New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-11

the sun sinks slowly in the west. beyond the wide
and desolate Atlantic plain. Eastward the crags
of Null grow dark. while high above them.
/ Girdng the summit of Ben More. vast masses Of
bronze cloud float dreamily In space. The Strait
Of Iona is one streak of FURNISHED silver. West
ward in the heavens the gold of sunset is veined
with long riffs of lilac and steel-b.ue. The
shadows deepen. The wide and lonesome moors,
in daytime green with rush grass and purple
with abundant heather.-grow DINNER and more
forlorn. The whisper of the rises. upon a
faint breeze of night and over the darkenng
solitude the jackdaws. in sable multitude.
make wing for the sombre tower of the ruined
church which is their home.
At late hour Of the night I made a visit to
Saint Grams Chapel. among the graves OF the
Scottish kings. and to the cathedral ruins
which then were partly in shadow and partly
illumined by the faint light of a gbbous moon.
The winds were hushed The like glass.
The sky was covered with thin clouds of silver
fleece through which the moonlight struggled,
commngling with the faint. doubtful radiance Of
a few uncertain stars. Upon the grassy plain
that surrounds the ancient church the spectral
crosses.-of st. Marin. ST. Matthew. and s.
john each casting a long weird shadow.-glim-
mered like ghosts. Within the ruins the awful
silence was broken only by low signing Of the
air through crevices Of he Wondering walls.
and by the futtering of birds. in the dark. hol-
low heights OF the great tower.-jackdaws. dis
tuybed IN their midnight sumber. by the un-
usual foot of Framed in darkness the
lovely eastern easement a wonder Of light
each mullion clearly defined. and every laurel
and rose made visible in perfection Of form
scarce dreamed of until then. stood long upon
the place of the altar. with those strange rude
effigies Of kings and warriors and priests around
me. and the stone pillar of st. COLUMBIA close
by. and / listened to the faint murmur OF the
sea: and in the chill air of midnight the rustling
OF the grass upon those broken arches seemed
the whisper of beings from another world Amid
such scenes Gs these the human spirit Is purified
and eXalted-because amid such scenes a thesr
the best Of our present life may b. entoyed. while
our humble and reverent hope of the life to com"
is streng hened and confirmed.
On "A Sunday morning | sailed. I'm small boat.
from Iona across to Null Neither wind nor tide
would serve us. anG had To make long
reach toward the ocean. so that | saw. very
close hand. and in their guse of holiday. those
dangerous Torran rOcks-Wel remembered as ]
had seen them in the terrors OF the tempest. but
peaceful ana smiling now. in the warm light of
! the morning sun and amid the calm OF the sleep
ing sea. over the waters al! around and often
near to our boat, the seagulls swooped and
| mewed and the cormorants skinned about.
while scores of black divers made their pretty
curves and vanished In the deep. Seals here and
| there up to view. and upon the low rocks
OF the coast some pairs Of "hoodecrOws. the i'll
| omered corbies Of the moorland. sat close to
| gether In sinister counsel. planning mischief
and doubtless intent upon its speedy accom-
pshment-for no bird is more sagacious OF more
wicked. The landing upon Null was accomplished
| by difficult scrambling over a mass OF Jagged
rocks. and presently We came TO neat ROAD.
| that winds away across the greai island cast
| ward and north toward the villages of kinira
| and Bumessan. Near to the shore there Is
| lonely little graveyard. In which are a few
mounds and rude sepulchral stones and was
| told that the bodies there buried were such as
had been intended for interment in Iona. but had
Mao cfa hx ct c-fp
weather the Sound becomes impossible and may
remain for many days az q time. Many such
accidental bournes Of sepulchre exist In n"
Western Islands OF Scotland.-their presence
deepening the melancholy hleakness OF solitary
places and darky besp"aking the inexorab'
power OF the savage Our walk was through
pasture lands for possibly three miles. with
scarcely house in sight. but many cattle and
sheep were visible. peacefully grazing. and often
we passed huge piles OF peat.-the only fuel that
is used in the Ross Of Null. Peat bogs abound In
that country. and some that saw were al least
twelve feet deep. The lower strata Is said 70 D."
the best and fire Of peats.-as had occasion
to KNOWS both comfortable and fragrant We
ma de our way into Null as far as the Parish of
Icolenkl extends. it's eastern boundary being
marked by a tiny brook. the "Curri" Of Scottish
song which rpples beneath the road. not far
eastward Of Loeb POrlie There are. In mat
Parish about 420 inhabitants. inclusive II tn"
keepers Of the lighthouse on the Dhu Heartach,
otherwise called the Rock of st. JOhn.-whch
is distant from Iona about fifteen miles. south
west. in the lone Atlantic. and on the still more
house-keepers have homes upon the Erraid Island.
among the Torran Rocks. and each man may
pass two weeks at home. after SIX weeks AT
the light. when the weather permits relief
boat to bring him away from his ocean soil
| tude. Lonelier vigils are not kept. anywhere In
| this world than those remote. sorm-beat"n
coasts Of the Hebrides Nowhere have tound
more primitive manners than In Null The in
habitants speak the Gaelic Language. and In mat
language divine service was performed-the MIN
ieier Of Iona. Rev Archibald Macmillan deliN-
nrng a sermon marked by intense feeling, win
ming sweetness. and perfect simplicity school
room serves for a church in mat wiid pac"'-Hs
walls or d'scolored plaster being hung round
with mapg-and the worshiDpers SIT upon
wooden benches. The manner Of all things there
was very simple. Each person. upon entering
placed a penny in the rlaie. near the door. All
were dressed In poor and plain attire. There was
| austere dccorum In those strong faces. ana
have not seen in any house OF worship more
profoundly revercnt spirit. The building Is iso-
lated and over miles Of encircl!ng pasture the
autumn sun shone brightly and the sable ROCKS,
| seemingly 20 wise and always 40 busy took
| their melancholy nicht. Ii the home OF me
! schooinaster, Mr.. Cameron. We wers entertained
~ith HikhIaed cordially. and 40 parting w
| sailed away. II was aitogethe- sweeter scene
| thar eau put into words-but something At
| ;aast Is accomplished when other travellers are
| impelled to see such sights for themselves. Tho
sky half blue and half filled with clouds OF white
| nd slate smiled over as we spec. me sea WAS
| smooth and save for the tapping OF the waves
against our boat heard no sound When hair
way across the Strait OF Iona the voyaeer may
| Torran Rocks In another. and the Morven
lights Just peeping over the Null wreath OF
mist was on Ben More. but the peak OF that
mountain stood clearly forth above H. ana scat
tered here and there among the glisten'ng REQ
rocks OF Null the little cottages seemed more man
ever the abo1es Of predestinate and unassaiIab'c
pesce Before us lay the fields ~ fair iona:
golden and green In a blaze OF sunshine AROUND
nc the sea was gray. or violet. or resp'nuPn
with great streaks OF purple. Clear against the
western sky rose the cairn Of Tomas mountaN
OF Dun-I and more near we saw the ruins or the
N,nnery and the Cathedral. beautiful In proper
ton lovely in color. and venerable with the
memories Of near eight hundred years. IN" great
| Cathedral tower visible from almost every point
IN this region. dominates every picture: ana no
effec, of color could be finer than It's comming1ng
| -. ii aud praN In the warm lIRht OF the au-