| Walked round 10 miles of the coast, inspecting nine isolated Lots in the way. One called ‘Aughrusbeg’, has a good house upon it, and is in a fine position for fishing and seaweed: but it is covered with unrecognized subtenants who pay to the middle man double his entire rent. I saw these subtenants at work, most of them widows, forsaken wives; and young women, carrying peat on their backs. They were nearly in a state of nudity, and appeared from actual want, to be almost reduced to a state of Idiocy. There is no Irish animation and buoyancy here, but a stealthy and timid look, as if these poor souls were ashamed of their condition, and lost to the faintest hope of escape from wretchedness and misery. Good God! Where are their landlords & the responsible power that rules over them: have they never looked into these all but vacant faces only animated with a faint imploring look – have they never seen the bent back of the aged, and the sunk check of the young? then let them come here and see what neglect has done. [pp. 17-18] |
