Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-10-27
tCopyri9ht 1881

| lCopyrisht 1881
Special Correspondence of The EVENING STAR
OFF THE SKERRrEs, IRELAND, Oct. Ii, 1888
Trudging over the Lsburn ROAD into the spire and
chimney dotted city OF Belfast, some trif1Ing Inn
| pulse OF interest 1mpelled me to q stroll upon
queens bridge. Standing above its broad arches
| and peering down the river Lagan across the
| crowded shipping to where the noble Belfast
Lough, or Carrickfergus Bay, beyond, shonc blue
! ana brilliant between rigging, masts, and laziiy-
mapping sails, deserted several little craft, no
larger than ordinary fshing-smacks. Ny curl
osty leo me down along the wharves to these
| found among them some tiny coasters from far
pone0ai, away over on the western Irish shore,
and within half an hour had made the acQuaint-
ance OF the two-man crew OF one struck a bargain
Win them for trip to their home port, and was
sailing out to the Irish sea, as dusty and grimy a
pilgrim as ever, in the twinkling OF an eye. ex-
changed adventure by land for a sailors luck at
sea. And so "as we sail an we sail" for these
irish coasters are as slow a proven pension
calm at washington, will endeavor to picture
VIA. can De seen by the eye and mind In cruise
around the most dread and drear Of ali Erins iron
bound coasts, the wild, weird North.
UNsAvoRY CARRICKFERGUs.
10 the right and to the left we descend Belfast
Lough, are winsome scenes and bold countless
giens, villas, castles luxurant farms, ruins, and
picturesque headlands crowd the lovely shores.
contemplating these strikingly beautiful scenes
OF opulence In nature and artice alone, one could
scarcely recall or imagine the slavery and poverty
| OF Ireland. But wraiths OF the last century's
slaves OF BeliastS looms peer from behind this
magical brightness; while its hideous antithesis
Iounu IN bei1aSCs by streets and SlumS. Tnat is
the story briefly. But over there to the left, only
lew miles from the never-sent spindles and
| its mighty castle, its thousand or SO scotch
nSherioik, and It's altogether ugly memories
A queer old hive Is this; and we are long
enough In passing 1t to note some OF Its odd
features. Had 1t the same great mass OF rock
behind 1t one would tnvoluntariIy imagine
dlminutive Quebec had been set down here at the
waters edge. Though lacking that 1t is still a
cracked and crumbiing prototype OF Quebec'S
| choked and crowded Lower Town. The old, old
central oncewallcd city, for 1t is so Old that its
origin is well nigh lost in tradition, is suffo-
eating mass OF angles, arches decay1ng walls,
blessed. II Is neutral ground. The Scotch quar-
Ter sets over against the eastern walls The Irish
quarter struggles along shore to the west. They
are thus apart. But the ferociouS denHenS or
theSe Two Odor0uS quarters, crantng their savage
necks over the seat OF the law, sound pibrochs OF
denance or shrek Gaelic invitation to war.
PICTURE OF MELANCHOLY AND GRANDEUR.
After all, the antiquity, associations, memories
| and history OF Carrickfergus are so revoltingly
written In inhumanity and blood that even one Of
nOblest digestion can scarcely reach enthusiasm
over Its really picturesque old castle, for which
1t is most famous It's very remote origin Is
clearly traceable to Jonn de COurcey; and It is
said TO be the only existing edifice IN the king
dom exhibiting a specimen OF the old Norman
military stronghold. Perched upon a narrow,
rocky peninsula, and washed on three sides by
the bay, whether approached from the sea, seen
from the heights OF Antrim, observed from the
opulent fields OF Down, or looked upon from
the bosom OF the calm and shining LOugh 1t
certainly grows upon the thought and sense as
picture or unusual, one might almost say melan-
choIy, magnincence and grandeur. To-day IN
stead Of being the proud abode OF Irish kinss; in
stead OF owning secret league with the scottish
lord of the 1ses and preserving the witching bar
ulc mnstrelSies or the HeDrtdeS; instead OF ring
ing with the shouts and pipes Of giant-framed
SCOTTISH au>llarieS; instead or housing the lively
followers OF the Mccarthy and the ONetl the
stubborn soldiery OF William, the light-hearted
adventures OF Thurot; the great hall OF its mas
sive keep is barrack for red-cOatS and rats One
gets dry-rot from even sniff Of and look at, the
medieval differentiation, and turns his face to the
seward highlands with ineffable longing and re-
Lief
ISLAND MAGEE
Rounding White Head and Black Head on the
north Shore which have their corresponding twin
headiands opposite on the lovely shores OF Down,
We left Belfast Tough, the viRderius OF Ptolemy,
and were soon Ill the Irish sea, huggtng Island
Magee, which, scarcely separated from the MAN.
