■254 Proceedings of the Royal Irkh Academij. 



desire to make these monuments more definite and permanent that the 

 •curious memorial pillars of the Aran Islands took their origin. 



As is usual in the West, the grave is not dug nntil the funeral 

 reaches the grave-yard, but before this work is begun the coffin is 

 Taorne thrice round the old church in the direction of the sun. The 

 •old caoine is still used at all funerals. A good deal of liquor is usually 

 •di'unk on these sad occasions. The custom of smoking at the grave 

 -does not seera to obtain here. 



The people are early risers as a rule, except in the case of fisher- 

 men, whose hours, of course, cannot be regular. They are timid about 

 going out at night on land, and stay closely to their houses after 

 nightfall. During the winter months little work can be done by the 

 men; the women have the usual household occupations. Formerly there 

 was a strong feeling against selling eggs, but now large quantities are 

 ■exported. Even still the people look on selling butter as sometliing to 

 be ashamed of. The same is the case as regards milk. The sale of either 

 of these is considered a thing to conceal lest the neighbours should 

 know that the family was reduced to such a state of poverty as to 

 have to do so.'" For fuel turf either from the bogs, or where these 

 are at a distance, scraw turf (made by raising the thin peaty layer 

 off the rock, a very poor stony fuel), and bog pine are used. The 

 louses are now lighted at night by cheap lamps burning petroleum, 

 but formerly rushlights were used. Fuel is so scarce, and has to be 

 fetched in back-loads for such a distance, that the people of Letter- 

 mullen are extremely careful of it, and are sparing in its use. 



3. Food.— The food consists principally of fi.sh, potatoes, indian- 

 meal stirabout, soda-bread, and tea. Most of the people have never 

 tasted flesh meat, and many would not eat it if offered them. Potatoes 

 last on the average for ten months of the year, and for the remain- 

 ing two months Indian meal has to be fallen back on as the staple of 

 the dietary. In a bad season, however, potatoes may not last until the 

 New Year. Fish is eaten fresh in summer, salted in winter. Many 

 prefer the salted to the fresh fish. The kinds cured for winter use 

 are gurnard, bream, glassan, ling, and pollock. These are split, roughly 

 salted, and dried in the sun on the roofs of the houses. Tea is con- 

 sumed in great quantities, and is drunk very strong. Two varieties of 



^ All the people are more or less in debt to the shopkeepers, though they pay- 

 whenever they can. Earter still exists to some extent, but the system mainly 

 followed now is, tliat eggs, lohsteis, &c., are brought in to the shops and their 

 price either credited to the account of the vender, or the equivalent of theii- price is 

 given in groceries, tobacco, or other goods. 



