The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-06-26
Letter from Our European Correspondent

Letter from Our European Correspondent.
An Irish jaunting car is a good thing to
ride in. 1t is rather awkward at first; one
always has feeling that he cannot ride in
this sort of a thing, and is disposed to
grapple the straps closely and hold on like
grim death; but after the machine COM
mences moving the grasp gradually slack
ems and he gives in to the easy motion of
the car, and everything is lovely. But
what is an Irish jaunting carr 1t is a one
horse vehicle, constructed to carry four
persons, with the driver; has two wheels,
and seats over each wheel. The passengers
sit back to back; the driver sits in front.
/ The first experience had with .jaunting
car was from Cork to Barney Castle
Three gentlemen and two ladies were the
passengers, and it is amusing to think how
tightly we held on to that car when we
started. There is only one word in the
English language that will fully express
the sensation of riding in an Irish jaunting
car-"it it's jolly" Our driver was very
funny Irishman, but like all Irishmen who
drive the cars always asks more pay than
our agreement calls for. But don't pay
him any more than you agreed to, and
always make a bargain with him before you
start He may follow you, but don't look
back. He may curse you in Irish, but as
| long as you do not understand him, what
difference does it make? The drivers al
ways keep to the left in Ireland when they
meet any one. Our American drivers
would soon get into trouble driving in Ire
land.
Another popularity in the Irish hotels
is that ladies attend to the guests, assign
receipt for money, while the gentlemen at
tend to the rougher and harder work All
throughout Ireland they call apothecary
shops " medicine halls" and places where
liquor is sold they call them esprit shops"
which is certainly an improvement on some
of our Elkton sobrique ts-"Hells Kitchen"
and SIGH
The roads throughout Ireland are excel
lent; thoroughly macadamized. They are
equally as wide as our own, and would
put to shame some of our supervisors.
Hedge rows divide the fields into small lots,
and now when the hawthorn is in full
bloom and the fragrant sweetness fills the
air, how delightful it is to ride over the
hills and through the valleys, over pleasant
roads, through romantic country.
l deem it unnecessary to describe rail-
way carriage, as they have been fully de-
scribed by other writers, but the manner of
starting the trains is entirely different from
our way. They ring dinner bell at each
station when it is time to start. The guard
then blows little whistle. The engine
then gives small weak but shrill whistle
and we puff along. But the dinner bell
attracted my attention. 1t was SO odd.
The city of Dublin is on the river Liffey,
and is divided by it into two equal parts.
Many places of interest are in and around
Parliament, now occupied by the Bank of
Ireland" The furniture remains as it was
left in the old House of Peers, but the Bank
now occupies that portion occupied by the
House of Commons.
The Irish are awaiting the time when Par
Lament will again assemble within its walls.
In the cemetery may be seen the tomb of
Daniel O'Connell, the great Irish agitator.
His tomb is marked by large round shaft,
under which is the casket that contains all
the earthly remains of Daniel O'Connell.
On his tomb is the following inscription
My body to Ireland, my heart to Rome, my
soul to Hearen.
st. Patrick's Cathedral is a grand old
edifice, and contains the tombs of many
distinguished persons. Dean Swift is here
buried and also his favorite footman.
Dublin Castle is situated on a bill in the
town, and is very easy of access for a shll-
ing. Here may be seen the royal rooms
and throne; but Queen Victoria has not
visited Ireland since 1852, and the people
are very much put out by her neglect and
absence. l was not favorably impressed
with the appearance of the castle. Its fur
niture looked old and tawdry, and the throne
itself looked like an old broken down affair.
The streets of Dublin are wide and kept
clean. Belfast is thriving town, not of
much interest to the traveller. Armagh is
good old town near Belfast, and Benburt,
a small village near Armagh, is perfectly
beautiful. 1t has castle an old ruin near
it, but owing to the impoliteness of the
keeper I would not look at it.
From Belfast went to the Giants Cause
way, in the extreme north of Ireland. 1t
is strange mixture of rocks. l met
good guide, Mr.. Hugh Falls, a brother of
! VIM. Falls, our landlord, who took charge
of me and took me all over the Giants
Causeway and down into the caves where
the waves howl, spit and foam, and over
the rocks which are of different shapes and
jointed; one side concave, and the other
convex. The rocks are dark color-I
thought they were white; but they are
dark, very dark. Mr.. Falls and l went
into the cave made by the washing of the
sea. Its roar was terrific, but knowing |
had such a safe guide l felt no fear, although
the sea was rising and there was an appear.
| ance of a storm.
From Belfast passed over to Glasgow,
and from there to the Land of Burns, which
will mention in my next letter.
Too Poor TO TAKE A NEwsPAPER.-An
anecdote is told of a farmer going one day