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



umbulante qui les transforme en Patagons. Les nuages peurent creTer, 

 se verser des cataractes, pas une goutte d'eau n'atteindra le 'Camponio.' 

 Cette meule la qui coute 3 francs (au 'forasteiro') ne pese guere plus 

 qu'un fetu. Elle n'est ni sans noblesse ni sans beaute. Lorsqu'on 

 Toit s'avancer d'un pas majestueux, sa figure brune a demi-cacbee sous 

 le feutre noir, ce paysan roi de la campagne graudi de toute la raideur 

 de sa toge monumentale, je ne sais quelles visions de races primitiyes 

 passent devant les yeux." 



From these three last citations it may be concluded that the cloak 

 in question is usually made of straw, as indicated by the name " Pal- 

 ho^a that it is peculiar to the northern provinces of Portugal, Minho, 

 and Tras os Montes (formerly part of Galicia) ; and lastly, that it is 

 more generally in use among the farming and labouring classes. It is 

 worth noting that Vieyra's Portuguese Dictionary gives " Palhacjo," 

 as a clown in a playhouse." Might it not be inferred that the 

 "Palha(5o" would sometimes use the **Palho(^a" in some dance or 

 mummery ? 



That some such garment as a straw cloak was in use in Ireland in 

 the sixteenth century may be deduced from the statement made by 

 Campion in his "Historic of Ireland" (Ancient Irish Histories, 

 1809). 



p. 27. — " There is among them a brotherhood of ' Carrowcs,' that 

 profess to play at cards all the yeare long, and make it their only 

 occupation. They play away mantle and all to the bare skin, and then 

 truss themselves in straw or in leaves ; they waite for passengers in the 

 highway, invite them to a game upon the greene, &c." 



Colmenar, in describing the Celtiberians, mentioned the use among 

 them of the " epieu," or boar-spear, as characteristic of the race ; and a 

 citation has already been given from Kinsey (p. 235) as to the use 

 among the Portuguese and the Galicians of the " cajado," or great 

 staff, loaded at one end. Latouche, in his description of the farmers 

 whom he met wearing straw cloaks, says that many of them carried 

 large ox-goads in their hands, evidently as an arm of defence, since they 

 were on horseback, and were not seemingly driving oxen. This same 

 author, writing as "Oswald Crawfurd," published in 1880 another 

 work entitled, " Customs of the Portuguese People," in which occurs 

 the following passage bearing on this point of the use of the ox-goad 

 by the Portuguese peasants : — 



p. 365. — " When the Portuguese workman or day labourer has done 

 his long day's work, he does not lean against a post and smoke a pipe ; 

 he does not favour any such ' contemplative man's recreation,' nor 



