While our messenger had gone south there arrived one from our friends in Scotland.  Him I sent back the same night to expedite affairs there.  In the meanwhile, on such maps as we had, my friends and I studied the roads and the formation of the country.  There is in this part of Ireland a plateau of about twenty-five miles square of broken or mountainous ground.  Of this district Ballinamore in Leitrim might be considered the centre; there are but three main roads leading through it—­the Boyle road, the Red Lion road, and the Ballysodare road—­which could all be easily rendered impassable, passing as they do over rapid streams, through narrow defiles or across extensive marshes.  There is no great military depot within the district—­Enniskillen, Athlone, and even Castlebar being within the spurs of the mountains.  Sligo, its chief town was, as we saw, poorly garrisoned, and yet as a seaport of the second class it contained many things of the greatest use in a military movement—­as lead, arms, canvas, tools, money, ships’ stores, breadstuffs, types for proclamations and even some small cannon.  From three to five thousand men it was calculated, could be well-equipped and could maintain themselves for three months within this district, with tolerable prudence and exertion.  Before the time expired we hoped to receive help and officers from abroad, and afterwards to be able to undertake greater things.

We could not but remember that this was the district chosen by Owen O’Neill after his arrival from Spain in 1645 and that it was here he “nursed up” by slow degrees the army which fought at Benburb, and which in Napoleon’s opinion, but for the premature death of Owen, would have checkmated Cromwell.  The ground once chosen by a great general for its natural capabilities may safely be chosen again, and usually is, as in Hungary for instance.  The very posts and battlefields held and fought by Bem and Dembinski were the same whereon Huniad and Corvinus, four and five hundred years ago, fought against the Turks and Bosmens.  Thus we had the sanction of a great example and the stimulus of an inspiriting tradition to point to for the choice of the ground.

We had not long to wait for news from the South—­it came of itself.  On Saturday the 5th of August Mr. O’Brien was arrested in Thurles.  His companions, it was said, were fled hither and thither; but, at all events, his arrest had proved that, at that time, the South would not rise in arms against the Government.

This was the interpretation universally put upon it in the north-west.  It was in vain I said, “There are other men as brave and as good who are still free and from whom we will hear better news.”  Those to whom I spoke were incredulous.  Still I must do the people of the county the justice to say that in a meeting of their district-leaders at ——­ it was discussed for two successive nights with great animation whether or not the district should rise even then.  The parties for and against a rising were nearly balanced, but the latter prevailed on the argument that unless it was general it would be fruitless.