504 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. 



time, and even much earlier. Carna was selected as the centre of 

 operations, as from it the islands of Mweenish and Mason, and the 

 primitive district at Mace Head were most easily accessible. This 

 district has been comparatively lately opened up, and is now under- 

 going considerable change, clue to the influence of the tourist traffic 

 and the better means of communication with the outer world, provided 

 by good roads, and the causeways connecting the islands with the 

 mainland, so that steps should be taken at once before the disturbing 

 elements should have time to obliterate so interesting a page of old 

 Irish peasant life. In the work of this sui'vey I was greatly aided by 

 Mr. T. J. Westropp, m.k.i.a., to whom I wish to tender my heartiest 

 thanks. Prom him I received the greatest help in every branch of the 

 work, and more especially the photographic and archaeological depart- 

 ments, in the last-named of which he is, what I cannot claim to be, an 

 expert, and was able to treat of the subject much more fully and 

 satisfactorily than I could have hoped to have done. 



The work was this year more troublesome than usual, and there 

 were several difficulties to be overcome not met with before. One of 

 these was the inclemency of the weather prevailing during our stay, 

 and another that somehow or other a rumour that the Militia Ballot 

 Act was about to be put in force had been circiilated, together with 

 other war reports, and this made many of the men suspicious of allowing 

 themselves to be measured for fear that in some way we were con- 

 nected with the recruiting service. 



II. — Phtsiogeapht. 



The district of Carna, which forms part of the parish of Moyrus, in 

 the barony of Ballinahinch, is a very poor one, cut off inland from the 

 rest of the country by a belt of mountain and bog land almost unin- 

 habited, and bounded on the south, east and west by the sea. The 

 coast is low and rocky and very irregular, and much indented by small 

 arms of the sea. The surface is diversified, rising in places into 

 barren rocky hills, and in other parts consisting of bog and swamp. 

 The low ridges of granite lie mostly along the coast line, and their 

 surface soil is poor and shallow. The soil of the islands is also poor, 

 and in the case of Mweenish and Mason is largely composed of dunes 

 and sandhills. There are numerous small streams and several lakes in 

 the boggy parts, the principal of which are Loughs Skannive and Bola. 



Yegetation is scanty and poor, and there are but few trees, though 

 those which have been planted of late years seem to be growing well, 

 so neither climate nor soil can be altogether unsuitable for them. 



