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tioning here. (e It is strongly maintained in the antient 

 Irish records, that in the courts of their kings and residences 

 of their great men, an extraordinary magnificence was once 

 displayed. That they feasted and drank out of vessels of 

 gold, used it for armour, ornaments of dress, 8cc. In an 

 age when navigation, and therefore commerce, were cir- 

 cumscribed, it is concluded, that the gold must have been 

 found in the country. Those who doubt this judge from 

 the disregard that has been invariably shown by the foreign 

 settlers in this country to its mineral productions. They 

 presume that it could not have escaped their avarice or their 

 skill, if any thing of the kind worth regarding existed here, 

 and they maintain that the gold must have been procured 

 somewhere from abroad. A recent transaction has shown 

 that there is probably much gold in this country not many 

 miles from this city. The people of its neighbourhood have 

 long been acquainted with it, and from time to time sold 

 native gold to the silversmiths, but would not tell where they 

 found it. A late disagreement about the division of their 

 treasure caused a discover}*. A stream descending from a 

 mountain * runs along a valley at its foot : in the sand of 

 this stream and the sand of the valley on either side are 

 found lumps of native gold." Pieces have been found weigh- 

 ins 22 oz. ; but they are generally much smaller, from 3 

 ounces to a few grains. It is said some families were in the 



* Mount Grogban near Arldow in the county of Wiekkrw. 



