Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-11-26

Contributed 10 tic Sentinel.
TRAVELS In EUROPE.

WASHINGTON, ID. O., Nov. II, 1886.
Mn Dear Sue Before leaving Cork,
must tell you how meanly Frank was
treated by old Neptune, probably because
of our boldly expressed delight ut being
out of his dominions We had heard thai
the old man sometimes repents Of his len
iency and gives final shake to certain voy-
ayers before they are out of reach, but We
had all been so respectful and admlring In
our remarks about him that there was no rea.
son for his venting his Immature upon Frank
by causing the pavements and floors TO rise
up and meet him as he walked, and 10 make
him so dizzy that he had to go TO bed for
about twenty-lour hours Did we not know
Frank to be practical as well rs theoretical
temperance man, we might have supposed
he had been meddling with a Cork-screw,
but 1t was all caused by merely looking at
salt water
Another thing forgot TO tell you, the
parcuarity OF Shandon Tower-two sides
of it being Of lime stone, and the other two
ot red sand stone.
Our next trip was 10 Killarney, which we
reached by rail after three hours ride.
This was our first experience in foreign com
partment Carriages" which are not nearly
passengers are obliged to ride backwards I;
and il any one objects to window being
opened the printed law, right before your
eyes, tells you 1t must be closed This
proved Objectionable but once, however,
when, on the Continent somewhere, a cross
looking German, whom we tried our best
not 10 understand, finally shut down the
window with bang, and looked ashamed
Of himself the rest Of the way. No water
is provided on any Of these trains, but when,
at a station, the "Guard" comes round aud
unlocks the door, II Is the signal that the
"stOp" will DC long enough to allow the
passengers TO get out and buy some. There
Is saying across the water that "foos aud
Americans ride frst,class. | hope II was
the latter that they took us for when they
pointed US TO the 6rstclas carriages. Some
times we took them, "moretimes" not, as We
found the only advantage was the tighten
ing Of the pocket Of our treasurer. From
the town Of Killarney VIC drove about a
mile to the Lake Hotel beautifully situated
right on the Lake. Here we began 70 notice
the difference in the length Of the days, and
wrote letters ut 8 O'Clock at night by day
light Qrshisms are excusable In this coun-
try, Sue.) The next thing 10 dc was 10 see
the Lakes of Killarney, so carly In the
morning party Of fifteen Bpglisli, Irish
and Americans started In wagonettes 10 the
cottage Of "Kate Kearney, the beautiful"
where we were informed "poncs" were in
waiting TO convey US through the Gap Of
Dunoe 10 the boats on the upper Lake.
Alter inspecting tho poor little Cottage"
seeing the first peat fire, which burns with
about as much blaze as our hard coal and
drinking n glass Of goats milk, wo were
literally hoistcd on ~ the tall, nDgainly
beasts which they called "ponies.o II was
damp, raw morning, and the ladies were
well wrapped in travelling shawls, and when
10 this VIC added our rubber water proofs as
riding skirts, and these became inflated by
the wind, the effect was picturesque and
most appropriately Irish. And 80 VIC set
of, single file, each with a guide and some
times a small boy besides, followed by q
horde VI beggars, old women and little chill
dren, middle.aged women and young girls,
who, for the entire ride Of four miles i'm
portnned us 10 buy milk and poteeE,p gray
knit socks, or 10 give penny 10 90 70
Ameriky." We would gladly have given
them ten ~ stay at home, and were told by
our guides that they were wholly undcserv-
ing, being brought up 10 do nothing but
beg. The Gap Of Dunloe is wild pass
through rocky mountains, traycrscd by the
little River Loe, which runs into several
small Lakes, among which Is the Black
Lougb or Lake, IRON which at. Patrick ban
ished the last snake from Ireland" No fish
can live In this Lake, owing 10 the presence
Of some poisonous mineral substance an
tagonistic 10 all life At the end of the Gap
is the black Valley, where, for three months
in the year, the people dwell in perpetual
ghaInxy pWtnU Ia iLa aifnnaf "a r
height Of the mountains which enclose them
and exclude every ray Of sunlight, and
where even the water Is made black by the
peaty nature Of the soil. We were much
Interested In the peat boys all through Ire.
land, from which the poorer classes, at least,
get all their fuel They seem 10 begin in
marshes which gradually grow darker In
color, and finally harden into q stiff black
mud lying layer upon layer, sometimes 10
the depth Of eight or ten feet. This is cut
out In brick.shaped pieces, though larger
than our building bricks, thrown into heaps
and left TO harden in the sun. OF course, II
there Is much rain these boys cannot be
worked 20, even this crop depends upon the
weather But 10 go back 10 the Black VAL
Icy, where, must tell you, generations live
and die crowded together In wretched little
hutswhlch they actually share with thelrplgs,
and where, In alicante" the wealthy ones
sometimes keep donkey and cow,"a real
Kerry COW, yer honor, such as the Prince Of
Wales sent home thirty or forty Of, when he
was over" II any guide, through lake or
mountain, suffered US 70 pass acow without
telling US that, II was because he forgot II
IL Is from this wretched part Of ireland that
so many come 10 our country; II seems 10
be their only hope, particularly Of the young