The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1872-04-13
Our 0lio.
THE GIANTS CAUSEWAY

iht iNhai ndOlt paNCiuIut uuu COiuu-
made of basaltic rock on the north coast
of Ireland used to be accounted ps one
Of the wonders Of the world, though not
among the seven 1t had place in the
early Biographies, aud was des eribed in
books OF travel aud of natural history
with the great Maclstrom, which is now
regarded as sort Of myth. OF late
years, the former has been of so little
account in the eyes Of travellers, that
comparatively few turn aside from the
beaten path to see it. And yet it is one
Of the great curloslties of the natural
world, worth long excursion, aud one
which no student Of nature, who has the
| opportunity TO visit il, should pass by
The mere traveller, also, who omits the
province OF Ulster, ia making the tour
of Ireland, will omit much OF its finest
scenery, lose much Of its historic inter
est, aud fail to make the acquaintance
Of the better part OF its inhabitants,
Along the coast of ;he County Antrim
there stretches, for many miles, an ex.
traordiuary .ormaticu composed of basal
tic columns from twelve to twenty in.
ches in diameter, usually standing per.
peGdicular, aud so absolutely 10 contact,
though perfectly distinct, that the blade
Of a knife can scarcely be inserted be,
tween them. They are all polygonal,
but have no established rule ia regard
to the number of sides They are geu.
orally five, siA or seven sided; there are
several Of four aud eight sides; aud out
Of the tens oil thousands. only three bavc
nine sides and but one triangular. How
all these many.sided figures we're fitted
so compactly together, is more than u
Chinese puzzle. They are cut aud fit.
ted with mathematical precision, with.
out ioterstlces at any point, aud com.
pletely cover the surface OF the earth
Tor miles Another of the striking
peculiarities ofthe columns is, that they
are divided into joints at intervals Of a
lew feet, the convex surface of one joint
fitting closely iuto the cavity Of the
next
What is called the Giants Causeway,
is tongue juIting out iuto the sea aud
composed entirely Of these pillars; a
magnificent pavement, not altogether
smooth, for the columns havo been
broken off at uuequal heights, but pre-.
senting one of the most striking pine.
uomoDa OF the mineral kiOgdom Do
casioually, the compacted masses OF
columns rise up in lofty cliffs along the
shore, at one poit forming what is called
the Giants Urgan-an immense cluster
OF basaltic pillars broken at different
heights, aud bearing no slight resem-
blance to the pipes OF an organ.
Along the waters edge the action OF
the sea has worn away extensive cav
erns, that are faced and rooted with the
same succession Of pillars. These cav
erns, like Fiugal's Cave at Staffa, are
entered with boats when the sea is suf-
ticiently calm. | made the excursion
into one OF them when the sea was not
calm, aud was thankful to escape with.
out wing tested the depth of its waters,
but not without having been tossed un,
comfortably by the pillows. The whole
shore for lour or five miles is broken
into cliffs aud cayerns and caves, which,
us seen either from the sea OF the land,
have striking effect. How far these
columns run out into the sea, is not
known; but the legend is, that in the
days Of the giauts they formed a bridge
or pathway to the shores of Scotland,
connecting with Fingal's Cave at Statfa,
u similar formation One of the bays
is thus accurately described "The
Chants AWphitheatre is certainly the
most beautiful amphitheatre III the
world, that in Rome not excepted. The
form of it is so exact (halfa cirele) that
no architect could possibly have made
it more so, and tn. cliff slopes at pre-
cisely the same angle all round to the
centre. Round the upper part runs a
row of columns eighty feet high; then
comes broad, rounded projection, like
an immense bench, for the accommoda
tiou OF the giant guests of Fin McUoulj
then again, row of pillars sixty feet
high; aud then again a gigantic beach,
aud so down to the bct,om, where the