Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-23
NOTES OF TRAVEL.

"a -t<@oh inuion plosbut anu Dali Iull OF
nen, two-thirds Of the latter being to a
Yoater or less degree intoxicated. The
X lpebrite is so common sight in Scot
lAnd that one wonders that the race
Goes not die out, or, at ouy rate, that
E we people are able to attend to bust
ness. Perhaps the raw. misty climate
Which induces the habit Of taking
nuL ulants, also braces against their
enects. The candidates. speech was
!qther able from Tory point of view,
- put was interrupted, or rather &C.
<, pompanisd by about an equal amount
~ applause and hisses, by an occasional
Hear ~ Heart and by loud and
eteady, but incoherept grumble from
prunken salmon fisher, who apparently
5 wanted something, he was not right
nure what. At the close OF the speech
game the questioning" OF the candi-
Date, either by adherepts to bring out
eome point more forcibly, or by op-
4 ponents, to stultify him, but this part
cf the evening, which had antici-
was spoiled BY the disoide which
made II impossible to understand what
was said. The speaker answered quite
fully at first, but under the continual
harrying. lost patience, and gave but
short replies.
A few nights after a Liberal meet.
ing was held. 1t was larger and
'Iather less disvrderly than the Tory one
3The personnel decidedly superior,
'though there were plenty OF red roses
even there. The candidates. principal
attacks were on the House OF Lords
X When the question time camo there
+ was much disorder, one man, evidently
y intoxicated, keeping up continual
hubbub. There were cries OF "Put
Aim out!" and finally the meeting rose
en- masse." Many left their seats
and went back to help. We feared
there might be a serious disturbance,
but the ladies' beside us seemed tu
take II as matter of course, so wel
eat still and comparative peace was
N Restored. IL properly and peacefully
& conducted this plan of questioning
= the political speaker might be inn
rorted and introduced into political
meetings In America, so that the
listeners might not hear just what
J they believe already, but have ques.
tions argued and falIacies expressed.
We walked to Dunstaffnage Castle,
four miles away, along what | have
christened "the road to Camelot, f"
since continually "up and down tho
people go, gazing where the lilies
blow" In pond that lies in the cup
of the hills, its surface half hidden by
water lilies. Always We meet the same
two nuns;;a fat farmer on his cob
would pass very we'll for "the abbot
on an ambling pad. The coaches
roll past footing their horns, the
shepherds 20 by with their dogs, and
the young mothers, or nursery maids,
pushing perambulatora, heavy with
iosy- checked children. There may be
some points of difference discernible,
but at least 1t Ia convenience to have
some way TO distinguish IL from other
roads that radiate from Oban. Hay
fields stretch across the valley and up
the hill sides, and picturesque groups
OF men and girls toss the hay. II Ia q
charming scene with the mountains
for background and gimpses of sea
through dip in the bills. The air 10
fragrant with fallop hay and white
clover and meadow sweet. We alto our
lunch on the leeward side OF hayrick
ana II tasted like ambrosis. Then we
circled Loeb Etive. around whose end.
less curve 10 had to 60, though the
castle lay ! ght in front OF us, The
coaches drive acoss when the tide is
out,
''Tales OF the times OF old; Of the
deeds of the days OF other years"
cluster thickly here as around all of
these old castle walls. Dupstaffnage
was the seat Of Scottish government
from 500 to s44 A. d. and the famous
'Stone Of Destipy' lay here till it
became the "Stone Of Scons" by re-
mova to that stronghold by Kenneth
II. Bruce rook the castle from the
House OF Lorn. But the thoughts of
its days OF greatness interested me less
than the sight OF the groove in the
stone window easement that once held
the iron bar condning the beautiful,
intrepid Flora Macdonald. who was
imprisoned here for aiding the escape
OF the fugitive Pretender after Gallo.
den. She conducted him, disguised as
Betty Burke, from Ormisteds to Por-
tree. She was not even Jacobite, but
those three perilous days endeHred her
to the Scottish people and her cap.
tivity was not severe. A few wild
flowers had planted themselves in the
crevices OF the window and l pulled
some OF their blossoms in memory Of
her. The great walls of the castle
rise 70 feet from their rocky foundation
and eucose grassy court from which
we climbed by ladder to the top OF
the wall. The view Of mountain, loch
and islands 10 magnificent. The site
of the ancient Pictish capital OF Bere.
gonium, faces it across Loch Etive
On the wall, which ia 10 feet thick.
stands an old iron cresset for holding
beacon light, and cannon from a ship
OF the Spanish Armada, sunk in Tober.
mory bay. Masses of ivy and ledge
grass almost push one from the wall.
The breezes of this vernal day
Come whispering through the empty hall,
And stir, instead of tapestry,
The weed upon the wall.
Yet, proudly mid the tide of years,
Still lifts on high its massive form;
Scene of primeval hopes and fears,
Sow yielding to the Storm"
Amid the ruins of an old English
castle, one sometimes asks ones self
where Is the laughter that shook the
Where is the rafter. by the way?
But the associations of Scottish
castle are not those of laughter, but
bring up rather an image of rural
* bards. sitting on each side of the
hearth. trying which can out boast the
other. regarding the bloody exploits of
their respective chieftains.
s# When the minstrel. on starry night,
# WoRe the high strain Of battle here
VI And with wild and stern delight
The warriors stopped to hear.n
The small farmers who used to raise
tlthair fl0nka on rheaa hillo osn Ill