Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-23

you and fervently repeating, "Felix viahei- felix viagel Dios le companel" On many occasions when taking my departure from Irish cabins where have passed the night as when I parted from my friends behind Bunowen Bay-the old dame in the loft sleeping peacefully after her bitter ebullition against the hated English tongue-the father and eldest son would set forth with me. Each would insist upon carrying some one of my belongings, such as my lunch wallet, Then the way would be made sad by protes-
 tations of how little they had been able to
 do in the matter of entertainment, or fowery with groteseue legends of the neighborhood.
 Their warnings against this pitfall or that, this sordid inhabitant or that one, one she
 been or another. and above all that ''kape an aisy eye on the murtherin' consthabnla- ry," were full of the truest friendIiness and concern. And finally at parting what hand- shaking was there over and over; what rais- ings of the voice to the shriIl and pathetic I in torrents of friendly oratory; what "Luck go wid yezt' and Gods blessing on yez!' Gust as with the sunny Cuban's Happy journey!-God keep you company" only tenderer and truer here in Ireland); until one must be very finty indeed who does not feel softening thrill from heart to eye, d1m-
 ming the landscape for an instant, when you
 turn and are alone upon your pleasant way.
 From Slyne Head to Cloghmore, opposite
 the Arran Islands, the entire southwestern
 coast of Connamara is a series of bays,
 sounds and bights filled with enchanting is-
 lands and reaching astounding distances into
 the land. Indeed the latter typographical peculiarity is such a remarkable one that, following the Bay of Birterbuy north until it merges into Ballanahiuch river and lake, the low mooraland to the northeast to Lough Corrib, the latter to the upper part of Lough Mask, and this to Clew Bay, one can readily fancy that at rapnO&a firna Ina vast track thus given an eastern boundary was @ noble island of the Atlantic. Between each bay the land protrudes in long and lof- ty granite ridges, with innumerable noble promontories at their sides and points, inter spersed with nest like circling coves and pleasant slopes; and here nine-tenths of the rude folk of all Connamara dwell. In the entire distance from Clifden to Galway, the actual coast-line being upwards of two hun dred miles in length, there is not village of five hundred inhabitants. But, almost like the sea fowl of the rugged coast, they gather in trihing communities in the most inaccessi- ble spots; and like them still suhsist upon what the sea and the shores may yield. Though all may have their little patch of ground for tilling, they are all fishermen; and every boat that scurries over the waters of the bays, or rocks idly with the tide in the lifeless coves, has it's owner or part own- CT in the mountain and valley districts near As it is to day, so it has been here in this changeless region for twenty, and perhaps thirty, centuries.
 The entire coast-line and it's innumerable islands are dotted with shrines, sanctuaries and antiquities testifying to the existence of an almost prehistoric people, from whom through centuries upon centuries of exis- tence, practically unknown to the world at large, and even to the people of Ireland it. self, these strange and almost as unnoticed folk of to-day are descended. At as near time as but fifty years ago the entire popula- tion of this coast were unacquainted with the nature and uses of money. Tithes were paid by them and their rude and few wants supplied through the barter of hides, fish and the sea weeds of the shore. There is little difference now. Aside from the tri- fling agriculture of the more inland districts, the more primitive manner of fishing, the gathering of layer, or "sloken" as the natives call it, hunting ''dillisk" or dulse for food, ufacture of glass, are the only means of sus- tenanoe. When these fail, as they often do, there are famine and woe in Connamara
 But there is a never ceasing fascination to the wanderer in the entire region. It seems to center at the rugged, sleepy, rotting old hamlet of Roundstone, near the head of Bir- terbuy Bay. From this queer spot an hun dred places of rare scenic, superstitlous and antiquarian interest may be visited. The lofty mountain Urrisbeg furnishes the grand est view; the island of CFuogh Mac Dara is a veritable cauldron of superstitions; and at Toombeola above one may delve into history, passing the Firbolg epoch and reaching the farthest pallid thread of Irish tradition. Cruogh Mac Dara island is an inviolable sanctuary, dedicated to the miraculous Saint Mac Dara; and never was there fisherman, but one, that failed to lower his sails three times ss a mark of reverence when passing it. That one, it is shudderingly related, never came back to the little hamlet. From the top of the Alpine height of Urrisbeg, just opposite the cove and town, can be had one of the most resplendent coast and inland panoramic views in Ireland. Between it and Ballanahinch lies the district of Ballindoon, a perfect network of lakes and rivulets, with here and there the white cabins of the peasants like great white birds in lonely lso- lation in vast land of lagoons. Over one hundred lakes can be counted; and anglers should know that here is an untouched para dise Beyond to the north stretches the val- ley of Ballanahinch, with it's winding river, it's splendid tough, studded with islands and picturesque with crags and ruins. Rising to the right and left the valleys rims leap into noble heights, and far beyond forming an background, the majestic Pins of Bunnabeola pierce the very clouds. In no country have I looked upon so surpassing a landward view. Facing the south, across the peaks of noble promontories, tiny speck upon the sky's horizon shows where the mystic ''Isles of Saints," the famine breeding islands of Arran. The sea between is bare of all save fishers sails. To the east and west are countless islands, and bay after bay with intervening headlands, until, in the huge purply cliffs merge into black forbidding lines. You are at the peak of 8 lofty mountain, breast-deep in heather; and have spread before you every form Of life and scene, to discover any one of which ar- fiofo will ya1 ho1f praUnd tha earth
 While wandering among the cliffs of Roundstone, and watching manosuvers of strange sea-fowl which infest the coast, l was witness to little incident quite extraor- dinary in itself; and particularly noteworthy from the proof one development of it gave to the remarkable similarity in expression and simile among ignorant Irish peasantry of to- Iay to that employed by the most poetic bards of ancient Erin. Coming upon vil- lage shaugran or vagrant, who had just stopped over the waters edge, and tied with an osier thong a dead herring to a floating board, which in it's turn was held fast to the shaugran's grip by 8 rope of twisted grass, l made bold to inquire the meaning of this singular appliance.
 "Whisht bitl" he Iaconically replied. "Faith I'll show ye more pow'r nor powdher n ball!'
 And he did it too. Among the sea-fowl wheeling about the crags were a number of gannets-the "aolan goose" of the coastwise peasantry-whioh, in millions home in the Skerries, off the Irish southwest coast. Their presence here bodes ia plentiful sea- son" to come. Scarcely had we screened ourselves behind projecting rock when one
 of these great birds, after several semi circu-
 lar sweeps at an immense height above,
 dashed downward like 8 white aerolite
 through the air. An instant before it
 reached the herring the shaugran gave the
 apparatus and it's bait sharp jerk. A tre-
 mendous futter and splash followed. The
 gannet had the herring in it's gullet. But
 the shaugran had the "solan goose," whose
 neck was dislocated, in his hands. With 6
 shrug, and relapsing into Celtic, the vagrant
 introspectively and deprecatiDgly remarked
 upon his triumph:
 "Eoin Bic Bailel" Birds of little good In the Dinnsenchas these very words are found. The ''Eoin Bsile" were the "Foul Kisses" of Aengus, King of the Tuatha Dc Danann, transformed into "birds that haunt ed the youth of Erinn"-viz: "the kisses o lust, shame, sin and sorrow" I gave my vagrant friend a whole shilling for his exhi l bition of waterside craft; but could not bu l remember that 1t is long way from the Tu' atha De Dansnn to this wild Connamsrs lad II -l-1- 1uTn