Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-28

slight to becoming reverence. came one
fine morning in January with his SOL
diery and massacred nearly the entire
inhabitants by driving them like swine
from the heights OF the Gibbons into
the sea beneath. AS we sailed past the
grewsome spot, my coasters skipper
pointed out myriads of slender and
graceful hawks nesting in, and wheel
ing about. the lofty crags. These are
the Goblin hawks" of lowly folklore
of to-day. But long ago they were the
Irish g~Oss-hawks, famous in history and
song as objects of chase with ancient
mobiles OF the kingdom.
We sailed between the Maidens, or
the five Hulin Rocks, the two largest
with their lofty striped lighthouses
like some giants Balmoral hose hung
from invisible lines in the clouds to-
dry, and the mainland, catching
charming glimpses of Larne city at the
sea mouth Of Larne Tough; and then
stood away to the northwest for Ben
more or Fairhead, the most northeast
ern point in Ireland. To Glenarm
river and bay was a 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-cleaving
mountain heights, reach the sea in sue
cessions Of majestic cliffs, or dreamful
valleys whose very edges are laved by
| gentlest swells of the sea, while at
either side the thunders Of ocean-bat-
ties among the cavernous cliffs are
d~eafening and frightful beyond descrip-
ton. In all these valleys nestle most
diminutive and picturesque hamlets.
Far up their green sides is set a white
chapel or manor house. Perched in
the mountain peaks behind, OF on crags
half a thousand feet above the sea-, and
whose tops seem to pierce the
very clouds, haug castles old and new
as time is measured here, and gray
ruins, all like half-hid nests of the
rocks, magpies and sea-fowl that wheel,
cav and shrek around them. And then
as we pass sweet Glenarm town, nest
ling behind the bay, the radiant village
at n end OF the great arched bridge,
and at the other, the grotesque, though
imposing castle, what loving imagaries
the fancy paints within those lofty hill
screened glens, far in the murmurous
coverts-Glenarm, G~lencorp, Glenariff
Glen-Ballyemen, Glenanne and Glen
dun; where, in the shadows, those ten
derest Of all fOrgivably superstitious
creations, the good Irish fairies, fit and
dance and hold high carnival, and never
cease their happy orgies.
From Glenarm to Fair Head the tide
sweeps are most powerful, and our little
craft was of necessity kept further at sea.
But that grandest Of all Irish east coast
giants, magnificent Gerron Point. was
near. enough to be seen in all its
stately grandeur. Rising to a mighty
height almost straight out of the
waves, three lofty and symmetric
pinnacles, united by wall-like ranges OF
basalt, crown it above the nearly per-
pendicuiar escarpments, like tremen-
dous and peterborough ramparts.
Near to it lowers the ancient fort OF
Dunmaul, like a grim outpost at its feet;
while close at hand are the picturesque
h~abitations of the c~oast-guard and the
little fishing station. To the north lies
Red bay, a huge curvature in the sea
with Its caves and ruined castle; and we
are 500 abreast the Cushendall, On the
great coastroad of Antrim, beside the
river Dali, and at the bottom OF the 70
mantle glen OF Ballymena.. Behind are
the lofty hills OF Lurgeidan, green from
its summit to its blanohed chalk base,