Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-02-12
FOREIGN TRAVEL.
Odd Incidents and Observations
Of the Poet Traveller.
wAKEMApS wANOERlNsS.
An Interesting wish 10 The Old Monks Haunls
Of the Great SkaIHg Rock--E Early Mass
In valelia Scottish Folk Not the
Drinkers They We're.
Copyright 1898 by Edgar l.. Wakemau)
London Jan 80. tNlb

Copyright 1893 by Edgar l., Wakeman)
london, Jan 50, iNll3
I wonder how many Americans ever
visited the famous SkclligH of the south
west coast of lwlandY They arc The
most southwestcry extensions of ireland
are thfce IN number; and lic Ia direct
line southwest 0f Port Mage The FIRST.
and The least w called Lemon Rock. IL
Is round, solid mass rising only q few
feet above thu water The second and
neat larger Is called little, or lesser,
Skcllg. aud is q craggy grouping Of
rocky pmnncles, standing grim and black
against the sky; as though some city Of
churches With wOudrOus Nccplps had
been submerged, rearing above the waves
their mighty Gothic smrcs among which
millions of sca-hirds had found their
dcsolate homes.
The Thrill the Great Skcllig. ~ prc.
cisply niue miles nt spn from Port Mngvc.
it Us an enormous and pwcipitous mass
Of rock rising pprpcudirulNrly at neatly
nll angles tu the height OF several huu-
drcd feet, and from thence pushing sky
wand stupendous, irregular groups, tcrmi
mating n two lofty pinuUclrs, the highest
of which reaches AN altitude of 40 feet
10 ts said that the ocean sOuudings
10 are tar deeper Than those iu any part
of the English channel: and nt mo- other
point upon the whole Atlantic nrc wit.
iN'HHNN NNNn MWINl hNNllfN lltlWtNN MNNN
aud stone, The base Of the only light.
house now I'm use upon Gput Skrllig
stands upon level rock. 1iO feet
above the sea, aud thc roof " this lofty
structure WAS few years ngu crushed
in aud partly carried away 10y the Hs-
suults ut the waves, which must have
been lined upwards Of lSO frpt above
Che sea level TO have bccu dashed upon
A determination TO land upon aud scale
Great SkVllig is moro easily formed
than he the project performed. for crttnin
destruction attends attempted mudinr
save whom old uccun may De- caught nap.
ping aud for q few hours quite at rest
Every day for nearly % wrck. with
Kerry fisherman fricud ! arose before
day und iumprl tu the cliffs below Port
Magrc for forecast of Wind, weather aud
svu. AZ last u nrupltuus day cumc.
With my friend and three Of hs hurdy
companions we set forth in a strong open
boat with he outgoing tide FROM tie
tiny pier of the port aud without stroke
OF ohr were soon sweeping through the
southern entrance of the hurbor of
Valencia
The SEN was perfectly calm az we lcft
the channel, save where impec,pUhle
distant mclls, mussiug upon the half
hidden Lodge that protects the harhur rn-
tuuco, Hung gllttpriug Hpump aud spray
Bray llcnd rose prcoipiti0usly 1000 feet
uut of the water Beyond ths. uuumpr.
able ilshcrs suils blended like huge ON.
coming surge ut the edge uf the horizon
To the left, grim hradlnuds stretched
away in dur, projections tu fu BOlus
lloOd; aud the long regular strokes of
the oursmcu Nppn sped us past Putin
lHnud. Va un hour aud O lnlf we were
alongside Lemon island, ling like sOmo
sleeping, hult.hidduu monster tu our
right; aud m two hours time Nr had
come uhronst of Skcllig.
Here We were favored with u chnrlc-
toristc sight This island ~ the only
one of the Irish coast where the muffin
hunts aud breeds in countless uumhrrg
Taking advantage of the placid son,
perhaps three score cnuEtwisp folks were
here seeking those fowl within the d..
Hurrs aud "lcfts of the ornrs. Many nc.
ril battles hctNcuu muu slung with
ropes FROM dangerous heights and the
birds they were mrrcilrsrly seeking wprc
srrn in che progress ua we passed The
eggs and flesh of the putin ARE cntcn:
their touthcrs uru dried aud sold and tu.
Hug truilc Is currlcd ON iu picllpi or
cured puilius which IRE exchanged for
potatoes and meal with the country folk |
ol the lycUgh wilds
Al last The Great Skpllir was reached. |
and we mndc a landing without difficulty |
Rpt from the sea. begged the bOutmpn |
tp climb the crugs with me. but they |
shook thrr hrHds rrnvcly and refused |
Tho rcnrOn for this us rpntod hv nav /
fisher friend who consented 10 accom-. |
puuy me, was uu account of certain pnr- /
tentious suponHitions the pcnsnntry aud |
bHhernen tcnnriously hold regarding the |
spot The only human hpinpg now living /
upon Great Skrllig are those having |
charge Of the lighthouse
But moro than thousand years ago.
hundreds, II not thousands passed their |
lives la religious devotion upon those
Wild Nrn-m0untnin: for this place WAS
then tho st. Michuols mount Of Ireland.
lis history was luminous even In the
earliest dayH Of Christianity in ERIN.
4 majestic monastery once stood IN the
little valley between the two lofty peaks
Of The Island. From the finglp iundinR-
plncc, go stone steps many portions of
which remain. led Ia The monastery, the
reut cushel, the Orntorics. the stone coils.
the ancient burial place and many unr-
corded structures which tho iucnlculable
Ioil and zculous conservation Of n remote
lgc grouped within this sacred spot.
Easily traced remains uf nenrly all these
structures SIN csiHt, and fragments Of |
gigantic crosses hero and there puAb
through thr sirnnge debris, whose con-
.emplatiOr cannot hut send % thrill
.hluhkh lir ltdsl Impressive heart
Far, fur nhnyp this toms ~ thousands
If pilgrims u ih0 Intervening centuries
hive climbed Npnr tho ton VI Tho Dln.
iaolp OnA must squeeze through a narrow
Irihco, Chilled tho Needles Eye IN orr
der 10 follow their ollpn painful WAY
lust beyond his Us u narrow ridge or
saddle OF solid rock. One must gpt n
stride this and work along with lego aud
hands until nn ascending shelving rock
h reached, Tho danger here is terrible
Jn' falls move mcnt ana you are plunged
lendlOng into the sea from either side
From this IA the highest point my fpirly
iurtfpoicd man may pi rs securely 10 ne
slender yitd-ulde iumuit, along which
ire found rudely srulptured crosses, on
stations,
/ have been IN soiuo ccrie spots 10 my
rayel, bat nevor before have / stood
where such sense Of subimity mingled
with uwc-inspring insecurity POSSESSED
ne On three Sides you look down "a |
black, straight line Of over 700 feet into
he occun Behind and below you are
ie solemn ruins Of remote ages Fnf 10 |
he north and east is The weird, sem
vailed coast. Your own land is 1000
miles beyond those white specks Of |
isher-boats 10 the west Around and |
lboye y0u are only the palpabe clouds,
md ghostly whistle Of ddriiug sea-birds's
wing The solemn grandeur aud awful