were related on oath at Wexford, by the widow and daughter of Connors on the trial of D'Arcy. Brien Neal, of Ballybrennan, was led to execution in presence of his aged father and a brother. Having asked for a fair trial, he was refused. He then made a request, that instead of torturing him with pikes, they would shoot him; on which a rebel struck him on the head with a carpenter's adze, after which he staggered a few steps, and fell; when one Joseph Murphy shot him. His father was then put on his knees, but the executioner missed fire three times at him; on this, Father Roach, the General, who presided at the execution, desired him to try whether the fire-lock would go off in the air; and having accordingly made the experiment, it went off. Father Roach, thereupon, declared him innocent, and discharged him with a protection, having imputed his escape to the interposition of Divine Providence.

UNHEARD of tortures were practised on the hill. A Protestant saved by the interpositon of a rebel captain, who had a warm friendship for him, swore the following affidavit before a Magistrate; "That on the 1st of June, he saw a man sitting on the ground there, with no other clothes to cover him than a piece of a ragged blanket: that his eyes were out, his head and body were swelled, and his cheeks were covered with ulcers: that on deponent's exclaiming what a miserable object that was! The poor wretch uttered some inarticulate sounds, but could not speak, from which he supposed that his tongue had been cut out. That an armed rebel, whom he believed to be one of the guards, said, that he was under punishment, and mentioned something of slow death, indicating as he supposed, that he was to suffer such a death."

MANY Protestants were massacred in their camp at Carrickbyrne, with the same circumstances of cruelty and barbarity as took place at Vinegar-hill; and similar atrocities were practised at the camp near Gorey, which continued in the vicinity of that town for many days.

OF THE

Insurrection

IN THE NOTHERN PART OF

IRELAND.

IN JUNE 1798.

EXTRACTED FROM JONES.

AFFAIRS OF THE NORTH.

LET us now turn our attention towards the NORTH -a part of the kingdom it was supposed there was most peculiar reason to dread; as well from the sturdy character of its inhabitants, as from its early attachment to French principles, and being the quarter in which the system of United Irishcism had originated, which had afterwards spread so very generally over the whole kingdom.

Ir may not be here improper to observe, that so far back as September 1796, several persons were arrested in Belfast, as well as other parts of the North; and that it was in March 1797, General Lake, who commanded the Nothren district, issued from Belfast his proclamation (which made so much noise), for the bringing in of arms, ammunition, &c.—arrests occasionally taking place up to the period we are now treating of; a little before which General Nugent had succeeded General Lake in the command.

THE news of the burning the Nothern mail-coach, was received in Belfast early on Friday morning, the 25th of May, and of course excited very considerable alarm-but it was not till next morning it was gene

In

rally understood the rebellion had actually broke out, and that the burning of the mail-coaches was the concerted signal of insurrection. Numbers of the inhabitants, who had not hitherto been members of any ycomenry corps, made an immediate offer of their services to General Nugent; in consequence of which, two supplementary corps, of sixty men each, were formed, and almost immediately completed-to be clothed at their own expence, and to receive nothing from Government but arms and accoutrements. deed, such numbers pressed forward to be inrolled, as would have completed several companies more, had the General thought proper to accept of all who offered on the occasion. However, the four old companies, as well as the troop of cavalry, were strongly augmented; while arms were put into the hands of a number of loyal and well-affected persons, who did duty along with the military-and many of the more wealthy inhabitants, who were prevented by age and infirmity from taking a more active, part, subscribed largely towards the better supporting the families of those in the yeomenry, who, when on permanent duty had littte but their pay to depend on.

-ON Sunday forenoon, martial-law was proclaimed in town by sound of trumpet, and the inhabitants forbidden from appearing in the streets after nine at night,or before six in the morning. In the course of the ensuing week a number of persons were taken up, and either committed to the provost, or sent on board the prison-ship in the harbour; while several who were strongly suspected to be well acquainted with what was going on, were publicly whipped-in order to extort confession. Another proclamation respecting bringing in arms, &c. was issued by the General-soon af`ter which a very general search took place in townalmost every house was examined--notwithstanding which the number of arms procured was very inconsiderable partly from the numbers already givin up, in consequence of the former proclamations and from many, no doubt, having concealed them; not so much,

perhaps, on the principle of disloyalty, as of defending themselves against ruffians of any description.

ABOUT this time, two of the four brass field-pieces, formely belonging to the Belfast volunteers, were found buried in a back-yard off one of the principal streets-they had eluded every search that had been made about them for above five years, and very probably even then would not have been discovered, but for the threats of the General against the persons in whose custody they were known about that time to have been-when, in consequence of a paper being circulated, very generally signed by the inhabitants, pointing out the impropriety of further concealment at such a crisis, and the consequences that must result to innocent individuals, anonymous information was at length given to the General respecting them, who gave strict orders no injury should be done to the premises on which they were found. Next morning the other two pieces were found lying on the county Down shore, within half a mile of the town, and all brought in by the military, with no small marks of exultation.

MONDAY, the fourth of June, being the King's birth-day, the regulars, together with the yeomenry corps, fired three feu de joie's in the main-street-in the evening the most general and brilliant illuminations took place ever known there; when very much to the credit of the General, the troops were kept in barrack till between nine and ten o'clock, when the entire garrison, horse, foot, artillery with their cannon, and yeomenry, marched through the principal streets. The inhabitants upon this occasion, were indulged with liberty of walking about till ten o'clock, when not the slightest irregularity was committed either on the one side or the other.-Indeed, were an opinion to be formed of Belfast from the behaviour of its inhabitants upon that day, at its feu de joie's, and during the illuminations, a more loyal town scarcely could have been found in his Majesty's dominions.

NOTHING material occured till Thursday, the seventh of June, when a very general alarm was excited,

Аа