Morning journal and courier., 1892-12-10

CircIing Sea, Where at a Stride one
May Pass From the Nineteenth TO
the Fifth Century.
RAMSEY, Isle of Man, Nov. 26.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER.
You will always have the Isle of Man
ciearegt as eeries of charming piotures
in your memory after you have sailed
around the island. 1t is only little jour
ney of seventy-f five or eighty miles. The
steamers bring you from Douglas to Doug
las again in only six hours time. Pleas
anter still it is to engage g smart little craft
and alone or with friends idle along a.
will with wind or tide, gaining much Manx
color and feeling from your grave and re-
rious shippers tales, aud coming close to
the fisher life of the countless half hid
coves and bays.
Besides in this way with good marine
glass you can scan every square foot OF
Mainland. There is nowhere greater
distance than six or seven miles from
highest mountain peak to edge of circling
sea. The beautiful Typographical confgu-
ration of tine island is thus made memora-
bic. From a mile or two at sea, off Doug
las, which shines from its crescent bay
with almost the brillisncy of Naples, the
chief mountain range shows at its best.
1t extends three-fourths of the islands
length, almost as centrally as line could
be drawn.
And every one of these pleasant AsDx
mountains is in full view. There is South
Barrule, the southernmost. Then comes
the Cairn and Greeba. Between these is
the great valley pass leading from Doug
Las, the maritime eastern capital of Man,
to ancient Peel, its western port, fine old
fishing town, reminding of Cornish st.
Ives. A food of light seems to break
each way through this deep, wide pass.
Between the Cairn and Grrebs ia the fs-
nous Manx Mecca of Dru!dic origin, Tyn-
wald mount, where all the laws of Manx-
land are still annually proclaimed.
Golden, Sartfell and BENNY Phott group
closely to the north, and then comes Snae-
| fell, mountain monarch of Mainland, bis
| only northern rival, giant North Bsrrule,
| which breaks into savage Maughold Head,
by pleasant Ramsey bay. 1t Is a 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.
| Cca ting to the north, the ever changing
| panorama of mountain constantly in view,
| first comes Laxey bay and village, the lat
| ter at the entrance to witching glen, sur
rounded by noble hills, whose sides are
| thickIy dotted with stone monuments left
i by the earlier island races. Here Is also
/ found q great cairn called King Otry's
grave, which tradition and dim Asnx his
| tory assign to the bones of the Danish
| prince who more than thousand years
| ago gave the Manxmen freemen's rights
Older than Orry's bones are the LaxeJ
mines, the only ones of Importance IN
Man, which possess the famous LsXey
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 Maugh
old Head. 1t is weird and grand old
headland, and the vicinity has for sget
possessed reverential awe to all seafarine
folk. This has been due to the miracles
wrought at it's holy well, and to the odol
of sanctity left upon the place by St
Maughold. The latter was in his early life
a gay and wicked Irish prince. Converted
by the preaching of the good Saint Pat
rick, he determined to repounce the world
He put to sea in wicker boat, giving him
self up to the mercy of the wind anc
waves. He was driven ashore here on the
most inaccessible coast of Man. The holy
we'll or fountain burst from the spot wher'
| he first gained safe ground.
Then followed the wonderful conversion
to Christianity from paganism of the Mani
people. The very walls of the curious ole
st, Maughold church were built by this
evangelist; and one of the strangest ant
most venerable crosses in Britain, tn
cross of St. Maughold, still standing il
the ancient churchyard, was erected t.
commemorate the saints deliveranee iron
| the sea and his conversion of the Man!
people. One side of this remarkable reli
contains a carving of Saint Maughold; an
| other of the virgin and child; and a late
embellishment on third side depicts tn
crucifixion, to which is joined the arms o
Mantle three bent legs, with the brsy
motto: "Whichever way thrown (or cast
1t stands" The entire district is bit o
unchangable antiquity, bound by primi
tive customs, enmeshed in the stranges
supsrstitions. Illustrative, the psrisl
, clerk is still elected by the votes of onl
those parishioners who "put out smoke,
that is, whose habitations possess a chin
ney; and near Runic Cross by the road
side is profsne old female wool-carrie
who, for cursing at the wind, was turne
to stone.
When Maughold Head is rounded th
? long reach of Ramsey bay, extending min
0 miles to Point of Ayre, the northernmos
: headland of Man, gives scene of unsul
passed beauty and interest. The red cliff
L trace an almost vermillion shore line b
b tween the blue of the sea and the shin