Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-01-01
9lutes of Travelim GMrppe.
OBSERVATIONS ON IRELAND.
By REV. II. LATHAM.

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Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.l
Some time during the early part of last
fall, constrained by circumstances over which
I had no control, abruptly brought the
desultory sketches of my rambles over the
British Isles to temporary close. These
sketches I now resume with the announce
ment that slime and chance must determine
how the subject theme may gang"
Since, perhaps, the majority of the read
ers of the ENQUIRER are Of Irish descent,
and those who are not of Irish descent are
intimately linked, in variety of ways, with
the Irish, shall begin again with Ireland.
That / may not offend the Protestant or
Scotch-Irish of America or'1reland, l men
tiOn the fact that the word Ftsh is used to
denote the inhabitants of the Emerald Isle.
In other words, it is not restricted, as is fire.
quently done, to the papal portion of the
Inhabitants Of Ireland.
Without distinct idea Of the geographic
cal location of a country, our historical
knowledge of that country is very unsatls.
factory. 1t may be asked, "What is Ire
land?' TO this it is replied, Ireland is one
of the many islands of the Atlantic ocean.
This, however, is so indefinite that the queS-
ton, "Where is it?" is promptly asked.
TO this it is replied, Ireland is situated in
the northeastern partof the Atlantic ocean,
the southern part being north of the equa-
tor, about fifty-one and one-half degrees,
and the northern part being fraction more
than tifty-five degrees north of the same
great circle.
twill be seen that Ireland is farther north
than any territory belonging to the United
States, except Alaska. Dublin, the capital
of Ireland, which is situated on the eastern
coast about midway between the northern
and southern eXtremities of the island, lis
as far north as Labrador. From New York
to Queenstown the distance is put down in
round numbers at two thousand seven hun
dred and fifty miles. The northern eXtrem-
ity of Ireland is fully fifteen hundred miles
farther north than the city of Charleston,
South Carolina. From its great distance
the inference might be hastily drawn that
Ireland, in winter, is an extremely cold
country Such conclusion would be eyre
giously erroneous. The thermometer Cahr-
below fifteen degrees. The average temper
ature of Ireland, for the year is about forty
seven or eight degrees. Such being the
facts with respect to the climate Of Ireland,
it may, when compared with other coun-
tries in Europe and America, of the same
latitude, be said to be very mild.
There is one thing about the climate of
Ireland which is very noticeable. 1t is its
uniform moistness. For nearly the whole
year the winds blow from the Atlantic
ocean. These winds are loaded with moist
ure, and there being no high ranges of
mountains to intercept the western clouds
they gently distill their moisture all over
the island. TO this is mainly due that
greenness Of the vegetation which led to
naming the island Green Erin, Emerald
Isle, and Green Lie of the Ocean. 1t never
rains in Ireland as it sometimes rains in
our Southern country. did not see gully
in Ireland. And l saw no instance of any
regard being paid to the cultivation of the
soil so as to prevent washing. On the con-
trary saw many very steep hills cultivated
sup and down" as our fathers did when
they first came to America. 1t is true that
the soil of Ireland is heavier and more diff
cult to be washed into gullies than our
Southern soil generally. Notwithstanding
this if the rains fell in torrents in Ireland
as they frequently fall in our country, 1T
would be but few years until the hills Of
Green Erin would find a resting place at the
bottom of the Atlantic ocean and the Irish
Sea. The fact is that it never rains in tor
rents in Ireland as it SO frequently does in
countries nearer the equator.
There are two other very noticeable char
acteristics of an Irish rain. They are its
dampness and its chillinesS. In one sense,
it may be said that all rains in all countries
are damp, and that the measure of their
dampneSS is the amount Of water which
falls. This | am not disposed to controvert,
but | do claim that an Irish rain has more
wetting properties than the same amount of
water distilled from the clouds in our cOun-
try has. The fact of the case is simply this.
There is constantly so much moisture in the
atmosphere that the leaves of trees when
they fall, or other vegetation when it dies
or is exposed to the sun, never becomes
crispy or brittle on account of the thorough
evaporation of moisture from them. On
account of this fact it is difficult to dry
clothes in Ireland, especially if they are
made Of Il fabric which has a strong affinity
for moisture. With an atmosphere so heav-
lily freighted with moisture, it is not difficult
to understand how it is that an Irish rain
possesses great wetting properties.
The other characteristic of an Irish rain is
the peculiar chilly sensation which it pro-
duces There is kind of spring weather
times called the "whippOorWill Storm" that
will enable the reader to form an idea of
what is meant by the chilliness of an Irish
rain. 1t makes an individual feel cold all
over.
This damp, chilly atmosphere of Ireland
contributes largely to the comfort of its in
habitantS as well as to the fertility of its
soil. While the dampness of the atmos-
phere retards the drying of wet clothes and
adds to the horrors Of washday, it also
gives durability to clothes. | saw linen
Sheets, which, l was credibly informed, had
been in constant use for more than fifty
years They were manufactured by hand
and bleached on Il green, and not by chem
icals. 1t may be added that these sheets
showed no signs of age, and with the same
care bestowed upon them in the future that
they have received in the past, there seems
to be no reason for doubling but that they
will last, without rent, for Il century.
Another advantage derived from the
cold, damp atmosphere Of Ireland is the
great facility with which meats are pre-
served at any and all times Of the year.
Hogs are slaughtered at all times of the year
and the most luscious bacon that ever enter
ed the mouth cured in the month of Au
gust. A slaughtered mutton will hang in
the sun for more than day without the
least sign of putrefaction. In several places
saw, during the last days of June, when
the sun rose at Il few minutes after three
and set at a few minutes before nine, butch
cred hogs hauled through the streets at
noon. saw the same thing again later in
July. Were such Il thing attempted in our
country flies by the thousands would be
there to do their fatal work and the buzzards
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