, a model farm and dairy, of such moderate size as not
to be beyond the ambition of a successful tenant. The proprietor has
also, like Mr. Bland and Mr. Butler, of Waterville, a successful
salmon fishery, great part of the produce whereof goes, at some little
advance on sixpence per pound, to the agents of a London firm, who
also get an enormous supply of mushrooms from county Kerry.

There is a greatly-improved property in county Cork, lying west of
Macroom and south of Mill Street. This is Ballyvourney, one of the
estates of Sir George St. John Colthurst, of Ardrum, whose father laid
out an immense sum in reclaiming a portion of the 25,000 acres, which
bring him in about 5,000l. per annum.

There are other landlords in the counties of Cork and Kerry who, like
Mr. Bence Jones, have done well by their land; but there is no
occasion to multiply experiences of a similar character. The purpose
of my Kerry excursion was to observe the Kerry peasant when he had
been left to himself, and where he had been looked after, and perhaps
governed, by a landlord whose interest in him had not been diminished
by recent legislation. My impression is very much the same as that
produced by my visit to Connemara, that the peasant requires firm as
well as gentle handling, and that his emancipation from the control of
his landlord should be accompanied by some other authority
representing the State, and interfering to prevent the tendency to
local congestion of population.

The Kerry peasant's qualities are in the main good, and he is upheld
under difficulties by hopefulness almost equal to his vanity and habit
of exaggeration. A Kerry man's boat is a ship, his cabin is a house,
his shrubs are trees, his "boreen" is an avenue, and, as a native bard
declares, "all his hens are paycocks." He may be briefly described as
in morals correct, disposition kindly, manners excellent, customs
filthy. It is, however, despite his hopefulness, difficult to find any
trace of that gaiety for which he was formerly famous, whether justly
or not. His amusements outside the calm of Derrynane, Derryquin, and
Dromore, appear to be cattle fairs, whisky, and sedition. At times he
is unconsciously humorous, as in the story of the Duchess of
Marlborough's Indian meal distributed for the relief of the poor
during the hard time of last winter. A gentleman, who ought to know
better, was buying some potheen, or illicit whisky, of the maker.
"Now, Pat," said he, "I hop