St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-08-08

trip through Ireland, and most de-
lightful prologue to our original plan
has it proved. We disembarked at
Queenstown, Tuesday, July 8, and, pro-
ceeding thence to Cork, that afternoon
drove to and around the grounds OF
Blarney Castle, and by roads skirting
the river Shaughney and Lee, took a
long circuit to our hotel. Cork is the
second city in Ireland, was the home OF
Father Mathew the celebrated Catholic
priest who gave the later years of his
a few objects of interest to the stranger.
Prominent among these are the colossal
statue of Father Mathew in the Grand
Parade, the Episcopal and Roman Cath
Ole Cathedrals, the Church of Shandon,
noted for its sweet toned bells, of which
Father Prout wrote:
I've heard bells Ginning
Full many a chime in,
| TOlling sublime in
Cathedral shrine
Brass tongues would vibrate,
| But all their music
Spoke naught like thine
the Mardyke, promenade of mile in
length close to the river Lee, and over
arched fol the whole distance by the
entwining branches of elms..; Queens
College, and little farther out of the
city the Lunatic Asylum and the Gem
etery. One of the funniest sights here
was a dOnkey-cart, the donkey not
large, yet drawing eleven children I; a
cart full. We couldn't help cheering
them as our wagonette drove past, and
they in high glee returned the compli-
ment. After a nights rest in unfamiliar
quarters-it is unpleasant enough in
travelling on land to change beds every
night or two, but this is nothing to the
change from shore to sea, or vice versa,
we rode two hours to Drimoleague on
the Cork and BandOn railway, thence
by coach to Bantry through one of the
widest and. most poverty stricken dis
tricts of the land. The houses were
rough stone novels plastered with mud
and matched with straw, and out of
them came ragged and dirty children
who followed the coach till utterly ex-
hausted, each crying "Plase a penny,
sir" AT one time | counted eleven of
these Out-runners and, if coin was
thrown them they would pounce on it
all in pile, and only the stronger got
anything. The land was largely COW
cred with peat-bogs or with heather.
Many of the hills and mountain sides
were brilliantly purple with the heath
blossoms, and we could not but ex-
claim,-O land, fair for strangers, but
barren for your own children. Pota-
toes, oats, and cabbages were the only
edible crops visible. AS we approached
Bantry, we passed a convent at the gate
of which were a bevy of bright girls,
the only ones for miles that we had seen
in complete and decent garb. After
d
of horses, we had drive of ten miles
more along the shore of Bantry and
Glengariff Bays to Glengariff. These
are inlets of the Atlantic on the south
western coast of Ireland, and on the
southern shore of the former bay the
Earl of Bantry has a summer residence.
The land close to the bay is fertile, the
high hills few miles back barren, but
the country is interesting to the traveller
since every turn of the winding road
gives fresh outlook, and the water at
ones feet with its islands and rocks,
and green margin, seems the CLASSY
footstoOl of an ever varying panorama.
Glengariff, where we spent the night, is
one of Natures gems. Surrounded by
mountains on three sides, it opens
southwark to the bay of the same name
and has climate far milder and more
uniform than the average of its latitude.
Here, at 81 north, or ten dogs. farther
north than st. Johnsbury, grow wild a
greater number of plants,
rhododendrons, orchids, fuschias, roses,
heaths, veronicas, lotus and azaleas,-
than 1 have ever before seen at one
place, and this not scantily, but in won
derful prOfusiOn. Of trees the arbutus,
yew and holly are native, and the mag
nolia, indigenous to our southern states,
grows to great perfection. In the few
years since this region was rendered
accessible by good post-roads, writers
and travellers of all classes have united
IN singing the praises of this delightful
spot. Physicians commend it as a
health resort, especially to those suffer-
Ing from diseases of the chest and throat.
The Eccles Hotel here is said to have
the finest coffee room in Ireland. Its
walls are covered from floor to high
ceiling with fine oil-paintings and ele-
giant bronzes, and on the tables of the