New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-10-28
GLENCOE.
THE SCENE OF THE MASSACRE.
FROM OBAN TO DALLACHUIIsH-A NiGhI IL Inn
PASS or GLENcOE-OssIAN's CAVE
HIGHLAND PICTURES.


HIGHLAND PICTURES.
! Glencoe Hotel Sept. 1i.-As sailed out OF
| Oban Bay the sea was perfectly smooth, the al
was cool and sweet. and. looking eastward, we
! could see rift, of blue shining through a gray
and rainy sky The course was northward' past
| tho ivy-clad ruins Of Dhunolly Castle. ana past
| the mouth Of Loeb Etiye with Lsmore-'he
| Great Garden.-on the west. and the mountains
! of Bcndcr.och and Ardcnattan on the asi Wh'Ie
! i'm front gradually opened the gay ana oioo"nhs
prospect Of the Ards Of Appin. i is lovely
country. and whether seen in sunshine or in
| shadow it fires the Imagination and satisfies the
| heart as nothing else can do On Lsnore the
fields were green and fair. and upon the rocks
! that fringe the shore glowcd many patches OF
brilliant moss which presently were reflected ~
tho stu ard shining water. and W. saw tie rifts
along The coast wherein boats had been beached
and inland occasional tall trees, and many sio.e
cottages nestled in sheltered hooks The wnole
scene was encompassed with hills. AMI constantly.
as we sped onward .-leavng wake u broadening
rollers over which the greedy seagulls crc"l ana
ecreamed.-tbat crinked landscape would chanS"
In form and color. till our senses wer" be"lieTei
with its variety and its ponp. Far to the east
ward were visible the gigantic double peaks on
Ben Cruach1n. and not alone those proud impeF-
ial heights but the spires and ridges Of all the
mountain chains around Loeb Etive Glen kinglls
and Glen Strae: while in the west defined with
wonderful sharpness Of outline. rose the irownng
bastions Of Morven. and jh' black. precipii)us
mountains of Null. As We drew near 10 Appln-
whence sprung the ROYAL Stuar;s.-the sea. before
rs WIS mirror OF Furnished s.eel whlc behind
US underneath misty sun. it was one broad
Main Of rippl!ng silver There H. q fine bay AZ
am
W. could see the sleek. c0ntenei cattle feeding In
their pastures. the sloping hillsdes above them.
thickly wooded with the hardy Scotch lr and
the great highlands beyond. rel ana cleaning
with heathor-just now in IT, perfection Of bloom
The land was Of various colors--tawny. yellow.
red and dark greenland the water VS. So placid
that the unbl0kcn reflection 0f the adjacent
mountains could b. distinctly seen In is depths.
while each lonely bird that dritrd on the surface
left a ripple IN it's wake Sometimes near the
land. sometimes distant from il. W. made our
eteadfast way while ever az We advanced among
tn" cngrdling hills. new v!stas II beauty kept
opening ana changing. till perception was quit
confused with the novel vic.ssitude Of mysterious
prOspsc, The sun. about meridian. hung in the
heavens Ike a silver shield. Miss began 20
thcken and to droop. but through them we saw
the riven sides Of crags black and barren. from
long scarcity Of rain. and towering behind them
the dark mass OF Ben Vair whore IT frowns upon
the mouth of Loeb Leven. The landing was
at Ballachulish pier and from that point onward
We drove toward the famous Pass Of Glencoe.
No doubt it ia a beaten track; but every track
j. beaten In these days Of systematic touring and
all-conQuering steam. and To IN" results Of
obs arvation everything Is dependent the eyes
that see. For time our course was by the mar
gin Of the loch and eastward along the base of
the great mountains hat border II. following
road through the village OF Ballachulish where !
there are slate quarries OF great extent. and |
where fine slate-stOne monument II |
commemorate the Queens jubilee year.-inscribed |
with the date. september Il. 1881 In that region |
the fields are divided with walls OF slate and a. |
on. point your coach rolls beneath tall and |
splendid arch of slate-stones. fashioned in a but |
tress TO the impending hill, and creating singu-
lar effect Of rugged grace small church ap- |
pears. proclaiming itself by no less than six |
crosses and on the broad reaches of bleak hillside |
the travellers gaze wanders curiously over |
groups Of mountain sheep-the tiny. graceful |
beasts Of the highlands. 1t is one effect Of solemn
emotion that it causes YOU TO observe trlhes with
acute perception. and / think person Of sem
sitlve temperament could approach that little viii |
lage OF Glencoe without such feelings OF |
The place If the Massacre lies near the entrance
to the glen and II is marked by simple granite
shaft. Scarce anything remains OF the shieldngs
OF the Nolan tribe of the Clan Macdonald.-the
wretched victims II that hideous crime.-but you
are told of the spot where the house OF the chief
tain stood. and you see the ruins of few huts
that once We're the homes Of his unfortunate peo-
pie. Time. that heals all wounds and tries to hide
all scars. has gently covered every vestige OF the
nhuman buchery with verdure and bloom. and
that scene Of horror is now peaceful hamlet in
which YOU may hear the sound Of the churchbell
and the laughter OF children at their play All
the same there is "A shadow on the place that
nothing can removed sense of unspeakable ter
ror ana dread More than two centuries have
passed since that fearful winter night when the
soldiers of King William SO basely murdered the
trusting IIighlanders. whose bread they had eaten
and In whose homes they had slept: but. whether
from its physical peculiarites or from the mys-
terious power OF association the Pass OF Glencoe
is forever invested with pathos and gloom All
around are huge mountains sometimes black and
barren. sometimes clad with green turf ami braok-
en-. and mostly veined with deep. stony assures.
which are the beds of rapid rivuets Low in the
gorge you the rocky bed Of the river Coe. here !
and there diversified with Tiny waterfalls and You
hear the noise of water pickering over the stones
the lonely cav OF rocks. and the bleatng Of dis
tan sheep. Beside this river the long road, like "A
ribbon Of silver ascending and descending winds
away. with the wndings of the glen Far in the
Pass found refuge. and it my privilege to
spend night amid those scenes Of desolation--
surely among the drearest beneath the eve of |
heaven In that way only the full meaning Of
such a place be absorbed into the mnd-the lone
~ maenihcence Of stupendous natural objects
and that copious. cruel and terrible vitality OF
nature which Is completely Indifferent to the |
life OF man.
Thus | reflected. sitting alone among the rocks
I'm that Wilderness and listening I'm the oloaminy