The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-08-31
STEAMSHIP ScYTHIA, AT SEA,
AUGUST I 1873

My last letter being written at Glasgow,
giving no details of our trip through Ire
land, imposes upon me duty to my Irish
friends to give brief sketch of the land
they ''love so we'll
In leaving Glasgow we sailed down the
Clyde and had full view of the extensive
ship-building yards along its banks, more
ships being constructed along this water
than in nearly all the rest of the yards in
the world. 1t is the great business of
Glasgow.
About daylight we reached the north.
ern coast of Ireland, had fine view of
the rocks along the Giants Causeway, and
about six o'clock landed at small but
neat and cleanly town called Portrush.
As soon as the vessel touched the shore
we found ourselves surrounded by many
citizens of the place, offering their services
in any manner found necessary Among
the rest was well-to-do Irish farmer, who
manifested a great interest in America,
asking me number of questions. l en-
quired where he resided? He i'll. lrmed
me about thirty miles in the interior. In
answer to my question he said they grew
some wheat, barley, oats and potatoes, as
well as turnips, in his neighborhood, and
that the wheat was good, which would be
ready to cut by the first of September
He spoke very feelingly of the serfdom of
Ireland to England, which he said we're
grinding the life's blood out of the Irish
people. | must confess that he argued
very much as though he possessed the tu-
ition of my own countrymen and de-
lighted to listen to him. Breakfast being
ready l had to leave him to supply the
inner man. After that we mounted an
Irish jaunting car, being a two-wheeled
machine with box on springs, the driver
sitting in the middle facing the horse,
whilst on each side is a seat for two per-
sons, so that the driver and four passen-
gers can ride on one car. We found it an
awkward way to ride; but off we went,
eight miles, to see the great Giants Cause
way. The road runs through most beau
tiful country, some distance back from the
bluffs of the sea. Reaching the top of the
immense rocks, some hundreds of feet
high, we descended on foot, along a we'll
made road, about a quarter of a mile to
the famous causeway. The causeway con-
sists merely of about three or four acres
covered with large mass of stone, as
though they were cut by hand and stacked
where they are now seen, for safe keeping,
in the same manner that brick are set
upon their ends, instead of laying them
down. The great majority of these stones
are about fourteen inches across the top,
nearly all of an equal size and octagonal
in form, packed in as though the best me-
chanics had placed them where they are.
| examined many of them to see if could
find marks of chisel; but failed to dis
cover any. There may be some of great
length, but the longest saw are about five
feet. They are stacked up about twenty
or thirty feet above the waters of the sea.
There is no history by which we can as
certain how these stones were placed in
their present position.
Leaving the stone we '.jaunted" back to
Portrush and took the cars for Belfast.
about sixty miles off All along this line
| found most beautiful country, all fenced
off with hedges, the people generally en-
gagged in making hay and putting it up in
stacks in the fields, tha. being the custom
all through England and Scotland, as we'll
as Ireland. l saw very little wheat grow
ing. but what did see was good.
The farm-houses are all only one-story
high, looking quite neat and cleanly, being
invariably whitewashed, great improve
ment in appearance over those We saw in
other countries. Grazing is the main bus
iness of farmers, and | was astonished to