climate, spacious and judiciously supplied
with flowers, is the purpose of the plan now
laid before the public. It was suggested,
many months back, by the "Lancet"—a suggestion
founded on the construction of the
Exhibition building—that a covered garden, a
glass building, ought to be attached to London
hospitals, for the exercise and refreshment of
the patients who are therein cabined and confined.
That Mr. Paxton has been commissioned
to erect such a building in connexion
with the new hospital in Victoria Park, is a
matter of sincere congratulation to the public.
A practical beginning has been made; sharing
the public faith in Mr. Paxton, we feel sure
that he will cause it to appear a good
beginning. There will be more to follow, and
perhaps we may say to our great architect in
glass that which was said by Milton to an
artist of the tuneful kind:—

"To after age thou shall be writ the man,
That with smooth air couldst humour best our Lung."

CHIPS.

BALLINGLEN.

IN our number, published on the 26th of
April last, we gave an account of one of the
most interesting, and as it has turned out, one
of the most successful experiments to agriculturalise
the wilder parts of Ireland, which has
yet been tried. A portion of the townlands of
Ballinglen (not Ballinglew, as it was previously
printed), taken, for the experiment's
sake, by a few Scottish gentlemen, still thrives
and improves under the judicious superintendence
of the overseer, Mr. James Carlaw. "We
mentioned that ladies of rank, not contented
with subscribing to the scheme, had travelled
alone to the spot to verify with their own eyes
the reports of the overseer. We are now
enabled to publish an account of one of these
journeys, by a lady who is nearly related
to a Minister of State: it was originally
communicated in a letter to a friend.

"You ask me to give you some account of my
expedition to Ballinglen, and of my impressions on
the spot. I believe many of my friends thought it
rather a rash and Quixotic measure on the part of
an 'unprotected female,' to start off alone to the
wilds of Mayo, without a single acquaintance in the
whole province of Connaught! But so far from
having any reason to regret the step, nothing ever
repaid me more fully for a certain amount of trouble
and inconvenience—dangers or real difficulties there
were none—and I met with kindness and civility
from all ranks and classes. We proceeded in the
little outside cars, as they are called, and drove
through Ballinglen. The afternoon was beautiful,
and I cannot tell you how delighted I was with the
aspect of the little settlement: it seemed like a green
spot in the desert. In the first place, it has a good
deal of natural beauty, which, after the extreme
ugliness of the district I had traversed, was very
refreshing. The shape of the ground is exceedingly
pretty, as it slopes towards the sea—the farm-house,
the school, the church, and the ruins of an old castle,
all stand upon different eminences overlooking the
Balling, which winds agreeably along the glen, and
is generally fordable, but after rain becomes a very
turbulent stream, overflowing its banks, and causing
much mischief. The fields on the farm, instead of
being little patches, were of good size—well drained,
well cultivated—the crops remarkably clean, instead
of being choked with weeds—the stones removed
from the surface of the land, and employed in repairing
the walls and damming out the river. I was in
a civilised country again; instead of universal decay
and deterioration, everything announced care, industry,
and a regular system of husbandry carried
out in the midst of a wilderness. Mr. Carlaw deserves
great credit indeed for what he has effected in so
short a time, and with such materials; for except the
goodness of the soil (which is not peculiar to the
spot), he had no encouragement, and nothing to
trust to but his own energy and perseverance . He
may point to these fields with excusable pride. How
completely they disprove the assertion that the Irish
cannot and will not work! It is satisfactory to see
how much he is appreciated by the peasantry. They
began by thinking him an eccentric man for getting
up so early, and rather severe in the quantity and
quality of labour he exacted; but gradually they
allowed that he 'seemed to know what he was about,'
and it was as well to satisfy him by doing things
thoroughly, as he paid them punctually, and 'never
imposed upon a poor crathur.' There is no jealousy
of him as a stranger or a Presbyterian; his integrity,
his strict impartiality and justice are universally
admitted; and the benevolence of his wife makes
her a blessing to her poor neighbours. I spent my
time very pleasantly with these worthy people, and
in visiting the schools and some of the cottages,
accompanied by Mr. Allen. What dens they were
for the abodes of human beings, and what wretched-ness
they sometimes contained! but everywhere I
found good-humour, cordiality, and the most
wonderful submission to their lot. As to the children, I
was charmed with them. Their extreme intelligence
and desire to learn are very striking. I was astonished
at their quickness, and their answers in
Scripture, geography, and arithmetic; and it was a
pleasure to see them, in spite of their rags, so merry
and light-hearted, poor little creatures! and also
(which I did not expect) so clean and tidy—their
teachers make a great point of it. I am sure these
children are fit for anything, from their capacities
and their good dispositions; and I cannot but be
sanguine that they will turn out very different
members of society from their parents, who are
peaceable and inoffensive enough under all their
privations; but such a poor ignorant helpless race!
How I wish many people would go and see for
themselves what I have seen. I feel sure they would
then be anxious to assist us in the work which is
carrying on, of employing and instructing this
unfortunate and neglected population. I did so long to
take possession of the whole glen, and appropriate
it to the spade and the schoolmaster. It is a sin to
see such fine land overrun with thistles and ragweed.
and a still greater, that so many of the children
should be condemned to ignorance and idleness for
want of a friendly hand outstretched to rescue them.

"One of the things which struck me as most wanting
in the glen, was medical advice, and I was
anxious to establish a medical club, upon the footing
of those in Northumberland; but I found the
difficulties insuperable, from the poverty of the district.