22 



beach, strung together for necklaces, &c. The variety of objects 

 thus met with during the day furnished ample subjects for conver- 

 sation at the tea table, and some of the gentlemen present gave inte- 

 resting popular descriptions of them for the benefit of the company. 



On Thursday evening, Mrs. Hamilton requested the visitors to 

 allow a local photographic artist to take a picture of the group, 

 and this was readily agreed to as an interesting memorial of a most 

 pleasant and successful excursion, and the company were most 

 anxious to oblige Mrs. Hamilton, who so liberally provided for 

 their wants, and by whose kind attention they were each and all 

 made to realise that ease, home comfort, and thorough satisfaction 

 which is so desirable to, but not always the lot of, either the scien- 

 tific explorer or the pleasure-seeking excursionist. 



Early on Friday morning the captain's whistle made the whole 

 house astir, everyone being anxious to make the most of the short 

 time left at their disposal ; breakfast was soon disposed of, and at 

 ten o'clock the whole party were again seated for the return journey 

 to Belfast. 



The long delays at the principal stations broke the monotony of 

 the journey, and enabled the members of the party to have more 

 time for investigations ; thus the glacial striated markings were 

 noticed in the gravels at Pettigo, the fossils of the limestones at 

 Bundoran Junction, and the interesting views of the Abbey, Tower, 

 and Cross at Clones. Nearly two hours were available at this 

 station, amply sufficient to see the old cross in the Market Square, 

 in fair preservation, the Abbey with its surrounding quaint tomb- 

 stones, the Round Tower, tolerably perfect, yet indicating the pro- 

 cess of decay, and the Dun or Fort, from which an extensive view 

 is obtained of the town, its antiquities, and the surrounding coun- 

 try. The usual form of electing new members was then gone 

 through, which was the last item in the programme so admirably 

 arranged and successfully carried out, and for which a hearty and 

 unanimous vote of thanks was passed by acclamation to the captain 

 of the party, and another to the ladies who accompanied them, and 

 added so much to the pleasure of a trip successfully terminated on 

 the arrival at Belfast at 6.45 on Friday evening. 



