The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-03-26
NUMBER 10.
TIE ISLE OF MAN.

There is a patch Of land in the stormy
Irish Sea called the Isle Of Man, about
which many travelled aud untraveled Amer
leans know scarcely more than its name,
On a sunny day the highlands Of Ulster, in
Ireland, and of Galloway, in Scotland, are
visible from its western shore, and from the
summit of Snaefell Mountain busy little
England is seen fIetting IN the golden haze
far across the sea. 1t is not alush greater
than Staten Island in arel and an alnbi-
tons Californian might look upon it as a
fair-sized ranch. But small as it is--a mere
speck on the map of Great Britain-it has
government of its own, with a House Of
Parliament, people infused with noble
blood, and thrilling and eventual history.
Hawthorne found it out while he was a con-
sui at Liverpool, and has praised it in the
delicious prose OF his Eagjish Note Books;
Scott gathered material for peUeril Of the
Peck from its romantic scenery and legends,
and Wordsworth commemorate a visit to
it in sonnet. But il is not in these few
literary associations that its chief interest
lies. the history OF it, varied fortanes and
the ancestry OF Its superstitious people have
peculiar interest. dating as they do from
the thrilling age when the Norsemen were
mighty in the West.
In its greatest length the island meas
ures about thirty-thres miles, and in its
greatest breadth about thirteen. In cir
conference Is seventy 1--we miles, excluding
the sinuosities of the bays; ard II contains
a superficial area of about one hundred and
thirty thousand acres, or two hundred and
three square-iniles. Enjoying the benefits
of the Gulf Stream, the clinat- is singular
ly mild and genial, and there are few other
places in the world win Re tie difference be-
tween summer and winter is SO slight. The
mean temperature Of summer IS usually
about o6-l19; OF autumn IS o. % Of winter,
40-9O0; Of spring, 4t'7Uo. There is plenty
OF rain, but yer. little snow or frost. Fuch-
sias grow TO the height .. ten or twelve fest
-of-doors, and are found, 4 mass Of Grim
son blossoms, IN the poor-st & ,ri-ns- As
to the hcalthfulness Of the ciial-te, you
should see the native girls, rosy-caeeked,
plump, active, and gle.ful and the men,
who are a st4lWaIt, muscular, and hand
some race as ever Lreathed sea-air.
For the n o5t part the 90 st Is rocky and
wild, ho1r with the foam Of Tie turbulent
sea that surrounds it, and ildented with
capacious harbors, and innumerable creeks;
but IN the north the land sinks into low
pasturage, and meets the water on the glis-
tening pebbles of smooth beach. The
interior includes nearly every kind Of natu-
raj scenery -heather-clai bAlsannic hills,
plains richly cultivated rs the downs Of
Surrey, wide reaches Of prickiy gorse rs
drear as Yorkshire mo5rs, and the Trsttigs-
of Cascades. The enrhantment of Northern
land dwells in its suJdued light and on its
mist-crowned hei-h.s.
The vikings are fishermen new, aud all
the great Treasure steamers from Liverpool
sail into the West without thought or
wish of evil toward them. Sleepy villages
are perclled on the cliffs where once the bea-
con-lircs OF the wreckers allured many a
gooily ship to her doom. In the bays
where the pirates hid themselves dy the
the white sails OF pleasure boats. So great
are the changes wrought by time that even
the spell of mist worked by the wizard king
. has been broken, and the summer has its
shlre Of elouiless days The invaders are
not Romans, Picts. Scots, or Scandinavians,
but aggressive tourists bearing knapsacks
instead Of eagles, and walking-sticks instead
OF jlve!ins. These confront you IN nearly
every part Of the islan !, and the primitive
character Of the natives is fast changing
under the influence Of the town manners
which the visitors bring with them. Many
of the superstitions have been laughed
away, and hospitality has acquired a fair
money value. ] do not mean to sly that
there are no more generous hearts and sim
pie minds in Mona. An old hshermau's
wife entertained me with -four bread, salt
fish, and tea, in her hut 1T Creg-y-neesh,
and in,lign lntly thrust me out OF the ohiy
door in the house when the meal was ended
because offered her a shilling. There are
not few honest folks, too. who yet have
stcadfast faith in mcrmaids and fairies
Harpcrs Magazine