years the vision, which appeared often, was accomplished by the building of several good houses in the very spot represented to the seers, and by the planting of orchards there.

"To see a spark of fire is a forerunner of a dead child, to be seen in the arms of those persons; of which there are several instances. To see a seat

empty at the time of sitting in it, is a presage of that person's death quickly after it.

"When a novice, or one that has lately obtained

the second sight, sees a vision in the night-time without doors, and comes near a fire, he presently falls.

into a swoon.

"Some find themselves as it were in a crowd of

people, having a corpse, which they carry along

with them; and after such visions the seers come in

sweating, and describe the vision that appeared. If there be any of their acquaintance among them,

they give an account of their names, as also of the bearers; but they know nothing concerning the corpse."

Horses and cows (according to the same credulous author) have certainly sometimes the same faculty; and he endeavours to prove it by the signs of fear which the animals exhibit, when second sighted persons see visions in the same place.

"The seers (he continues) are generally illite

rate and well meaning people, and altogether void of design: nor could I ever learn that any of them ever made the least gain by it; neither is it reput

able among them to have that faculty. Besides, the people of the isles are not so credulous as to believe implicitly before the thing predicted is accomplished; but when it is actually accomplished afterwards, it is not in their power to deny it, without offering violence to their own sense and reason. Besides, if the seers were deceivers, can it be reasonable to imagine that all the islanders who have not the second sight should combine together, and offer violence to their understandings and senses, to enforce themselves to believe a lie from age to age. There are several persons among them whose title and education raise them above the suspicion of concurring with an impostor, merely to gratify an illiterate, contemptible set of persons; nor can rea

sonable persons believe that children, horses, and

cows, should be pre-engaged in a combination in favour of the second sight."-MARTIN's description of the Western Islands of Scotland, p. 3, 11.

NOTES TO O'CONNOR'S CHILD.

Verse 1. 1. 1.

Innisfail, the ancient name of Ireland.

Verse 2. 1. 9.

Kerne, the plural of Kern, an Irish foot soldier.

In this sense the word is used by Shakspeare.

Gainsford in his Glory's of England, says, "They