Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1845-02-03
Extract from Viscount d. Arlincourts Travels.
FINGAL'S CAVE, STAFFA-THE IRISH GIANT


Extract from Viscount d Arincourt's Travels.
FINGAL'S CAVE, STAFFA-TlE IRISH GIANT
| traversed rapidly the colossal cause
way which led along the rocks to the Cave
OF Fingal. Following the platform OF CO.
lqmns which supports The whole island, and
raises il up out of the water, | arrived al
the immortal arch forming the entrance Of
the gigantic palace. Tho ocean dashed
into II his roaring waves, and filled it with
n magica vapor. Before me was an i'm
mense cathedral. lnnumerable pillars Of
basaIt, rising in regular order and in prs-
matte crystaizations, supported the arched
vault above the sea filed the nave be low.
To what gods can this fantaslicai high
sanctuary have been consecrated? This
was no work Of man-humanity could lay
CHIN TO nought among its Prodigies. Three
lines | called upon The name of Ossian,
and the resoundIng echo oil the great Basi-
lea repeated the poetcal appeal with all
the solemaiiy Of mystery, amid the trem-
bling OF the abyss below.
On either side Of the sublerraaean canal
you penetrate Into the depths Of the saac-
tuary upon tho sounding pavement lrregu-
larry formed by the snaIts OF thousand
columns, as you would advance along the
aide aisles OF a church. The waters that
boiled unanimously at our fee; against this
architecture of bronze, with It's varle hues
of green, yellow and red, acquired thoa-
sand Elusive attributes. From the bosom
oil the Winds, the vapors, and the waves, II
seemed as il | heard few ndlstlnct notes
OF a harp. Was it only the effect Of my
imaginalonl refused 10 give credence
to ms thought. was far more willing 10
abandon mpself entirely. 10 all the deIuslons
of my enthusiasm, and to persuade myself
that the shade oil Flngal was near me, and
that the daughters OF Merven were wan-
dering co!onnades, half bent over their
harps, and signing forth their songs Of
glory and love. summoned their shades
around me. was no longer myseli-no
longer Of my own age was bard anc
the creature Of times long gone by.
| plunged still further into the marvellous
temple. The passage along the lateral gal
leries which overhang the raging waters Is
far from being without danger, Tor there
nrs moments when it becomes leariulIy
narrow; you are frequently obliged TO
spring from pillar to pillar, suspended owe:
the gulf below; One lalso step may plunge
you into eternity. Blu If on the one hand
peril threaten you and arrest your steps
on the other enthusiasm lakes possession OF
YOU. and hurres you on Al length
reached The extremity Of Fingai's falace
and there sat myself down against pillar
and traced upon IL a few lines. lhe neigh
of these marvellous natural arches which
there liil up il. long lines their bold points
seems TO reduce man 10 mere mite. Ba
if he loses thus his physical greatness, he
loses nothing Of his moral greatness; to-
he takes what ho bchoIds into his mind ; h
feels it spring up and develope itself within
him he studies. judges, and admIres.
Who then has fashioned these metallic
pyramids, these fluted obellShs, these trl
umphal arcades, which, planted ever since
the commencement of ages, Wi. doubles;
crumble away with the destruction oil the
globe itself! Volcanic connections, they
saw. But tkese connections, then, have
design and will. The senseless lava Of
these unknown cTatsrs was, then, verIta
bls sacred flame, endowed with intelligence
and soul! How are such suPPosiions tC
be admitted? and how, in the presence o
such sublime chcfsd Garre, where nothing
ought 10 exist but shapelsss excavations ant
confused masses, believe in the effects o
chance, There is but one explanation
possible: The hand of God has been uPol
it.'
The great entrance arch Of Fingal''
Cave is seventy feet in height, and iron
thirty 10 forty feet in breadth. It's dspti
i. from two TO three hundred feet. The
II i al
ems. The Elan Shell Cave, the Boa
Cave, and Macklnnon's OF Cormorant'
Cave, are the principal ones after the
Gro,to Of Fingal The arch of thu frs
mentioned resembles the immense carcass
OF vessel turned keel upwards. 1t i:
thirty ieei in height, eighteen in breadth
aad one hundred and thirty in length.
Siatta is desert island Of very small
extent During the summer il is ,hrong
by an immense number of visitors Uanny
those who are able to pu, their foot uper
this spot, SO egten inaccessible. When the
sea is calm and clear, the vessel tina, cross
es its saprhire-colorsd waves, looks dowr
upon the famous Giants Causeway, which
once connected Scotland with LELAND -
Unparalleled phenomenon Its basalti,
pavement, which begins upon the shore
of Antrim, and which, after irayersing tn
ocean, re-appears at Statfa, plunges agail
into the waters, and holds on, is again seer
10 rise above the waves on the shores o
ancient Culedonis, and then diving once
more into the sea, passes beneath Scotland
and shows itself again in Norway, upon The
Opposite coast, OF the same breadth al the
Causeway Of Finmacoul. pronounced