The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1865-08-12
Travel in ireland.
DUBLIN.

When the evening lamps glimmer
through the rigging of the ships, or
sparkle in the still water above the
bridges, form fine promenade The
people are gerry h'ish You would re-
cognize an American rs readily as a
Chlnaman; but with all their amusing
characteristics, they seem universally
civil and good natured.
L have never answered a question in
Ireland without s'God bless YOU" in
return, or asked one without receiy-
lug, polite, though unintelieible
reply.
AN IRISH JAUNTINa CAR.
Inc street conveyances are curiosi-
ties: l had noticed, as we approached
IN the steamer, some enormous gin
gerbread pans on two wheels, standing
along the pier, and was nearly struck
dumb with amazemcnt on suddenly
seeing gentlemen getting into them
and being driven Off They were the
famous Irish jaunting cars, and I have
yet to see vehicle better adapted for
discomfort and unsociahility. The
passengers sit back to back, facing the
sides of the street.
PECULIARrrIEs.
Ladies of the better class, though
not beautiful, have warm, soft com
plexlon, with that peculiar expression
OF sadness so often seen in the Irish
face. The men have not the bluff
heartiness of the English, vet they are
very earnest and imp;l,sive, speaking
on half dozen subjects in rs many
minutes, and finding fault in SO conf
hot
tell whether Or not they are in earnest
The greatest curiosity of the city is
THE VAULT OF MIcHAEL's S CHURCH,
which has the power of resisting de-
composition in dead bodies. I paid
q visit to the church about twilight,
but the old woman who acted as guide
could not be induced to enter the
vault after sunset; i'll vain I urged:
she declared q dreadful curse would
como upon any mortal who dared to
enter that holy place during the hours
of night, and cheered my heart for
the enterprise by q most horrible
story of man who persisted in re-
ma:ning III the vault all night. but
rushed up a raving maniac just as the
clock was tollfng for Midnight
Finding me bent on attempting it,
she brought /: candle, opened the
doors, and down into the darkness I
stepped, my heart, I confess, wild
with fear, my knees trembling, and in
my thoughts thousand hideous
forms, principally maniacs, rushing
out Of the tomb. I looked about Tor
the bodies. Six or seven are exposed
to view, and lie in 4 little recess
formed by other coffins; the skin is
shrivelled and drawn tightly over the
bones, sounding when tapped like
loose drum head The hair and nails
are perfect, and I cut piece of ribbon
from the foot of one corpse, which
had seemingly been preserved by con-
tact with the skin, as all but small
portion had disappeared. These re-
mains are said to be one hundred
years old, The old woman was over
Joyed to sec me return in safety, but
she burned the candle and absolutely
refused to accept the usual fee.
EXPERIENCE IN THIRD CLASS CAR.
bought my tickets for Belfast with
considerable hesitation, md entered
the car with very mournful express
saon OF countenance, for Irish charac-
ter in third class railway carriage I
feared would be q most unpalatable
dose. Let me confess, then, my dis
appointment. To he sure, it was n
rough set and the men all ate ham for
dinner, and passed it around to all the
ladies; then there was little wretch
of two years who rubbed four or five
molasses cakes into his face, and tat
toed himself with tears and dirt with !
the most remarkable perseverance,.
Still, though the company was by
no means agreeable, I did not see Il
single act of rudeness, but, on the
contrary, an excess of politeness, and
the men really seemed pleased when
called upon to do favor
THE SCENERY OF IRELAND
Is very lovely; it cannot be praised too