PADDIANA,

&c., &c.

INTRODUCTION TO IRELAND AND THE IRISH.

My introduction to Ireland was made before steam-packets came into general use, though they ran even then between Holyhead and Howth; but this I believe was the only line. It is amusing, in these days, to recall to memory the fears expressed at that time on the subject of steam-power, not only by "elderly ladies and ecclesiastics," but by a great majority of all ages and classes. Seafaring men of every kind were against it. "None of your tea-kettle ships!" was the common cry; and the possibility of a steamer crossing the Atlantic, or reaching India, would

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have been thought too absurd to be entertained for a moment. But, notwithstanding the fear of its danger and the ridicule of its success, there was a sort of undefined consciousness of its ultimate adoption, which people wilfully, but unsuccessfully, tried to banish from their minds, and which even sailors and old ladies could not quite get rid of.

I embarked at Liverpool one fine evening in September, in one of the regular sailing packets, for Dublin. She was a rather large cutter, something of the old Margate hoy species, commanded by an Irishman; her crew were Irish, as were also her passengers to a man, excepting myself. It was the first time in my life that I had ever mixed with the Irish, or even had any communication with individuals of that country, and it was not without a feeling of some interest that I found myself suddenly cut off from all other people and plunged wholly amongst them.

I was the first passenger on board; and having paid my passage-money and secured the best berth in the vessel, seated myself on the bulwarks of the Nora Creina, as she lay alongside the pier waiting the turn of the tide, and watched the arrival of the other passen

gers. As the time of high-water drew near, they dropped in by twos and threes; the cabin passengers coming first to the number of about a dozen, all eagerly rushing below to secure the berths (six altogether), and all coming on deck again in apparent satisfaction at the arrangements they had made.

On the pier above stood some hundreds of Irish reapers, uniformly dressed in grey frieze coats, corduroy breeches, unbuttoned at the knee, and without neckerchiefs; carrying their sickles wrapped in straw slung over the shoulder, and every one with a large, long blackthorn stick in his hand, the knob of the stick being on the ground, contrary to the usage of all other people, and the small end held in the hand. As the vessel was preparing to cast off, a stream of these people began to pour down the ladder to the deck of our little craft, till the whole fore-part of the vessel, and subsequently the waist, were completely choked up with them. Still they kept descending, till the cabin-passengers were driven to the extreme after-part, alongside the tiller; but yet the stream flowed on, till not only the fore-cabin but every available portion of the deck was crammed with a dense mass of human

beings, we of the state-cabin forming the small tail of the crowd.

How the vessel was to be worked in this state it was difficult to conjecture, and I heartily wished myself out of it. Indeed, I mentioned something of an intention of forfeiting my passage-money and taking the next packet, but was dissuaded by the captain, who assured me I should have to wait perhaps a month before all the reapers returned; and then bad weather might be expected.

"Sure, we'll shake in our places by and by," said he; "they'll be quiet enough when they're out of the river: it's then we'll pack 'em like herrings, and pickle 'em too. But I believe we won't take any more. Hold hard

there, boys; we've no room for ye. Stop that fellow with the hole in his breeches ;-no, not him, th' other with the big hole,-sure we can't take ye."

"Ah, musha, captain, won't ye lave me. come? My brother's in it."

(Captain sings),—

"Ah! who's this?' says he;

"Tis my brother,' says she."

"Can't ye sit down aisy where ye are, and wait till I come back for ye? The divle a one