The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1888-03-03
STARVING BY The YyAYSIDE.
Michael Davitt Makes &. Quiet Visit
to the Islands OF
Arran.
BUYING THE PEOPLE FOOD
Story of the Hunger and Death
in Fisherman Brabazon's
Cabin.
[Blakely Hall in Boston Globe ]

(Blakely Hall in Boston Glohe.]
ARRAN ISLANDS, Galway Bay, Feb.
18.-Michael Davitt, accompanied by
your correspondent, arrived here yes
terday, after final aud heartless bit of
diplomacy directed toward the British
detectives.
The misery and destlrutlon on tbs
islands is 80 great that Imperative re-
| lief is demanded. 4 funa WAS placed
in Mr.. Dayitt's hands for this purpose Of
supplying the people with food. When
we left the hotel at Galway early yes
terday morning, three detectives fol-
lowed us to the wharf. There was but
one sailboat there, and We engaged 1t.
''How far is it to the Arran islands %
Thirty miles, said the boatman,
with O. glance at the clouds. It'll take
lis till night t'gst there with this
wind"
'Is there shorter Way %
There is
''W hat is it -
"Take Car along the shore till you
come to Costello bay, an thin sail tin
miles across tbs channel"
''If we don't take your boat, re-
marked Mr.. Davltt, gazing dreamily
at great disturbance at an upper
pier, "what will you do p
Faith, yer honor, Iii sail down the
bay an git q mess ay tish, -
How far %
About twelve miles,
Gould you make it double the dis.
tance 90 .-.
~ could sail ahead then. and be sure
that our friends beyond there do not
catch you"
The skipper looked ahead, grinned
delightediy, and, calling his men. ran
up the rnainsail, shock ont che j 10 and
moved away. We were sheltered from
view by a pile of bales, The disturb
ance at the adjoining pier had at last
settled down into bargain, and The
threa detectives set out to sea ia k ne
row-boat manned by four men. They
evidently thought we were in the cabin
/! of the sIoop, and the Irish kipper OF
the staunch little vessel kept up the
delusion to the immense delight of him
self and his crew by holding long and
excited conversations with nobody in
the cabin. The sloop sailed away, and
after it struggled the rowboat, with the
spray dashIng over the budding fig
ures of the officers IN the stern sheets
Our jauntlng car Started along tbs
smooth roads 40 hour Later, aid we
saw no more of the chase Of !e fishing
boat that day, The long drive OF TWEEN
ty-four miles was broken by the crowds
that cheered MIR. Davitt whenever we
passed through Villages. Finally We
came TO the end Of civilization, and
stopped for bite b9fora crossing a
bleak moor to the edge Of Costello bay.
1t was four o'clock before We started
for the biggest Of The three Arran
Islands. We found a dshlng boat Of
about forty tons burden and chartered
her to take US over. Tnsman do nand
ed the exorbitant sum of shilling for
carrying us ten miles.
,An' On be glad t. git it, he said,
'iur our lux g bin BAD We Gshed fer
two days an only caught two d,h. We
traded wan av th' fish fur a bushI av
pertaties, an afther carayia' tn spuds
three miles tn mate slippet an split
tn hull lot overboard.''
This tale was told with herror-
struck face as we talked in the teeth Of
a bowling wind that sent the spray from
stem to stern. 1t was rough sailing
and we were drenched half an hour af-
| ter the start.
It was dark when we swung past a
towering light house and brought up at
small pier. But despite the gloom,
the boat had been seen, and the pier
was crowded by motley group Of half
clad men and WON 9n, who recognized
Mr.. Davitt in the glare OF the lantern,
and divlning that he had come on q
mission of mercy and beRevolence they
raised cheer that echoed back and
forth between the stony hills half a
dozen times. Some of the people ran
ahead to tell the priest the news aud
the others tramped silently after US. AS
we ascended the hill the door of a small
cottage was thrown open aud the parish
priest, Father O'Donoghue, and his GU
rate, Father Farragher, came out. They
were on a bluff, and as they hurried
down the rocks to mset us the gale
blew their robes wildly to and fro. Toe
children, dancing and screechiDg wildly
arc und the two priests, looked like de-