land at the southwest, for breadth of two miles
and length OF nine, sweeps gracefully around In
a new-moOn form TO the north, and behind which
smiles the blue waters Of the Tough Larne where
many odd fsher-folk live and take the year round,
as DID their fathers for centuries before them the
place, or hat-tSh, and the muleJ One longs to
wander in Island Magee. II is magical with
natural beauty; Its Inhabitants would furnish
marvellous studies Tor the artist novelist; 1t
is the legendary abode OF the widest fantasies OF
sorcery; on It's eXtremities ale numberless raths
and cromlechs; while the entire coast-line
Is rife with natural wonders, historic fas-
cinatiOns, and marye.s OF legend aud tradition
Midway between its northern and southern pro-
montorieS are the grim old GObbins, basaltic Gins
rising upward OF 200 feet perpendicuIarly out OF
the sea, stern and mural In character, and with
numberleSS caves at high-water mark, the resort
OF olden Hebridean pirates but now put TO the
mtlder use OF nshermenS Lighthouses: for along
this entire shore are noted fisheries OF herrlngs
Dickens and turb0t. As we sailed past the grew
some spot, my coasters skipper pointed out my
RAIDS OF slender and graceful hawks nesting In,
ana wheeling about, The lofty crags. These are
the 'Gobbin- hawks" OF lowly foik-iore or today
But long ago they We're the Irish goss-hawks, ia
nous Ia history ana song as objects Of chase with
ancient mobiles or the kingdom,
PICTURESQUE SCENES
We sailed between the Madens, or the five Hulin
Rocks, the largest two, with their lorty striped
lighthouses, like some giants Balmoral hose hung
from Invisible lines in the clouds to dry and the
mainland catching charming gmpses Of Larne
city at the sea-mouth OF Larne Lough, and then
stood away to the northwest for Kenmore or Fair
Head, the most northeastern point III Ireland To
Genarn, River and Bay was noble sight all the
way. The far outlines Of Scotland are here and
there traced through the misty horizon haze while
shOreward all the witchery OF the coasts OF wild
Wales cannot excel the fascinating scenes which
often partake OF positive grandeur. Extraordinary
variety OF picture adds greatly TO the wondrous
charm. The entire coast formation is Seemingly
broken into parallel ridges, which, DESCENDING
from cloud-cleaying mountain heights, reach the
sea In SUGGESTIONS OF majestic ellis, or dreamful
OF the sea, while at either side the thunders OF
ocean battles among the cavernous clisare dearen.
ing and 1rtghJlul beyond description In all these
valleys nestle most dimlnutlve and picturesque
hamlets. Far up their green sides is set white
chapel or manor-houSe. Perched IN the mountain
peaks behind, or On cragS half a thousand feet
above the sea, and whose tops seem TO pierce the
very clouds, hang castles old and new as time is
| measured here, and gray ruins, all like half-hid
nests or the rocks, nagpies and sea-roWI thar
wheel, cav, and Shrek around them. And then as
We pass sweet Glenarm town, neStling behind the
bay, the radiant village at one end Of the great
arched bridge, and at the other the grotesUue
though imposing castle, what loving 1mageries
the fancy paints within those lofty hill-Screened
glens, TAR In the murmurOus coverts-Glenarm.
Glencorp, Glenarin. Glen Ballyemen, Glenanne
and Glehdum; where, in the shadows, those ten.
derest OF all forgvably SuperstitouS creations the
carnival, ana never cease their happy orgies
FROM GLRNARH TO FAIR HEAD
the tide-sweeps are most powerful, and our little
craft was Of necessity kept farther at sea, But
that grandest OF all Irish east coast giants mag
nificent Gerron Point, near enough to be seen
In all Its stately grandeur. Rising to a mighty
height almost straight out OF the waves three
lofty and symmetr1c pinnacleS united by waI-lfke
ranges or basalt, crown IT above the nearly per-
pendlcular eScarpmentS, like tremendous and Der.
Iect-wrought rampartS Near to 1t lowers the
ancient fort OF Dunmaul like grim outpost at It's
ltatlons OF the cOast-guard and the little FISHING
station. To the north lies Red Bay, huge curya.
ture or the sea- with It's caves and ruined castle.
ana we are soon abreast or Cushendall on the
great coast road OF Antrim, beside the river DaII
ana AT the bottom OF the romantic glen OF Bally'