Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-02-24

island, and reaching astounding distances
into the land. Between each bay the land
protrudes in long and Lofty granite ridges,
with innumerable noble promontories at
their sides and points, interspersed with
nest-like circling coves aud pleasant slopes;
and here nine-tenths 81 the rude folk OF all
Connamara dwell In the entire distance
from Clilden to Galway, the actual coast
line being upward of 200 miles in length,
there is not vii age OF 500 inhabitants.
Though all may have their little patch of
ground TOR tilling, they are all fishermen;
and every boat that scurries over the waters
of the BAYS, or rocks idly with the tide in
the liieless coves. has its owner or part own
er in the mountain and valley districts
near. As it is to-day, so it has been here in
this changeless region for 20, and perhaps
30, centuries.
The entire coast line and its innumerable
islands are dotted with shrines, sanctuaries
and antiquities, testi wing to the existence
OF an almost prehistoric people, from whom
through centuries upon centuries of exist
ence, practically unknown to the world at
large, and even to the people of Ireland
itself, these strange and almost as unnoticed
folk OF to-day ore descended. At as near
time as but 90 years ago, the entire popula-
tlon OF this coast were unacqualnted with
the nature and uses oil 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
trifing agriculture of the more inland dis
trcts, the most primitive manner of FISH
ing, the gathering OF laver, or ''sloken," as
the natives call it, hunting "dillisk," or
dulse, tor food, and preparing kelp ashes
tor use in the uiacture OF glass, are the
only means of sustenance. When these
fail, as they often do, there are famine and
woe in Connamara.
THE MYSTIC ISLES.
In no country have looked upon so sur
passing a landward view. Facing the south,
across the peaks of noble promontores a
tiny speck upon the sky's horizon shows
where the mystic "Isles OF Saints" the
Misunderstanding islands OF Arran. The
sea between is bare OF all save fishers sails
To the east and west are countless islands,
aad bay after bay with intervening heads,
until in the distance, huge purple cliffs
merge into black forbidden lines. You are
at the peak of lofty mountain, breast-deep
in heather; and have spread before you
every iorm OF life and scene, to discover any
one of which artists will travel half way
around the earth.
While wandering among the cliffs of
Roundstone, and watching maneuvers of
strange sea fowl which iniest the coast, 1
was witness to little incident quite extra
ordinary in itseli; and particularly note
worthy from the proof one development of
it gave to the remarkable similarity in ex-
preston and simile among ignorant Irish
peasantry of to-day to that employed by the
most poetic bards of ancient Erin. Coming
upon a village shaugran, or vagrant, who
had just stopped over the waters edge, and
tied with an osier thong dead herring to a
floating board, which, in its turn, was held
fast to the shaugran's grip by rope of
twisted grass, 1 made bold to inquire the
meaning of this singular appliance.
"Whisht bitI' he laconically replied,
Faith I'll show ye more pow nor powdher
n balll''
RARE wATERSIDE CRAFT.
And he did it, too. Among the sea-fowl |
about the crags were number of |
gannets-the ''solan goose" OF the coastwise |
in millions home in the |
Skerries. off the Irish southwest coast. Their |
presence here bodies "a plentiful season" to |
come. Scarcely had we screened ourselves |
behind a projecting rock, when one of these |
great birds, after several semi-circular |
sweeps at an immense height above dashed |
DOWNWARD like white aerolite through the |
air. An instant before it reached the her
ring, the shaugran gave the apparatus and |
its bait sharp jerk. A tremendous flutter
and splash followed. The gannet had the
herring in its gullet. But the shaugran
had the 'solan goose" whose neck was dis
located, in his hands. With a shrug, and
into Celtic, the vagrant introspec-
lively and deprecatingly remarked upon his
triumph:
"Eoin Bic Ballet % (Birds of little good).
In the Dinnsenchas these very words are
found. The sEoin Bale were the -Four
Kisses" OF Aengus, King of the Tuatha De
Danann, transformed into birds that haunt
ed the youth OF Erinn''-viz: ''the kisses of
lust, shame, sin and SORROW" 1. gave my
vagrant friend whole shilling for his exhi-
bition of waterside craft; but could not but
that it is long way from the
luatha De Danann to this wild Connamara
lad, who had never in his whole life set eyes
UPON book. EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.