The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-02-12
BENIGHTED HIBERNlANS.
An Adventure OH the western Coast of
Ireland.


An Adventure OH the Western Coast OF
Ireland.
The coast of Glare, with the frowning
cliffs of Nlober, and the dangerous reefs
of Hays Head, has been the scene OF
many fearful marine accident. The
mroning sun succeeding the night OF
storm, when the bay of Lscannor was
chauldron of seething foam, and the
fishermen's sl1ifls were drawn far beyond
the reach of the waves, has shone on
many o stiffened corpse, hurled in the
darkness from the decks of the strug-
Cling ship. Pieces of wreck-wood, kegs,
sodGen bales, trunks, hen-coops, etc. =,
strew the beach the morning after these
terrible autumnal gales, and the peas
antry are early on the scent to CLEAN
this strange harvest. The courage OF
the fishermen in assisting the crew to
escape from their reef-torn vessel, and
finding for them comfort when rescued,
is unparalleled in any of the coast
countries.
The resources of their cabins are at
the disposal of the shipwrecked sailors,
and, as they generally express it, It's
"share and share alike" ] have known,
in my own experience, OF more cases
of unrecorded and unrewarded heroism
among those poor fishermen than the
book devoted to the recital of such ex-
ploits contains. A people whose every
hour is one of toll in wrestling from the
sea at best a miserable livelihood, q
task in which young and old, irrespec-
tive OF sex, are engaged, have no time
for the acquisition of the most ordinary
education. Few can read or write, and
the class of which 1 speak live beyond
the pale of newspaper literature. or
the most stirring events of the times
they have no knowledge. They DO not
enjoy the elective franchise, and there
fore have no interest in the county
elections. The advent of shoal of
herrings is to them OF more Importance
than wars or accessions and thus we'd
ded to their old traditions, life Of
unusual toll and danger is passed.
Everything in and pertaining to the
sea is utilized. The weed or kali, which
after high winds is cast ashore in
large masses, is gathered up and piled
in heaps for manurng purposes. Of
this occupation I shall speak more full
" hereafter, and shall coDfne myself
to the history of one incident of ship
wreck, which though ridiculous in one
sense, is, on the other hand, a painful
illustration Of the ignorance of those
western fishermen.
cts blowing hard gale of wind,
~ o,r Of n
coast-guard station, as I walked home
ward by his post, on clustering even.
ing in October.
AYE, indt ed it is, Donaghue Have
any vessels been sigsalled from Hag's
Head?"
81 have had nothing from the men
there, sir; but C)nsidine, who lives
closely by the point, told me he saw a
brig close hauled, beating out sea-
ward"
Among these coast-guards Ihad many
friends. As they were all old sailors,
any one who followed blue water was
taken at once into their confidence.
I had hardly reached my bedroom and
secured my window-shutter against
tho fury of the wind, which was rising
rapidly, when the hall door bell was
rnng. As the servants were all in bed,
and I suspected the summons might be
from my friends, the coast guards,
slipped on dressing-gown and opened
the door. Donaghue, the signal man,
wrapped in monkey jacket and inter.
minable neck muller, stood outside.
"Step in out of the breeze, Donag.
hue what's up now?" l asked.
ga vessel ashore, sir" ho answered,
"and firing guns of distress. She is
on the Ballyvaughan reef, and | have
the gig outside for you, if you'd like to
come along. The captain and the rest
of the men are already on the way"
After seating the coast guard in the
dining-room, with decanter of. whisky
and a bundle of cigars for his amuse
ment, while got into my hard-weathei
clothes, ran up stairs and in few
minutes was ready for the road.
The grandeur OF that midnight ride
I shall never forget. The sky was GOV
cred with dark, sullen clouds, through
which the moon shone at intervals
Our road lay within few yards of {
bold bluff, some seven hundred fee
above the sea, and the roar of the sur
beneath sounded like the peals OF {
whole round of artillery. Distant ant
faint at first, b 1t as we proceeded grow
ing clearer, rang the guns Of the stran
ded vessel.
"She must be ship of war;" re
marked Donaghue. No merchant yes
sci carries such heavy metal. Motto,
how regular they are discharged"
GO Is there any chance of her working
off?
None in the world, sir. The Bal
lyvaughan reef keeps a tight hold o
any craft that gets into its clutohcs."
Ballyvaughan is small fishing yiIlag
and inhabited by the sturdy but ienor
ant class l referred to in the introduc
ton to this sketch. When we drov
along the single and only row of cabin
that stand few hundred Yards fror
the beach, we were somewhat surprise
that none Of the people were abroad.
This is strange" said to my con,
panion. These people generally ar
the first I'd scent q shipwreck, and th
first on shore to render assistance q
pick up the drifting goods which ol
Father Neptune may send. them.'
80" 'Tis rather curiolls--but here come
Capt Wells with the men," -u'.,qrr
So. 1n the few minutes Of moonlight thi
followed, we could perceive the dar