"You may, no doubt, think it strange to have before you an appeal for relief from so prosperous a county as Tyrone. Even here not long since everyone would have thought so likewise. This parish, though situated in the heart of the mountains, without any resident gentry, large farmers, or any special industry, if not rich, had few poor. Now all is changed, especially in the eastern part of it. This consists of a mountain glen, seven or eight miles long, midway on a line between Derry and Belfast, and is used chiefly for grazing Scotch sheep and young cattle. At no time good for potatoes or even oats; the last three or four wet seasons have been the ruin of it. Nearly 400 families dwell in this glen, and fully one-half of them are now in extreme want. Their only firing is heather; they have no potatoes; their half-filled oats are sold or consumed; they are sunk in debt from fifty to eighty per cent, of all they are worth, including their tenant-right; and the result is that they have lost their credit. Their landlords remitted them twenty per cent, in this year's payments, and, therefore, cannot be expected to do much more for them. Local contributions are not to be expected from a people on the verge of ruin. Some weeks ago, at a special meeting of the P.L. Guardians at Gortin, this state of affairs was not only acknowledged, but confirmed, by a full Board.

"The worthy Chairman, Major W. C. Hamilton, communicated with the Committee of the Duchess of Marlborough's Fund, and, from the public papers, I believe a grant was made to the Union. But how much is to be given to this locality I cannot say.

"A Local Committee has been formed, of as mixed a character as possible, consisting of the Rector of the parish, the Parish Priest and Curate, the principal representative of the Presbyterians (there being no minister just now), of the Vice-chairman of the Board of Guardians, of the Dispensary Guardians, the Poor-rate Collector, and the P.L. Guardians of the district. In all, four Protestants, four Roman Catholics, and one Presbyterian.

"Since the formation of the Committee, and even since I began this letter, I find that in other parts of the parish also, there are at least seventy or eighty families equally sunk in debt, and without credit. In the name of the Local Committee, and on behalf of these poor starving people (nearly all small farmers), may I ask you to grant us so much money as will purchase for each family at least a bag of Indian meal.