come direct to Dingle. It was an easy harbour 'to run,' and
there was some smuggling.

On one occasion some soldiers were sent to protect the gauger, who was
bent on making an important seizure. A few of the inhabitants of Dingle
took the opportunity of entertaining the officer, and whilst he
slumbered from the effects of their hospitality, the opportunity for
making the seizure was lost.

There is no particular reason why I should tell the following story
here, but it is worth recording, and I don't know any other part of my
reminiscences where it is more likely to slip in appropriately.

In Kerry in 1815, the farmers had been an extra long time fattening up
their pigs. After the Peace, prices all fell, and though the farmers
were reluctant, they had to yield to circumstances. One day the dealers
were buying at extremely low rates in Tralee market, when the postman
brought the news that Napoleon had escaped from Elba.

Instantly all the farmers broke off their bargains, and proceeded to
start homeward with their swine, shouting:--

'Hurrah for Boney that rose the pigs.'

My mother often told me of this scene, which she herself witnessed.

There was always a distinct sympathy with France, owing to the smuggling
from that land, and after the English had prohibited the exportation of
wool, it was smuggled into France, whence were brought back silks and
brandy.

The geography of Kerry is ideal for landing contraband store, and I
should say even more was done in this respect locally than on the coast
of Scotland.

There is a certain amount of good-will between people whose mutual
interests are similar until they fall out, and the hope of a French
landing in Ireland, though never very serious, always fanned the native
disaffection to the Government in the West.

The veracity of an Irishman is never considerable, for as a rule he will
say what he thinks likely to please you rather than state any unpleasant
fact. Of course the gauger--excise officer--was an especially unpopular
personage, and I doubt if a tithe of the lies told to him were ever
considered worthy of being confessed at all.

O'Connell's family made much money by smuggling, which was a pursuit
that carried not the slightest moral reproach. Indeed 'to go agin the
Government' in any sort of way has always been an act of
super-excellence.

The most lucrative side of the commercial enterprises of Morgan
O'Connell was his trade in contraband goods. In D