The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-11
Observation-Disclosures
THE LITTLE MANX ISLAND AND
ITS FOLK-IL


A Series OF CharmiaR Pictures of
Northumberland scenes From High.
est Mountain Peak to :Edgs OF Cir
cling Sea, Whereat Stride one May
Pass From the Nineteenth TO the
Fifth Century.
CCopvrfglt1
RAMSEY, ISLE OF MAN, Nov. 26.-You
will always have the Isle of Man dearest as
a series of charming pictures in your mem
DRY after you have sailed around the island.
1t is oaly little journey OF seventy five or
eighty miles. The steamers bring you from
Douglas TO Douglas again in only six hours
time. Pleasanter still is it to engage a
smart little craft and alone or with friends
idle along at will with wind or tide, gain
ing much Manx color aud feeling from your
grave and serious skipper's tales, and COM
ing close to the fisher life of the countless
half hid coves and bays
Besides, in this way with a good marine
glass you can scan every square foot of
Mainland There is nowhere greater dis
lance than six or seven miles from highest
| mountain peak to edge of oircling sea- The
| beautiful Typographical coaiguration of the
island Is thus made memorable From a
mile or two at sea- off Douglas, which shines
from its crescent bay with almost the brill
| fancy or Naples, the chief mountain range
shows at It's best. IL extends thgee-fourths
or the islands length, almost as centrally
| as line could be drawn.
And every one of the pleasant Manx
mountains is in full view. There is South
| Barrule, the southerumost Tnen comes
| the Cairn and Greebs Between these is
the great valley pass leading from Douglas.
| the maritime eastern capital of Mau, to an
| Client reel, It's western port, Iine old fishing
| town, reminding of Cornish st. Ives A
| Hood of light seems 10 break each way
through this deep, wide pass. Between the
Cairn and Greeba is the famous Msnx
Mecca of Druidic origin, Tvnwald mount,
where all the laws Of Mainland are still
annually proclaimed
Golden, Sarttell and BENNY Phott group
| closely to the north and then comes
Snaefell, mountain monarch of Mainland,
his only northern rival, giant North Bar
rule, which breaks into savage Maughton
head, by pleasant Ramsey bay. 1t is
strange feeling that you can see half the
homes of the entire Manx nation at glance.
From the top of Snaefell you can see them
all. Besides, from the same place you can
look far into Ireland, Scotland, England
and Wales.
Coastiug to the north. the ever changing
panorama OF mountains.consJantly in view,
first comes Laxey bay and village, the latter
at the entrance to q witching glen, sur
rounded by noble hills, whose sides are
thickly dotted with stone monuments left
by the earlier island races. Here is also
found a great cairn called King Orry's
grave, which tradition aud dim Maux his
| tory assign to the bones Of the Danish prince
who more than 1000 years ago gave the
Manxmen freemen's rights Older than
Orry's bones are the LaXey mines the only
| ones OF Importance in Man, which possesses
the famous Laxey overshot water wheel,
said to be the largest in the world.
Perhaps six miles farther to the north,
and your craft will be abreast Of Maughold
Head. 1t is a weird and grand old head
land, and the vicinity has for ages pos
| sessed a reverential awe to all seafarinQ
folk. This has been due to the miracles
wrought at its holy we'll and to the odor Of
sanctity left upon the place by st. Maugh-
old. The latter was in his early life a gay
and wicked Irish prince. Converted by the
| preaching of the good st. Patrick, he de-
! termined to renounce the world. He put TO
sea In wicker boat, giving himself up to
the mercy of the winds and waves He was
| driven ashore here ON the most inaccessible
| coast of Man. The holy well or fountain
burst from the spot where he first gained
safe ground.
Then followed the wonderful conversion
to Christianity from paganism of the Manx
| people. The very walls of the curious old
| st. Maughold church were built by this
| evangelist, and one Of the strangest and
most venerable crosses in Britain, the cross
Of St. Maughold, still standing in the an
Gent churchyard, was erected 10 commence
rate the saints deliverance from the sea
and his conversion of the Manx people.
One side of this remarkable relic contains
| carving of st. Mau9hold another of the
! Virgin and Child; and a later embellish-
ment on a third side depicts the crucidx, to
which is Joined the arms of Mantle three
| bent legs, with the brave motto: Whichever
] way thrown Tor cast, it stands.n The entire
| district is a bit of interchangeable antiquity
| bound by primitive customs, enmeshed in
| the strangest superstitions Illustrative,
the parish clerk IS still elected by the votes
| OF only those parishioners who put out
| smoke" that is, whose habitations possess a
chimney; and a near Runic cross by the
roadside is a profane old female wool car
| rier who, for cursing at the wind, was
| turned to stone.
When Maughold Head is rounded, the
| long reach of Ramsey bay. extending nine
miles to Point OF Avre, the northernmost
headland of Man, gives scene of unsur-
| passed beauty and interest. The red cliffs
trace an almost vernillion shore line be-
tween the blue of the sea and the simmer
ing gold of the upland gorse. At the CEN
ter of the bay is the fine old town, its
ancient walls and roofs contrasting
! strangely with its modern ways and facades.
A sleepy yet bright old face has Ramsey;
like some noddinR grandam whom hoyden
| children have stolen upon in her sleep to
| believer and berlbbon and who, on waking,
has as much mischief in her glad old eyes
as in the merry hearts that made the frolic
To the right and left, villas and villages
! innumerable; and behind, but a mile or
| two away, the golden gorse is blended with
the puppies and mists among the nights OF
North Barrule.
In rounding the Point of Ayre your skip
per will cease his tales and attend closely TO
his little craft II is a dangerous ocean
way. The meeting Of the tides causes
almost a maelstrom, ''the Streeu," or strife,
contention, the Manx call it. All around
the northern coast, which is low. from sea
to sward are strange terraces of sea cobbles;
small, polished stones as round as cannon
balls. They are constantly changing their
position from the action If the waters, ard
are as treacherous to the foot as quicksands.
Between Ayre light house and the northern
base OF the mountains, perhaps anseighth Of
the total If Man TO- a almost laval