n them.

In the northern corner of this remarkable locality, a deep cave, having
every necessary property as a place for private distillation, ran under
the rocks, which met over it in a kind of gothic arch. A stream of water
just sufficient for the requisite purposes, fell in through a fissure
from above, forming such a little subterraneous cascade in the cavern
as human design itself could scarcely have surpassed in felicity of
adaptation to the objects of an illicit distiller.

To this cave, then, we must take the liberty of transporting our
readers, in order to give them an opportunity of getting a peep at
the inside of a Poteen Still-house, and of hearing a portion of
conversation, which, although not remarkable for either elegance or
edification, we are, nevertheless, obliged to detail, as being in some
degree necessary to the elucidation of our narrative. Up in that end
which constituted the termination of the cave, and fixed upon a large
turf fire which burned within a circle of stones that supported it, was
a tolerably-sized Still, made of block-tin. The mouth of this Still was
closed by an air-tight cover, also of tin, called the Head, from which a
tube of the same metal projected into a large keeve, or condenser, that
was kept always filled with cool water by an incessant stream from the
cascade we have described, which always ran into and overflowed it. The
arm of this head was fitted and made air-tight, also, into a spiral tube
of copper, called the Worm, which rested in the water of the cooler; and
as it consisted of several convolutions, like a cork-screw, its office
was to condense the hot vapor which was transmitted to it from the
glowing Still into that description of spirits known as poteen. At the
bottom of this cooler, the Worm terminated in a small cock or spigot,
from which the spirits projected in a slender stream, about the
thickness of a quill, into a vessel placed for its reception. Such was
the position of the Still, Head, and Worm, when in full operation.
Fixed about the cave, upon rude stone stillions, were the usual vessels
requisite for the various processes through which it was necessary to
put the malt, before the wort, which is its first liquid shape, was
fermented, cleared off, and thrown into the Still to be singled; for
our readers must know that distillation is a double process, the first
product being called singlings, and the second or last, doublings--which
is the perfect liquo