Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-02-17
Cave of the Seven Sisters.

l
| The locality which was the scene of the following
tragedy is the little village of Baybunion situated
within few miles of Kerry Head, Ireland The
scenery around is of the widest and most striking
description. Frowning rugged cliffs, rising abruptly
out of the water to the height of over one hundred
feet and perforated with numerous caves into which
the ocean rushes with fearful fury in winter; for it
| is stormy coast, and rarely does month pass
without beholdng some dead purified body washed
ashore; while inland barren, uncultvated plain,
consisting mostly Of bog, stretches away to nearly
the foot of the Rocks, which, looming in the dis
lance, to rear their giant masses even to the
sky and form, as it were, an impenetrable barrier
between the coast and the interior. On the brink
| OF one of those precipices we have mentioned,
there stands the ruins of castle seemingly of great
antiquity. Nothing now remains but the basement
story, and that seems as if it would be able to
| withstand the war of wind and waves for hundreds
| of years longer
According to the legend the castle was inhabited
| by gallant chiettan at the period of the incur
sons of the Danes, and who the father of seven
| blooming daughters. He was himself great war
ror animated with the greatest hatred against the
| Ostnen, who, at that period, were laying every
part Of Erin in waste. His sword never rested in
sheath; and day and night his light gaeys cruised
about the coast the watch for any pratical ma
rauder who might turn his prov thither.
One day sail was observed on the horizon; it
came nearer, and the pirate standard was distin-
guished waving from a masthead. Immediately
surrounded by the Irish ships it was captured after
a desperate resistance Those that remained of
the crew were slaughtered and thrown into the
sea, with the exception of the captain and his six
brothers, who were reserved for a more painful
death Conveyed to the fortress, their wounds were
the castle Here, gradually, a love sprung up be-
| tween them and the seven Irish maidens, who
yielded to their ardent protestations and agreed to
fly with to Denmark. Every thing was arranged
for the voyage, and fearful stormy night in winter
was chosen for the attempt. Not a single star
shone in the sky, the cold blast sweeping from
the ocean, the rain fell in torrents, and the waters
roared and ragged with terrific violence amid the
rocky caverns. Escaping down the battlement by
rope ladder, they discovered to their horror that
on reaching the ground they were surrounded by
armed men. Not word was uttered; but they
well knew into whose hands they had fallen
Conducted again within the fortress, they found
themselves face to face with their injured father.
One deadly glance Of hatred he cast on the prison.
ers, and muttering some few words to one Of his
attendants, he pointed towards his daughters. The
men, on receiving the command, recoiled few
PAGES, t1ansfxed with horror; and then be advanced
nearer, and seemed as if demonstrating with him.
But the parents face assumed an absolutely de-
moniac expression; and more peremptorily repeat
ing his order, he stalked out of the room. And
now commenced fearful scene. The lovers were
torn from each others arms, and the women were
brought forth again. The storm had grown more
violent and the spray was dashng far over the
cliff, whilst the vivid flashes of lightning afforded
horrible illumination to the dreary scene Proceed
ing along the brink of the precpce, they at length
came to chasm which resembled somewhat the
crater OF a volcano, as it was completely closed,
with the exception OF the opening at the top, and
one small aperture below, through which the sea
rushed with fearful violence. The rolling of the
waters sounded fea1fly on the ear of those around
and now at length the sisters devined their fate.
One by one they were hurled into the boiling flood;
one wild shriek-the pillows closed again-and all
was over. What the fate of their lovers was the
legend says not. The old castle has crumbled into
ruins the chieftain sleeps in an unknown grave;
his very name forgotten but still the sad ending
of the maidens is remembered, and even unto this
day the cavern is denominated the "Cavc of the
Seven Sisters" ~
SUNDAY PAPERS IN New YORK ILLEGAL.-A
very interesting and important decision has just
been made by Judge Roosevelt, of the Supreme
Court of New York city and county, in the case
of Smith, of the Sunday Courier, against Wilcox,
Cor the recovery Of the amount due that paper
for six months advertising therein.
Defendants counsel moving for non-suit on
the ground that the contract was void, or, if not
void in itself, the publication Of the advertise
ments on Sunday was sufficient to make it so;
and that by the provisions of the Revised
Statutes, the plaintiffs are liable to an indict-
ment, and, consequently could claim nothing
under o contract which was of an indictable
nature. Judge Roosevelt is reported to have
observed that the newspaper was clearly an
article of merchandise, and that by the provi-
sions of the statute the selling of it on Sunday
unlawful; the question, therefore, and it was
very important one to the editors of Sunday,
papers, involving every contract made by them,
was, whether a contract made with a view of
having the paper sold on Sunday, such having
been the provisions of this contract. was illegal.
Was the publishing Of Sunday paper, in
that State, for the purpose of advertising, a
lawful act? 1t had been sufficiently proved that
the paper frequently went to press on Sunday
morning, and that all the numbers of it were
sold or delivered when, but how far that was
sufficient to break the contract for the adver-
Using was q new question. He therefore
thought it best for the parties to take a verdict
subject to the opinion of the court above. The
jury accordingly found verdict for the plain
tiff.
This will be sad blow to that numerous and
highly respectable class Of our New York
contemporaries, if sustained by the whole court.
DEATH OF AN OXFORD CONFERENCE.-The
last mail from England brought intelligence of
the death Of the Rev. DR.. Routh, the venerable
President of Magdalen College in the University
Of Oxford. He was in the Tooth year of his
age and had filled the Office of head of that
important College for the long period Of sixty
four years. In him was connecting link, as it
were, between two distinct and distant ages;
for in his early life he was the friend and con-
temporary of great men-statesmen, lawyers,
divines Of the last half century-who have long
since been gathered to their fathers and he