, 1888-01-07

utensils, and, most important of all, the
"pOit-dubh'-0r black pOt-as the natives
call the still. How the smugglers mana
ged to get their goods III or ont OF such o
dangerous place was q puzzle to the officers
until, after some risky scrambling, the
gorge was further explored, resulting i'll
the discovery of a cleft in tile rock, down
which Il rope ladder was suspended from
a tree at the top. Others Of the officers had
i'll the meantime discovered another b0thy.
near which was concealed q nash tim of
three hundred and fifty gallons capacity.
All these utensils were destroyed on the
spot, except the still, which was borne a.
way as IL trophy
All this fluent description will recall to
the minds of the initiated few the delight.
ful dangers and cXcitementS that surround
the privileged visitors t, an Irish ''pOtheen"
still. After possibly miles of tramp over
bog and heath, and 8 risky aeramblinn."
You reach the scene, and your advent is
Signalled from hilltop to hilltop by means
OF a timehonOured system of cOnlmunica-
ton. Arrived on the selected spot, which
for obviously practical purposes is gene
rally near water, the grimy ~Smugglrrs
rise to greet you cheerfully, presuming
you come with good introduction. The
worm and still are at their magical bub-
bling work, anrl you are invited to taste
the "broth"-the hot, partially fprmented
poison that is drawn from the tap over the
peat fire. 1t is very nasty, but it is cuStO-
mary in places, which for evident reasons
we will not refer to by mlne to taste it,.
Curious people may DE safely informed
that these places lie between Dublin and
America, end are unknown tor the majority
ct the Irish population. The Irish snug
glcrs will invariably be grateful for the
offer Of a drop OF Parliament ~ for, sooth
to say, the " white whiSkey" OF Illicit dis
t~illatlOH, unless matured by being buried
i'll Il bog for ten years, is fiery and dis
GDrIdnt. "POtheen" is u romantic error
IN drinking, just rs smuggling is u
rOmlntic error in life. Tourists come
home with impaired Questions and absurd
memories Of artful young persons who are
prepared to velNl "mOuntaipr dew" i'm
groves and grottoes, and glades and
. gorges. "Mountaiw dew . is picturesque
poison, and nothing else. The tourist,
however, has felt tlrat in drinking it he
has done something wrong, md feels,
heroic in consequence. He has perhaps
drunk milk half way up som easy mule.
climb near C%hamOunix; he has possibly
listened to the echoes of Philistine can.
mons i'll lovely echo haunts; he has noticed
traditional outlines i'm mountains, and
generally done things as they should be
done according to the Gospel of Saint
Bardeker, and so he religiously drinks of
the downright bad =" s~inuggler stuff, and
does himself and his fellOw-men II vast
deal of harm. For all this "b0thy''
nonsense, with its superb effects of envi-
ronment, is simply an effort toy p~roIuee
that very worst of all things, bad drink
at cheap prices, under the romantic guise
of possible danger attending it's manufac-
ture. Here is a nance for the new notion
of technical education about which we are
so justly proud. Let us ciVilise our snug
glers and our Illicit distillerS, and teach
them at once to make good and wholesome
drink, after the best scientific methods,
and at the same time to come into closer
and more practical contact with the Reve-
nue., from which body it is now their daily
endeavOur to hide their undonbted talents.
No one is really angry with them, but
sensible people only ask them to come
into the legitimate fold and, if they can,
make good whiskey, The days of 'Smug,
glers' retreats" are really over, and no
doubt should be left on any ones mind as
to what his duty is 'if a body meet a
'bothy.". 1t is to start Il distillery of a
legal kind Oh the spot.