The Portland daily press., 1885-12-09
SUPPL EN- EMIT.
OUR FOREIGN LETTER.
Scotland-Dunbarton Castle and its
History-A Visit to the Birthplace of
Burns-One of ClasgoW's Charita-
BILE Institutions-TheF ar1ous stock
Farm at BIackhali.
Especial Correspondence of the PREss.l
SCOTLAND.

Farm at BIackhall.
Especial Correspondence of the PREssl
SCOTLAND.
We babe adieu to Ireland, having two
strongly contrasting pictures impressed upon
the memory; one of flowery meads and
charming vistas, the other of the degradation
and hopeless poverty of the people, who
doubtless should be pitied rather than
blamed.
Embracing upon the steamer Gen. Gordon
at Dublin late in the afternoon, we found the
sail out of the harbor very pleasing, and
nothing could be more dreamy ana soothing
than the long, rosy twilight, which in these
high ATTITUDES, in midsummer, fingers in the
horizon until nearly nine o'clock After
comfortable nights rest we awoke prepared
to appreciate Scottish scenery, but we found
ourselves enveloped in a thick Scotch mist,
which hung like an impenetrable veil over
the distant landscape We marked the diff
ference in the manifest spirit and address OF
the Scotch sailors from that of their neigh
bors across the stream, who mingle with
them daily, yet never learn to mend their
ways. The Scotch are little curt in their
speech, but deferential and kindly, without
any of the Irish blarney and greed AS the
steamer slowly pushed its way against the
current of the Clyde and carefully amidst the
incessant panorama of sailing craft of every
nameable shape and size, we were interested
in the busy dock yards on the banks from
where such large proportion of the ships of
the world are launched to traverse the track
less seas. As.we watched the clumsy dredges
such as are used on the Suez Canal, raising
their long line of buckets filed with sand to
keep the channel free, we realized the inn
mense amount of hard work to be done and
the perpetual struggle against obstacles to
keep the world moving, and to satisfy mans
every day wants. We pass Douglass Castle,
near which is an obelisk, erected to the MEM
0ry Of Henry Bell, who first introduced
steam navigation, in the ship 'Comet," into
Great Britain in the year 1872 In the midst
of the river stands Dunbarton Castle, or
fortress more properly, frowning upon us
in its cherries desolation. We recall with
shudders the stirring scenes enacted within
its grim walls from the time when Queen
Mary, while an infant, was brought to it
from France for safety, to the days when
Wallace was confined here, and Sir John
Monteith, Charles |. and Cromwell in turn
held it as stronghold. Cardross, Newark
and other ruins would have engaged our at
tention, but we cared little for antiquities as
we inhaled the direful odors which arise from
the river at this point. The drainage of
5000 square miles flows into the Clyde,
bearing in it's waters which are sluggish
above the tide all the sewage of the city of
Glasgow, and many other towns and IN
numbered manufactures and chemical works.
| The stencil is Hnbearable, and if our physi-
| clans theories upon malarious atmospheres
! and filth diseases are correct, one breath of
| this air is sufficient to cause the murder of
countless innocents. We reached st. Enoch's
at noon, well-kept railway hotel in the
midst Of the hustle and smoke Of the busi-
ness square, but very accessible for the tour
ist to all parts of the city.
We spent the Sabbath in Glasgow, and at
tended service in the cathedral whose
| stained windows are remarkably beautiful and
we rejoiced that it had escaped destruction
by the hands of the thorough-going reform
ers Of Cromwelis time and has since passed
into the possession of the Scotch Presbyte-
rians. Old DR.. Burns edited us by his plain,
practical and spiritual sermon, such as the
Dissenters of bye-gone days would have ap-
proved AS the service was long we thanked
| Providence we had not been born three CEN
turtles ago in the days of knightly chivalry
| before the Kirk Session voted to indulge the
hearers in the luxury of sitting, while tile
/ parson slowly mounted up to his tenthlies,
| and accordingly some ash trees in the yard
| were felled to make benches for the knights
and lords; but the women were requested to
| bring their stools along with them. 1t was
| about this time that the Scotch danes made
good use of their portable seats by finging
them at the parsons head if he uttered I'M
| welcome truths.
After service we wandered through the
churchyard and over the Metropolis, where
rest so many of Scotland's noble ancestry,
among whom the name of John Knox will
forever stand prominent. No descendants of
the Pilgrims or Dissenters could fail to look
with interest upon his monument, or forget
to gather few sweet daisies from the mound
beneath. Noticing costly and imposing
chapel in an unfinished state, we asked ma
tive for what purpose it was erected, and he
replied, "Oh, | nae not; some bug mon built
it, meaning one of the lords. Returning to
our hotel for lunch we met gentleman who
| instinctively recognized us as fellow coun-
trymen being the first American we had
seen we fell into conversation with him OF
our travels and plans, and were greatly
amused at his comments. He was New
Yorker, over ambitious and overworked
His physician had ordered rest and change
of scenes, and he, Yankee-like, at once con-
ceived the idea of getting his health and ''do-
ing Europe in six weeks He was out Of
patience with everything; could get nothing
to eat, was charged exorbitantly for nothing
and the people were slow and stupid, in
short Europe was hundred years behind
America and a humbug throughout. WheI
we granted that our American scenery could
not be equaled in Europe, any more thar
our commodious homes or our superior ways
of doing things generally" we felt obliged
to confess as yet, we lacked some of the OBJ
jects of interest in the old world, such as an
tiquities, ruined castles and cathedrals, hi
fairly burst out in his indignation, 81 dom
care for them; yesterday | went down tt
York to see an old fellow there" meaning
one of the most picturesque ruins in Eng
land; ''Why, a smart Yankee could make
one of them in few weeks What des
ecration to talk of manufacturing ruined cas-
ties by machinery or writing up legendar,
lore like dime novels We wondered wha
some Of ourcultured and enthusiastic friend
would think of him. However, the world i
wide and free for each to enjoy life in hi
own way. Our friend sailed for home in
few days, and is bending over his ledger con
tent if each Saturday night finds the balanc'
increasing in his favor.
AYR AND ALLowAY KIRK.
Monday morning dawned bright and clear
just the day for our excursion to Ayr ant
Alloway Kirk, the home of Burns. As W,
walked to the station we passed long traiI
of carriages brilliantly painted in vermil
lion and black, with blazing coats of arms
and mounted by drivers and guards in ga.
livery, looking like circus caravan, bu
really the Queens mail. 1t is quite impos
ing to citizen of republic, where thing
are done with so little ostentation, to see tn,
ordinary routine of government, carried OF
with such pomp and blast of trumpets. Al
hours ride landed US at Ayr. Here as ever.
where, the cabmen spot you as American
49,. 49,. - - Iazrxl NHI nTT