A DROVE OF IRISH BULLS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 9419, 20 June 1882, Page 3

A DROVE OF IRISH BULLS.

The following piece of " composition," may be " backed " against anything ever produced. It was written half a century ago, by Sir Boyle Roche, a member of the Irish Parliament —" The troubled times of Ninty-nine,"—when a handful of men, from the county of Wexford, struck terror into the hearts of many gallant sons of Mars, as well as the worthy writer himself. The letter was addressed to a friend in London, and is "old enough to be new" to nine men out of ten of our readers,

•' My Dear Sir—Having now a little peace and quietness, I sit down to inform you of the dreadful bustle and confusion we are all in from these blood-thirsty most of whom are, thank ,God, killed and dispersed. We are in a pretty mess ; can get nothing to eat, nor any wine to drink, except whiskey, and irhen wc sit down to dinner, we are obliged to keep both hands armed. While I write this, 1 hold a sword in each hand," and a pistol in the other. "I concluded from the beginningthat this would be the end of it, and I see I was right ; for it is not half over yet. At present there are such", goings. :sto, that everything is at standstill. I should have answered your letter a fort" night ago, but I did not receive it till this morning, Indeed, scarcely a mail arrives safe 'without being robbed. No longer ago than yesterday, the coach with the mails from Dublin was robbed near this town. The bags had been judiciously left behind, for fear of accident ; and by good luck there was nobody in it but two outside passengers who had nothing for the thieves to take. A few days since notice was given that a gang of rebels was advancing here under the French standard, but they have no colors, nor any drums .except bagpipes. Immediately every man in the place, including men, women, and children, ran out to meet them. We soon found our force much too little; we were too near to think of retreating. Death was in oiir very face, buc to it we went, and by the time half our party,jrere killed, we began to be all alive again. Fortunately, "the rebels had no guns except pistols and pikes, and as we had plenty of muskets and ammunition we put them all to the sword. Not a soul of them escaped, except those that were drowned in adjacent bogs; and in a Very short time nothing was heard but silence. Their uniforms were all of different colours, but mos,tly green # After the action, we went to rummage a sort of camp which they had left behind them. All we found was a tew pikes without heads, a parcel of empty bottles of water, and a bundle of French commissions rilled with Irish nan es. Troops are no - .v stationed round the country, which exactly squares with my ideas. I have only time to add that I am in great haste, "P.S.—lf you do not receive this, of course it must have miscarried ; therefore I beg you will write me and let me know.