Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-06-16

Biake) conduct long conversation, wind |
ing up with song, the last TWO lines Il
each verse being promptly answered by |
Pad 1y in the hollow.
About half way between the east and wes |
shores of the lake, lies that fairy place InDis
fallen island, which is 90 interesting on &C |
count Of the many historical ASSOCIATIONS |
connected with it. and celebrated by the
poetry of Moore for its exceeding beauty-
alto ough it appeared to Us, from the lake, |
to be densely covered with timber and
thicket. We found. on landing, variety |
Of scenery-fowering shrubs, and ever
green's Of arbutus and holly. The Abbey, |
whose ruins are scattered about the island,
is believed to have been founded In the
year 900. From 1nnis fallen, we rowed |
over to Ros Castle, situated on Ross
Island. The Castle was built by one OF the |
O'Donaghues. In 1862 it held out against
the English, and was the last to surrender. |
The Old guns are sill lying there, and we
noticed the date Of several Stamped upon
them, 1920.
From Killarney we took jaunting car
for the Gap OF Dunloe, a wild aud narrow
pass between tie Sc OF mountains
known as Macgiliicuddy's Rieks, and the
Purple Mountain. Leaving our Car and
driver at Pike Rock, we pushed on by
mere pony track, constructed on the he
qnent brink of pFecipicss me
SIDE of US is about three thou
sand feet, and the highest peak
ttirty-five hundred feet, and here the
scenery is really wild and desolate. Near
the Gap we q se1 the lake whera Saint
Patrick banisLed the last serpent from
ireland, according to tie old story With
which all school boys are quite familiar
Passing through the Gpper end OF the Gap
we came to the Dark Valley, wild aud
desoIate hollow, 50 named from bong
almo.t shut oct from the light OF day by
the lofty hills surrounding it. 1t is, by far,
the most awful sight ttat we have yet WI
messed, and it is said that few strangers
can look into its dark recess without
| feeling akin t. horror. The people
throughout these mountain passes axe very
poor, and the travel is beset on all sides
! by beggar men, beggar women, and beg
gar children, each with a stereotyped story
! to tell. They depend almost altogether
! upon the charity of tourists visiting TINS
regiop, and seem to live upon peat and
goats milk, as ttat is abodt all one sees
of their means. There are large herds Of
goats feeding on tho mountain ranges;
about three hundred of them coma down
to be MIXED every evening.
We end the evening with visit 10
Muckross Abbey, which is on the Deau.l-
fully kept grounds Of Mr.. Herbert, Nj. F.,
who owns large estate here. This Abbey
| teresting ruin in ireland. The clOlsters
are in the form Of piszza surrounding a
dark court yard, made still more gloomy
by magnificent yew tree, which has
covered the whole space IN the yard, aud
is said to have been planted there when
the Abbey was fourded. In the church,
which is attached, We found the tomos
of many distinguished lrlshmen, who
have been gathered to their fathers many
| them that
ODonaghue, Nor.
Returning to Cork, we took the cars again
or Dublin, the metropolis. We found the
wav stations along the line all good, sub
stantial brick buildings, furnished with
we'll kept refreshnent rooms, and walting
rooms for ladies and gentlemen. The
usual signal for starting IS given py tne
guide with a small metallic whistle, which
he carries in his pocket, and is decidedly
preferable to the melancholy howl or the
unearthly ecreech o. our American loco
motives At one of these st atoms we wit
nessed sad, sad parting. An o'd man
and his wife had come to see the last OF
their daughter, who was jus: leaving home
for the first time to seek employment III
far-off Australia. It seemed very bard
for them to eav good bye, bat the Ia't bel
WIS rurg, and W tn the silen grasp of the
hand, the cnoklng sob, the lons o~In3e
, look, and tie deep, rVent "God blee'
you." the train moved off, separating tus
. parents and chlld. likely never to NEE
, again in this world. Alb, these leave
taking~; 'such as press the llfe from ou
= ,oang hearts," were it not that hep
q nted to a reunion in the future tney
? would indeed be hard TO bear.
We found the Shelbourne Hotel 10 Dob
lin, as we'll as the frst-c!ass hotels through
q ont ireland, really very fine establish
p ments. The buildings are near ~ as larg
, as the ST. Nicholas the other hotel
e in New York, and the grounds surround
d ing them are beautifully laid out wit
> lawns, parks fountains and statuary. In
apartments are we'll fu' nlshe q, but not l
d such gorgeous Sly e as In some or our pes
hotels The table Is by DO means SO We
IS supplied, although t charges are Ver
e nearly the same as at TIE American hotel
\ One of the PRINCIPAL sights here IS til
l. bank Of IrelaG J, which Was formerly use
- AS the Parliament Houee, and which COZ
Is more than E95, 900 pounds sterllng IL
u House of Lords, to which VISITORS are az
.. mite /, remains unaltered, except that th
u lite of the throne is now occupied by
q STATUE OF King George Ill. 1he cbal
= re all IN their places, the To-
10 table in the centre OF the hall. al
t he old tap stry still hanging on :,
e walls. We took seat on one the O.
l slfas to make some notes, when oat 4 ult
IS a 3etiouely remarked that we could ho
y write our friends that we had taken Sc
DIS in the Irish House of Lords The 9th
h' smaller apartments formerly used as oftic
'r- or commi tee rooms, are now occupied 1
> different purposes Ot business.
," We also visited Trinity College, one
L the oldest institutions IN the hingd IN
Ut The external appearance. although plal
is very beautiful. The maerial IS Po
hy land stone, and the facade In the Con
cir THAN style, measuring 800 feet IN ltng'
ITO At tl.s entrance, bronze statues OF Go
ne smith and Burke have recentiy been ere
r. ed. The collection in the Musenm
EN- were told was small. but very choice.
YER the doors were closed we could not
Ids admission. The Library il an lnmeI
the hall, 27O feet in length and contains u
ass wards of 2OO,O 900 volunts; there are ma
ing valuable manuscripts also, among which
7ht Latin copy of the Gospels 9 tnown
> the Book OF Kells, and attli6nted to sa
top Columbia, who lived in the 9th c7ntur
the In the afternoon we witnessed grs
lies yarade of the troops in Phoenix ia