Browne — Ethnography of the Mullet^ Inishkea, 8f Portacloy. 629 



populated country, the district under consideration is practically 

 isolated, and communication with other parts of the country is carried 

 on by road or by sea. Mails and passengers are carried daily to and 

 from Ballina and Belmullet by a good two-horse (Bianconi) stage- 

 car; and a similar vehicle, an opposition venture, also makes the 

 journey daily with passengers and light goods. The country beyond 

 Belmullet is provided with mails twice weekly. Goods are conveyed 

 by carts from Ballina, a distance of over forty miles, during the 

 winter and spring, and large sailing boats are sometimes employed 

 carrying heavy goods from Westport. But few wheeled-vehicles are 

 used except by the better-to-do, and in the remoter parts hardly 

 any are employed, turf, sea- weed, &c., being carried in cleaves or 

 pardoges (panniers with movable bottoms, slung over the backs of 

 horses or donkeys). The people, if poor, have to walk ; those better 

 off may ride to market. It is common for two to ride the one horse, 

 a man in the saddle and a woman en croupe, or both equestrians 

 may be women, in which case, sometimes, but very rarely, the 

 woman in front may ride astride. 



The main roads are pretty good, but many of the smaller ones are 

 very little used, except at harvest time or when turf is being got in, 

 and as a result are grass-grown and uneven. Some small fishing 

 hamlets and outlying places are still unprovided with roads. 



For water transport there are the sailing boats before mentioned, 

 used for the conveyance of goods from Westport. The form of boat 

 most in use is the curragh, which is manned by three men ; it varies 

 somewhat in pattern in different localities. 



In the Mullet and the islands 142 curraghs are in use. Very few 

 boats of other patterns are kept, as there are only three second-class 

 boats (yawls), and about thirty third-class. At Portacloy there are 

 about 30 curraghs. 



The southern part of the peninsula and the islands obtain their 

 turf supply by boat from Achill and Ballycroy. 



V. — FoLK-LoRE. 



Although poor in so many other respects, Erris is particularly rich 

 in folk-lore, many old customs, traditions, and beliefs, which have 

 died out, or are dying elsewhere, still flourishing there. The legends 

 and tales of the past and many old songs are still current, especially 

 among the older people, who, however, will not readily communicate 

 them to strangers, so that only a resident well acquainted with Irish 



