New-York daily tribune., 1843-10-26
THE GIANTS cAUsEwAY.


riving there in the evening, | supped in company
with an Irish gentleman, who, on discovering BY
some question, after an hours conversation, thai
was an American, exclaimed with the utmost
astonishment, is it possible? Why, you DO not
talk at all like Sam Slick =" After apogizng
for nv irresistible explosion of laughter, assured
him that Americans did not usually adopt the
language of the Clock-maker Of Slickville
''But is it not strange, then," said he that the
American Judge, who wrote the book, should SC
caricature his own countrymen 2" Judge Ha.
lburton,'' replied, " is an Englshman, resident
in Nova Scotia, which is as alien to the United
States in feelings and opinions, as Ireland is tc
England" After little farther conversation
he inquired if I thought he could safely trave
through the Atlantic States, without being In
suited or compelled to fgM and he recounted .
story he had lately heard of a duel between two
congressman, fought in perfectly dark room,
each being armed with a bowie knife, a rifle, and
two revolving pistols was obliged to confess
nv utter ignorance (Which he seemed to doubt
of this interesting affair, and to lament that a
foreigner should be so much more familiar than
myself with events in my own country. Such
are the Yankee notions current in Europe.
This person was resident or Dublin and man
of eduction and general intelligence; he had ira
veled over all Europe, and was about starting for
Palestine carrying with him these wild fancies
about his kindred country of America.
On coming out Of my hotel the next morning
to set out for the Causeway, was assailcd by a
good specimen Of an Irish beggar. When / told
him that had no change, he exclaimed, "Wont
be glad to stop then till the waiter gets it for
ye. Isn't it a long hour that have been waiting
for your honor to finish your good breakfast, that
| might get a. bit of bread and potatoes for my
my nine little ones at home, with the thrife that
l knew your honor would give us. Indade, sir,
it's rery hard to be hungry" This last exclama-
ton seemed heartfelt and was irresistible, andmy
thrihe' was repaid by perfect shower of bless
ings and prayers, that mis- ght never want it, and
might get safely home, and find all well, and
SO on, till had driven out of hearing. Blessings
are wonderfully cheap In Ireland-very unlike
every thing else. a few ha'pence will get a hun
dred or two for yoursellf and all your friends and
relations to the tenth degree, including their cats,
dogs and canary birds. There is only one thing
cheaper than blessings, and that is their opposite
which may sometimes be had for nothing at all
Approaching the Causeway, basatic columns
begin to peep out of the faces of the hills but be-
fore reaching it, the tourist is conducted to Dua-
luce Castle. Its mouldering ruins overhang the
sea, and are approached only by narrow wall,
over. looking, on each side, an abyss which makes
the steadiest heads giddy. A runaway horse
once carried its rider it. but he was glad to
return upon his hands and knees. The castle
itself is little remarkable except for the many ira
ditions attached to it. "In coorse,'' said my
guide, You We heard of the great battles Of the
Mac Queelans and the Mac Donalds" l was
forced to confess my ignorance, though ] saw
that thereby sank greatly in his opinion, and he
then detailed a score Of perilous adventures con-
neeted with the Castle. But it is now roofess
and deserted, except by Banshee-a veritablc
Irish ghost. In olden times 1t was the cook of
the Castle One stormy day the outer wall of the
kitchen, long undermined by the waves, fell into
the sea- carrying with it the cook with her eight
helpers and all the dinner. But her ghost still
nightly revisits the scene of her former labor
and, in memory OF her past neatness, sweeps the
bare floor ef the old kitchen as clean as palace
was most earnestly assured that if whole load
Of heather was put on it at night, it would all be
swept away by morning. My sceptical sugges-
ton that the wind was the Banshec received no
liberation from my informants, though | pointed
out out how a hole at each end of the apartment
created draft like row of blacksmths' bel
lows.
The first view OF the Causeway is rather un-
impressive, as the guide carefully reserves the
view OF the Pleshia, which is by far the finest, to
the last, Embarking in a sort of whale-boat We
were rowed Westward to the Grand Care
1t well deserves It's ep;thet, for nothing equal to il
exists IN either hemisphere You sail along the
loot OF the perpendicular cliffs of this iron. bound
coast, which ovcrhang your boat threatening to
tail and sink 1t 10 the bottom, when in rounding
a projection, you see them yawn asunder as if TO
swallow YOU up. This is the mouthof the Grand
Cave which forms Gothic arch. hundred feet
high and less than twenty wide. Thesea ebbs and
flows within 1t, and in storms even dashes AGAINST
It's high vault The boat enters its winding hall
'or some hundred feet, passing into utter dark
ness and gun then fred arouses stunning
'eVcsoeraton, seeming if the whole mountain
was iaiiing upon you. How far back the cavern
e11enas is unknown, for no one has ever ye
reached It's end andreturned to tell the tale but the
n'i'aoi'ants of a village seven miles inland some
,.le' al'er storm, hear the sea raging beaeath
'.'e'a' II Is SAID, too that one Sunday bag
r.. "ahoefed lar into It and never again reap