Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-21

feet long and twenty feet wide. SIX OF
these spliced, hoated with wooden
hobs. and sunk straight with leaden
sinkers form what is called Il stand
With this the boat, propelled by crew OF
four men, is rowed to the grounds
which are constantly being changed
agreeably to weather-wise or supersti-
ous fancy: the seine is 'payed out"
over the side. and the men idly doHe
on smoke their pipes of bitter black
twist and peat. the boat aud seine mean
white floating at will. The seine is
boarded" over the side and shook
out. that is. the fish are shaken and
picked off into the boat. three or four
times between uight-fali and morning.
Tho result is simply one Of luck. ana
depends entirely upon how many her
ring have run their heads into the
meshcs OF the net. At daylight the
fishers repair to the beaches at Inch.
where buyers come with carts from
Derry. About a half-peuny apiece is
paid for the "catches.' which under
this system are at all times most meag
er. The fish are shipped fresh to Bel
fast and Dublin; and sometimes the
choicest of the herring find their way to
Liverpool and London. There are
about 10 crews on these waters: perhaps
300 men are engaged in the work: and
fully 1000 souls live and starve on her
ring fishing in the Lough Swilly.
But few miles north of Buncrana on
the shores of the lough is the dainty
hamlet of Fabian. Most travellers would
pass it with but a pleasant reflection
upon its nesting beauty. Yet there
hovers about the little spot perhaps the
deepest and most attractive ecclesiastic
and historic traditionary interest to be
hn nf
Abby of st. Mura was here founded in
the early part of the seventh century:
the region roundabout was. nearly 300
years earlier. Il favorite haunt of st.
Patrick himself st. Mura ; holy well is
still seen: and for eleven centuries foot
sore pilgrims have come hithcr for
healing through the efficacy of prayer.
Our so-called '.faith-cure" is not young.
More remarkable than all. an untinch
ing protestant. DR.. Walter Bernard, of
Londonderry. the noted antiQuary
whose single e-handcd labors restored the
Griauan of Aileaoh, here set Il noble
marble cross to mark the shrine Tor
weary Catholic wanderers. | do not
know whether this particular cross has
ever been by ceremonial sanctioned or
blessed. 1t does not matter. That sort
of Il civilized deed consecrates itsclfand
all Of the things that go with it. To the
Irish of all lands an impressive fact
holds interest here. The most eminent
successor 10 st. Mura was Maclmura
the servant of Mural. OF this erudite
bardic historian il is recorded in almost
inspired verse: The great and fertile
Ipeland never produced a man like the
mild, fine Maelmura. There
mixed not a nobler face with the dead
1 donot believe there is Il loftier or more
POLITICALLY expressive sentence in all
languages than that last. 1t is to this
most ancient of Irish historic bards.who
died in $50, that Ireland owes the pres
ervation of the first accounts OF the
Allesian or Gadelian race. it is found
in Maelmura' Duan Eireannach, or
Poem of Ireland. written about $50.
The bard relates that on the engulting
of Pharao, the Egyptians were angered
with the children of Niul, who were de-
sccndants from Fenius of Scythia, for
declining assistance in pursuing the
Israelites. Fearing enslavement they
seized PharaO's deserted ships. and fled
by way of the Red sea. India and Asia
to Sythia, their own country. After II
long time, Asruth. son of Gadhael lor
Gael, from whom the Irish have been
descendants of Niul to Taprabana
lCeylon), when, 300 years there
after. Mt the destruction of Troy, Brath,
nineteenth in descent from Fenius, led
an expedition ito the north of the
world" and, passing Crete, came to
"Espain the peninsular.' Conquering
a certain territory. his son Breogan.
built city called Brigantia; and fin
ally. sallying from lofty tower he had
built on the coast. his son. Ith. n brave
explorer, discovered an Fri or Ireland,
as far as Luimncch uimerice), the
country about the mouth of the Shan
non.
! mad not yet ascended Sieve Snaght
mountain OF snow and rs some little be-
fore, had enjoyed probably the grand
est sunshine scene from the massive
walls upon Aileach to be found in all
Ireland, | determined before leaving
the extreme north, to witness the set
ting of the sun. if some lucky absence
of the almost ever-hovering mists
might permit it from the loftiest peak
of Inishowen. The determination gave
me an unexpected. somewhat startling,
and altogether ludicrouS adventure.
From Fahan | reached the upper foot
hills of the mountain in a half days
journey over the clrcling and inter
secting roads, with some little time to
spare among the cabins. and the white
Hooks. shepherds and dogs that com
prise almost the only inhanitants Of the
heights. Lesurely proceeding in the
ascent, which became quite arduous la
Dor towards the summit, from the rank
growth Of furze covering treacherous
pitfalls, the frequent ''pockety' bogs
which must be crossed at some peril, or
circumvcnted with much effort. and
from constant stumbling over half-hid-
den outings of firm and frost-rotten
rock, it was not until the sun had al
| most gone to bed in the Donegal high
lands to the west, that ! had gained the
lofty peak. and stood where | could see
| to a horizon more than fifty miles dis
| tant in nearly every direction.
1t is said that, like her history, Erin S
| mountains are the home of the mist.
| The mist was here: not In dense. foggy
form, but floating like lightest threads OF
| lace, back and forth, as if fairies of the
upper air were already silently weaving
a feecy robe for the night TO the far
east the darker shades were ALREADY fill
| ing the valleys of Antrim; and only to
the north upon the Atlantic, to the
south upon distant Tyrone, and between
Sieve Snaght and lone Errigal on
| the numberless mountain SIDES and
in the great basin Of the Swilly,
were there remaining the heightened