O'Eeilly — On the Kerry Straw Cloak Exhibit. 3 



breeds of Estremadura (see Ford's ''Gatherings fromSpain," pp. 126-7, 

 and Hans Gadow's " In ^'orthern Spain," 1897, p. 260). Lastly, the 

 peculiarities of the Kerry ponies mentioned by Smith, and theii' name 

 of " Asturcones," mentioned by Ware. 



Camden gives particulars as to the frequentation of the coasts 

 yearly by Portuguese and Spaniards, in the middle of winter, for the 

 cod fisliery, and shows the importance of the trade in dried cod 

 (Bacalao) with Spain and Portugal, as also that of cured salmon, 

 herrings, pilchards, &c. To the data furnished by these writers the 

 following citations may be added by way of commentary and elucida- 

 tion : — As regards the early intercourse between the two countries, 

 sufficient account is not taken of what is known of the Atlantes, the 

 Berbers, the Turdetani, the Lusitaniaus, and Celtiberians, and their 

 intercourse within the Strait and without it, particularly the early 

 navigations of the great maritime peoples of the ^gean coasts and 

 islands, such as the Pelasgians, Phoenicians, Khodians, Carians, Cretans, 

 &c., not only to the western limit of the Mediterranean, but outside 

 it. Account has to be taken of the early prevalence of pii'acy and the 

 stimulus to exploration and distant expeditions given by the combined 

 influeuces of trade and piracy. The tendency of the great fishing fleets 

 of the Mediterranean was to follow the shoals and large fish north- 

 wards outside the Straits, and thus to become acquainted with the 

 resources presented by the western and north-western coasts of the 

 Peninsula, and to continue thence northwards during the favourable 

 seasons and fishings. These coasts not only presented splendid har- 

 bours and abundant fishing-grounds, but also excellent shipbuilding 

 materials of all sorts, and excellent zinc ores, necessary for the prepara- 

 tion of brass, and therefore important as objects of traffic. For these 

 reasons, the coast populations of the Cantabrian seaboard were, fi'om 

 the earliest times, celebrated as skilled and daring sailors (see Colmenar, 

 " Delices de I'Espagne et du Portugal" : Leyde, 1725, vol. i., p. 75), 

 This skill and daring was probably mainly due to their early training 

 in whale fishery, since they not only pursued the whales in the Bay of 

 Biscay, but followed them up to the coasts of Ireland ; and it is even 

 pretended that they extended their voyages to the banks of jN'ewfound- 

 land, one hundred years before the voyage of Columbus (see E. AVake- 

 field's " Account of Ireland," 1812, p. 72). Colmenar makes mention 

 of two or thi'ee seaports, formerly known as having been engaged in 

 the whale fishery. In Ree's ''Cyclopaedia" (1819), under the heading 

 of " Cod Eishery," excellent details are given as to this and otlier 

 points concerning the cod fishery. It is stated that, " The Irish 



