fairly over the border, and safely deposited in the kingdom of Connaught, without injury or interruption.

On the subject of my travels I intend to be laconic, inasmuch as, with a temporary intervention of steam, I have resided in the royal mail since I left the lamps of London. I believe I am not exactly cut out for a traveller; I am incurious as to names of guards and coachmen-never enquire after their wives, or take the population of their families; I generally sleep from the start to the close of the stage I did observe that the colour of corn was nearly alike in both countries, and remarked farther, that English drivers seemed partial to ale and overalls, and Irish ones preferred frieze coats and naked whiskey.

And now, George, you shall have the particulars of my escape. Since the times of the Anabasis, or the more recent exploits of Lavalette and Ikey Solomons, never was retreat effected in more masterly style. Candour obliges me to admit that mine was unaccompanied by sound of trumpet or other "pomp and circumstance of war," and rather resembled the hasty retirement of a detected thief from a tabernacle, than a bold operation in noon-day, and in the face of the enemy.

But let that pass: I embarked a miscellane

ous cargo of guns, dogs, and fishing-tackle, under the surveillance of a trusty servant, on board a Dublin steamer, and the following evening started quietly for "the Head," leaving directions with mine host in Grafton-street, to acquaint Lord Leatherby and all suspiciouslooking enquirers, that I had departed for Constantinople, and that any commands for me must be forwarded, under cover, to the Sublime Porte.

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I have no talent for statistics, but if my memory serve, the interesting portion of the British empire from which I write, is thus laid down by a modern tourist :—“It lieth,” says this intelligent traveller, "under a dark gray cloud, which is evermore discharging itself on the earth, but like the widow's cruise, is never exhausted. It is bounded on the south and east by Christendom and part of Tipperary, on the north by Donegal, and on the west by the salt say. It abounds in bogs, lakes, and other natural curiosities; its soil consists of equal quantities of earth and stone, and its surface is so admirably disencumbered of trees, shrubs, hedges, and ditches, that an intelligent backwoods-man, from Louisiana, was heard to declare with rapture, that it was the most perfectly cultivated territory in Europe.

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Farther," saith the tourist," its gentry are

a polished and religious race, remarkable for their punctuality in pecuniary transactions, and their freedom from a litigious or quarrelsome disposition. The prevailing mode of belief among the upper classes is anythinganianism, that of the people, pure Popery.”

This premonitory sketch will save you and me, George, an infinity of trouble. You have here the country graphically placed before you, as well as the distinguishing traits of character, for which the pleasant and virtuous community who abide in this interesting department of the Emerald Isle are so eminently distinguished.

The town of Ballinasloe is seated on a river, the name of which I neglected to enquire. It is much frequented by saints and cattle-dealers, carries on a smart trade in sheep and proselytes

-and Bibles and bullocks are " thick as leaves in Vallombrosa." The cabins, moreover, are whitewashed-pigs and popery are prohibited--and travellers wayfaring on the seventh day denounced, and, under perilous amercements, enjoined to take their ease in their respective inns.

While the horses were being brought out I strolled into the street, and in a show-room of the Farming Society, discovered a collection of biblicals in full activity. From a short gentleman, with soiled linen and an impeded delivery, I learned the gratifying fact, that the spread of

the Gospel was progressive in California; and, farther, that a second-cousin of the King of Siam had been baptized by a Moravian Missionary. This latter annunciation elicited a thunder of applause, and a young lady with a lisp pinched my elbow playfully, and requested me to propose that a piece of plate be transmitted to the convertee. Now, pinching one's elbow on a five minutes' acquaintance is alarming; I accordingly levanted, leaving Lispy to propose the plate in person. I observed in my retreat a mob assembled round the chapel, and pushing through a crowd of ragged urchins, established myself in the doorway; within, there was a meeting of Radical Reformers; a tall man was pouring forth a philippic from the altar, in which he made an awful example of the King's English, and in his syllabic arrangements differed totally from modern orthoepists. The gist of his oration went to prove, that Catholic Emancipation was a humbug-concession a farce-and luck, or grace, would never visit this unhappy island, until Mr. Cornelius Cassidy, of Killcooney-house, was sent to represent us in the Imperial Parliament.

The horses are being put to, and I must say farewell; I shall, however, note my adventures, and in due time favour you with another epistle. Adieu, always yours

Journey continued.

LETTER III.

G

Inn of G.

Tuam. - A bad

night. Out of the frying-pan into the fire.-A Countryball-and the Finish.

My journey hither has been singularly propitious; I shall only trouble you with the leading incidents.

My carriage broke down close to the Inn of G——, a solitary house, as the song goes,

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delightfully placed in a bog." As some delay must necessarily occur before the repairs of the vehicle could be effected, after the example of that accomplished cavalier, Major Dalgetty, I determined to seize on this opportunity to provision the garrison. To this prudent proceeding on my part I found there was an insurmountable obstacle; the landlady assured me that the "matériel" was in the house, there was bacon in the chimney and chickens in the yard, but there was no turf within, till the boys — the devil bother them for staying-came