The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-03-09
Letter from IreEand--No. rs.
Correspondence Of Cambria Frseman.l
QUEENSTOWN, Feb. 10. 1872.

bkAR MAC belleYe my last lett me
on the rocky shore of Kerry, gazing out
into the blue Atlantic, over which ex-
pect to sail in few days and leave, per-
haps forever, the hesthetSclad hills and
the sweet-sounding fills Of the Emerald
Isle. But lest l may drift into Il politi
Cal current aad show why ne leave cur
homes and kindred, L will at once enter
BALLYBUNION CAVES,
which shall do by means of a skif and
in company with a few friends, and
guided by one who knows all the intri>
cate zig-zas caves in which this place
abonnds We entered through the open
ing on the western side of the tall cliff
and often crossed at right angles the va
rious entrances atfording the most striking
contrast of light and shade, the color of
the waters being often Of a hue SO spark>
insly bright and 50 extensively vivid as to
resemble molten silver. AS our frail craft
hurried through the deep and wave worn
arcades into bright and airy-arched or
vsuited chambers, and passed from cave
to cave and hall to hall, with inlsts point
ing to the sea or high cliffs, affording a
protection against the waves, and occs-
sionally Uell-like aPertures which open
throsgh the roof to yield a lslcseopic view
Of the heavens, one would think, rs he
saw such sudden transitions from abso
lutte darkness to most brillian; light, that
he WAS gliding through the halls of fairy
dom. One of our party fired a shot cut
of revolver and ne heard no less than a
score of echoes.
Near these celebrated caves is the neat
little village of Bally ybunion, where trav-
elers who come to visit the caves find
good and excellent accommodations. Tbs
scenery all along the Kerry coast is sim
gularly wild, romantic and beautiful. -
Here one can see ranges of mountains,
whose fantastic, sublime SUBMITS pierce
the clouds, rise boldly from the shores
and form singularly picturesque scene
TO the noble haVens which they overhans.
1t would be an endless task 10 even notice
the hoary head lands, the bright and
beautiful bays, the resou ndiag rivers, the
massive, majestic mountains, and other
sights and scenes which are to be seen
along the entire coast of Kerry, over whose
huge rocky bouldsrs the Atlantic Clashes
its incessant pillows However, we can-
not pass Smerwick, near Sybil Head,
without noting that it was here Sir Wal
ter Raleigh psrpetrated an inhurnan and
bloody deed. A body Of Spaniards hav>
ing landed at Smerwick, ners murdered
in cold blood by British soldiers acting
uEdsr orders from Raleigh.
The next point of historic note il
CAHIRCIvERN.
Within about a mile of this old, patriotic
village, in Carhan House, was born in
the year 1775 the immortal DANIEL o.
CoNNELL. The peasantry point out to
the stranger, with = plaasurable pride, the
now ivy-clad walls of Carhan House,
where the illustrious DAN drew his fret
breath. Within about ten miles Of Ca
hirciveen, en- the green margin of a shell
tered creek running in from the BaIln-
skellig Bay, stands Derrynane Abbey,
once the residence of the IrisA Liberator.
Ii is situated in As romantic a spot as
ones imagination could depict. The
ruins Of the little abbey, from which the
mansisR takes its name, stand within
view of the house on the extremity of q
low tongue of land running into the sea.
We cannot pass unnoticed
NALzErIA ISLAND,
which is only a short distance from the
mainland. All the tslegraphic news from
this side of the Atlantic, which reaches
New ERIK hsurly, has TO be sent here
from the varisus parts of Great Britain
and Ireland before it can be put On the
electric wires, as the cable is laid from the
western point of This island. Valsntia
Island is owned by Fitzgerald, Knight of
Kerry, who l am told is joyial, good
kind Of an Irishman.
sKKLI1G ROCK
next claims our attention. 1t stands
about nine miles out in the ocean and is
about two hundred feet above the levol OF
the sea. 1t is over three fourths Of an
acre IN extent. We made our way up ts
the top by means Of stone stairs cut in
the side of the rock. On it is built a very
neat and substantial lighthouse, with its
red and white lights shining out brilliant-
ly at night to warn against shipwreck any
tempest>tost mariners who may be sailing
round this dangerous coast. On this rock
is beautiful we'll of cool, crystal water,
which in the heat of summer and cold OF
winter is the same. One would hardly
expect to find en- this rock, nine miles out
in the wild Atlantic, the remains of what
was once fiourishing monastery. And
yet such is the fact, for here, quite visible.
are the ruined, rootiess walls within which
religion and learning once fiourished. II
the western point remarkable ledge iuts
out some distance from the main rock.
and from this ledge another points up-
wards, on the top of which there is an
EYE large enough to have a stout man
pass through it. 1t is said that no one.
unless those suiltless of any sin, can climb
cut and GO through this ''eye" and come
back again in safety. A cannie son of
Scotland once came along this way and
SAID that his ancestors aided John Knox