each side. I am not able to oflfer any opinion 

 based on certainty as to the use of these instruments. The 

 specimen marked E 2 was sent to me by one of the original 

 discoverers of the bronze vessels, since the greater portion of 

 this paper was written. He informs me that it remainedabout 

 his house, and acquired the whitish colour in consequence of 

 one of his children having put it into the fire. The heat very 

 probably brought all the tin to the surface. 



" No. 5. Gold-coloured gouges. I send for inspection 

 one, marked H, and I had another which I gave away. The 

 Earl of Rosse has one of these. 



*' No. 6. The unfinished punch or instrument marked J. 

 I had two more of these instruments of a similar shape. They 

 were finished and polished up. They all were of different 

 sizes. 



" No. 7. Gold-coloured ornaments or terminations for pom- 



