Hugh
M'Neill--Charles Dickens--The Catholic Cantons of
Switzerland--Belgium--France--The Rhenish
Provinces--Proselytism--Various causes for Conversions assigned--The
late Archbishop Whately's Opinions--His Convert--He rejects the idea
that Converts were bought--Statement of the late Archdeacon
O'Sullivan--Dr. Forbes on the Conversions in the West--Mr. M'Carthy
Downing's Letter--The Subscription of L1,000--Baron
Dowse--Conclusion 505
(NOTE A.)--Absenteeism: Mr. M'Culloch's defence of it examined, 522
(NOTE B.)--Smith O'Brien's refusal to serve on a Committee of
the House of Commons, 556
(NOTE C.)--Treasury Minute, dated August 31st, 1846 541
(NOTE D.)--The "Labouchere Letter," Authorizing Reproductive
Employment, 549
THE GREAT FAMINE OF 1847,
ETC.
CHAPTER I.
The Potato--Its introduction into Europe--Sir Walter Raleigh--The
Potato of Virginia--The Battata, or sweet Potato--Sir John
Hawkins--Sir Francis Drake--Raleigh's numerous exploring
expeditions--Story of his distributing Potatoes on the Irish coast
on his way from Virginia groundless--Sir Joseph Banks--His history
of the introduction of the Potato--Thomas Heriot--His description of
the Opanawk a correct description of the Potato--That root in Europe
before Raleigh's time--Raleigh an "Undertaker"--The Grants made to
him--The Famine after the War with the Desmonds--Introduction of the
Potato into Ireland--Did not come rapidly into cultivation--Food of
the poorest--Grazing--Graziers--Destruction of Irish
Manufactures--Causes of the increasing culture of the
Potato--Improvement of Agriculture--Rotation of Crops--Primate
Boulter's charity--Buys Corn in the South to sell it cheaply in the
North--Years of scarcity from 1720 to 1740--The Famine of
1740-41--The Great Frost--No combined effort to meet this
Famine--Vast number of Deaths--The Obelisk at Castletown
(_Note_)--Price of Wheat--Bread Riots--Gangs of Robbers--"The
Kellymount Gang"--Severe punishment--Shooting down Food-rioters--The
Lord Lieutenant's Address to Parliament--Bill "for the more
effectual securing the payments of rents and preventing the frauds
of tenants"--This Bill the basis of legislation on the Land Question
up to 1870--Land thrown into Grazing--State of the
Catholics--Renewal of the Penal Statutes--Fever and bloody
flux--Deaths--State of Prisoners--Galway Physicians refuse to attend
Patients--The Races of Galway changed to Tuam on account of the
Fever in Galway--Balls and Plays!--Rt.
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