Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-18


 Great Skellig Rock-DimcuIty and
 Danger In Ascending the shelving
 Rock.
 KNIGHTsTowN, Ireland, May 6. To the Editor of the JoURNALAND COURIER:
 If any one ever heard of .Valentia Island, Ireland, the thought concerning it is likely to have only taken on tue commercial form of it's being bit of land off the southwest Irish coast, to which and from whence the needs and news of, the new and the old world are day and night flashed over the At lantic cables, the successful laying of the first of which was accomplished in July, 1856. But no spot within the myriad en- trancing places provided among the natural beauties of Ireland can be found mora enjoy- able from it's own winsomeness and gram deur. It is an emerald gem cut out of the northwestern corner of the peninsula barony of Iveragh, in county Kerry, with the sea ever laundering against the sublime cliffs of it's southwest and northwest faces, and slo- ping to verdure clad beaches, kissed by sil- very waters which, land locked, wimple along it's northeast and southwest shores. The entrance from the northwest to the sun- ny roadstead and harbor behind it Is narrow and picturesque indeed. It sweeps past the island headland that frowns above the ocean af the south furnishes to the north the grandly beautiful perspective of Doulus Head, overhung by the mountain of Kilane behind; divides past misty and mystic island and is let; stretches one shining arm between pur- pie heights to the northeast and lays anoth- CT lovingly back to the southeast harbor- hal hao I'll and along the low lying edge of the islands upland creeping swells. Here sleep village, hamlet and clustering cabins in setting and scene of somuolence and nature's luxurianoe which recall the dreamful atmosphsres and environment of the semi-tropical nests along the quaint Riviera. The southeastern arm of the northern rosdstesd turns again to the southwest. Broadening at first, the noble | hsrbor of Valentis Is formed between the l loveliest of shores. Then the channel is | narrowed and the southwestern exit to, and | entrance from, the sea is crowded between | dark and solemn crags for miles. This sud- | denly opens upon the Atlantic with one of | the noblest marine and coastwise views in | the whole world. To the right the eye rests | upon the magnificent heather sweeps of Cor rabeg Hill and Corramore Hill, and the stern and awful sea walls of Fohilly Cliffs and l Bray Head. To the left the wondrous coast l line sweeps away to the southeast like some l battlement lowered wall to far mountain 1 peaked Bolus Head. Before you rise those l awful crags of the ocean, the Skelligs. 1 While between the sky and the mighty | swells ot the sea thousands of fishers sails l and millions of gannets, puffins and coorm | rants play athwart the scene like tremendous fecks of white shimmering upon bed of | blue.
 The island has Spanish instead of an l Irish name. All the western and southwest ern portion of Ireland, from it's discovery l until as late as the year 1900, was occupied by Spaniards; and Valentia, named in honor of the fine old Spanish town of Valentis, on the Turia, near it's mouth in the Mediterra-
 mean, was especially beloved by the free
 booters of that nation. The harbor, with 8
 noble entrance from the sea at both the
 northern and southern extremities, was par
 ticularly adapted for a rendezvous of this
 sort The pirates set their watches upon the
 headlands and promontories. These readily
 gave notice as to which end of the harbor
 any ship of war directed entrance. No soon-
 CT was this known than the privateer gaily
 sailed out at the other; and if chase was
 made in that direction the flying craft ire | quently saucily sailed in at the other again Among the fishermen, some of whom, as at l
 extraction, are found the queerest tales oi
 spectre pirate ships; and of one in particular l which, at certain seasons of the year and turn of the tide, sails thrice around the is.
 land at night in search of it's skipper bold who lost his head in an engagement here ) l with one of Queen Anne's ships of war
 Sineularly enough this phantom ship if
 manned by hobgoblin dullaghans. These l are the spooks you are likely to come upon if you are little soft upon the subject o fairies. who carry their heads under theil , arms, in their pockets or even leave them be
 hind altogether if in @ great hurry. They
 are solely of Irish extraction; and the super I stition bellies even the ancient Irish people
 fairies included, who never furnished pirate for any craft or seas. But Cromwell in 164 l put an end to the French as well as Spanisl pirates of this lovely retreat, and built tw, ! stone forts, one at each entrance from tn
 sea, where lighthouses now stand; an, where among the ruins of the ancient fort 1 resses may be found many of the queer ol B world cannon of two hundred and fifty year r ago.
 Coming as tourist to the Island of Va 7; lentia, you would ride forty five miles | "long-cRr" from Killarney and make you n headquarters at Cahirsiveen; or cross th !, little ferry three miles below, where the hal | bor is but 8 half mile wide, coming directl d into the chief island hamlet of Knight l, town, where there is more than one quair s little Irish inn; few cottage homes whel I wealthy English and Irish families pass pa - of each summer for the magnificent boatin, e bathing, fishing and scenery of the localit @ and an isolated group of unpretentious buili @ ings at the southern edge of the hamlet, the working headquarters of the Atlant a- Telegraph company. Three cables are no
 operated at this point, one of which is direct communication with Embden, in Nor l. Germany. Messages from all parts of Anne ,e ica are sent direct via New York, Cape Br ar ton, Newfoundland and Valentia to Embdt st and all portions of Continental Europe. IT 's operating rooms are only two in numbe al IF one of these onerators are exclusively ca work unon the Emhdeu cable messages. {