388 Royal Irish Academy. 



London,* in the hope that here at least, in the description of a find of 

 such importance, full particulars would be given of the locality where 

 found, the date and circumstances of the finding, &c. But when the 

 Paper was published, the Council were astonished to see that all the 

 information given on these points was that " the spot where the 

 treasure was found is near the sea on the north-west coast of 

 Ireland"; and further on in his Paper, the author says: — "The 

 farmer on whose land the find was made, and with whom he is 

 personally acquainted, is a shrewd hard-headed Presbyterian upon 

 whose word Mr, Day could thoroughly rely, and who was most 

 precise about the facts." It would seem, therefore, that all the author 

 of the Paper knew about the circumstances of the find, was the report 

 of Mr. Day, who was not the finder. And all further inquiry from 

 the actual discoverer is at present precluded by the veil of silence that 

 has been flung over the whole transaction, up to the date of the Paper. 



It is obvious that this procedure must be very prejudicial to the 

 interests of the Science of Archseology, because, as the matter stands,, 

 scholars can have no basis for theorizing on the origin and purpose of 

 the Collection, save only what it has pleased Mr. Day to allow to be 

 published, as they have no details as to the circumstances of the 

 discovery, save the very meagre account given by Mr. Day to the 

 author of the paper, Mr. Evans. 



Mr. Day seems to have taken these treasm-e trove objects into his 

 own custody, and to have carried on the negotiations for their sale, 

 without paying any attention whatever to the regulations concerning 

 treasure trove in Ireland, as to which, on a previous occasion (7th 

 April, 1896), he had been carefully informed by the Council. 



I am, 



Sii% 



The Under SECEETARr, 

 Dublin Castle. 



Your obedient servant, 



Egbert Atkinson, 



Secretary of Council. 



* [Note. — The Vol. of Aech^ologia in which it is published was received at 

 the Academy on 20th January, 1898.] 



