faced slouching men, smelling strongly of
whisky and tobacco, appeared among the ruck.
Now and then an American Celt could be
seen to hail a cab, into which three and
sometimes five persons would enter. The faces were
all turned one way, and the town seemed to be
disgorging all its rabble. I could compare the
stampede to nothing but the rush of people to
witness a fire. Not a word was spoken, and
though very large numbers poured out of Dublin
together, there was not the slightest disturbance
or confusion. I followed the moving stream
up Westmoreland-street, past the college in
whose vast front not a light was to be seen,
through Grafton-street, up Stephen's-green, and
Harcourt-street. There I left them, and
hurried home. I expected to find explicit
orders awaiting me.

Along the route taken by the multitude, the
cigar-shops, oyster-stalls, and gin-palaces were
open as usual. In my own street every house
was lighted up, and a large ball was being given
in Harcourt-street. No chain was placed across
my own hall door, and my servant, in answer to my
inquiries, replied, as coolly as if it were a matter
of no importance, that "the Fenians had riz."
In the parlour all were at "high tea." A
blazing fire shone out gloriously, and a joyful
welcome was given me. Short space was
there for rest or warmth. A long envelope was
handed to me, and in five minutes I left my
home alone, to move with the Fenians up to a
certain point. They had risen, and it was
believed that they intended, when collected in
numbers sufficiently great, to pour down upon
the wealthiest portion of the city, and plunder
there.

I found that the greater portion of the mass
began to move slowly in the neighbourhood of
Rathmines: a suburb consisting mainly of a
single street of fine houses inhabited by the
higher orders of the middle class. This street
is three-quarters of a mile long, with a very
wide footpath on either side. At the extremity
furthest from the city, it opens out into a
spacious triangular place, at the two opposite angles
of which two roads branch out: one leading to
Rathgar, Roundtown, and Rathfarnham: the
other, though an irregular line of buildings, to
Palmerston-fields, which are skirted by the
river Dodder, here exceedingly picturesque.
There are some very fine old trees in the
neighbourhood; and in a magnificent field surrounded
by wood the multitude gathered. I think,
however, that from the first many of the Fenians
passed on rapidly, crossed a bridge over the
Dodder, and made for the rendezvous at
Tallaght, a village fully four miles to the right. As
far as I could judge, there were at no time more
than between six and seven hundred persons
assembled at Palmerston-fields, of whom four-
fifths were youths not over eighteen years of
age, weaklings, and with a dissipated air. There
were two carts: both containing arms, as we
subsequently found. For some time the mass
moved about without any apparent object, and I
understood they were waiting for some one to
lead them. The Rathmines police-office is
close to the triangular space, and from this
the little garrison of eight men hovered on the
skirts of the Fenians, now and then arresting
individuals. Suddenly, and without a word,
this mass of Fenians broke up: some proceeded
at a rapid pace towards Tallaght, but fully half
the number, already tired of the enterprise and
alarmed by discovering that they were really
required to fight, poured back into the city,
flinging away the arms they had received.
They found that the police were searching all
persons passing into Dublin whose appearance
was suspicious; consequently, they determined to
rid themselves of proofs of complicity with the
rising. The night wore oh, raw and cold,
with a drizzling of sleet and rain. The
romantic apprentices shuddered at a four
miles' march to Tallaght over an undulating
country.

By this time the alarm had spread. Cavalry
from Portobello, and infantry from other
barracks, were on the rear of those stepping out
for Tallaght. The cavalry did not proceed very
rapidly; for, I believe, it was designed by the
authorities to allow the mass to meet at Tallaght.
The metropolitan police, whom I have spoken
of as standing in sixes by the shop shutters, had
now united into a very formidable body of tall
strong men, and they moved after the insurgents
as rapidly as the cavalry. They marched silent
as death, each man fully able to deal with half
a dozen Fenians. Tired and worn out by my
long travel, I stepped into a friend's house to
obtain some momentary refreshment, but after
a little rest I mounted my friend's car, and
arrived at Tallaght before the great event of
the night occurred.

The lower order of Irish use the phrase,
"Tallaght-hill talk," to express boasts and
menaces without power to enforce them. From
the hill you can look down upon Dublin, "the
city of the black pool;" and on a summer's
day or moonlight night the panorama is magnificent.
St. Patrick's cathedral stands out
grandly, with its lofty steeple, and spire, and
flying buttress. A scout placed on Tallaght-hill
could ascertain, without difficulty, every military
movement in Dublin. I do not know the plans
of the Fenians, but I think they expected large
reinforcements to meet them at Tallaght from the
counties of Meath, Wicklow, Wexford, and
Kildare, and, when all were combined, to pour
down upon that part of Dublin which, from
their eyrie, they saw to be least protected.
Lord Strathnairn, however, was too quick for
them, and while he and his strong force of
infantry and cavalry were marching to cut
off the approaches to the city, he had
directed a portion of the 48th Regiment to move
from the Curragh by the Southern and
Western Railway, to leave the train at
Celbridge station, and cut off the rear of the
insurgents.

But, before the military had reached the
Fenians, the latter were cowed and beaten.
The tactics of the leaders were to attack police-