The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-10-10
Some Interesting Char
acters Met.
A Few of Killarney's Myriad
Charms.

Lordon, Sept. z, 1s99.-The follow
ing morning we took the coach
for drive of forty.two miles TO
Killarney, and as we gnlloped up the
first mountain side we saw the Hin of the
Wild People (Slieve-na-Goi) in the dis
tance, and far TO ths east the Eagles Nest
surrounded by group Of lakes; while
before us the lichen-gray robes of Hungry
Hill, the largest of the Gaia Range shone
out against the morning sky. The Csha
Range has three hundred and sixty five
lakes, granted to the prayers OF holy
man In time of dearth.
This was the most sociable coaching
PARTY we encountered. We soon discovered
that the man directly behind us was the
ioquacious American, to whom we have
already referred as steamer acquaint-
ance. He soon talked himself into a fever,
which afterwards cost him the tour of the
Lakes. This time he amazed new set of
Englishmen, by enlarglng ON the ice
question, claiming that in America we
have ice in every thing, and representing
that 1t Is piled up in our houses much as
snow In winter is heaped up In our
streets. Now to the En- glishman this IL
like saying that we have small mountains
of gold-pieces put into our cellars like
coal In bins; since they husband q piece
Office as big as a quarter of dollar and
charge you its weight in bullion, and
they themselves go thirsty all summer
and let their meats spoil.
The country bsfore traversed, as en-
trancing as it had been, was prosaio COM
pared to the Lake Killarney region which
proved to be so enchanting, that you long
to rsnounce the rest of the world, and,
erected a hermitage on some Of the over
hanging heights, there in reflection and
study, to spend theirest- of life.
oh, that land of endless ioyaunce, oh that
home OF beauty bright
With its green and Heavenly mountains
bathed all in silver light,
And its plains Of bright wild splendour,
where the happy spirits rove;
With Its clear streams ever singing pleas
ant songs by hill and wood,
With Its silent fuwsr-bright valleys,
where the soul alone might brood"
But there is story of distinguished
monk who spent his life in monastery
among the mountains, never having even
caught glimpse Of the beautiful expanss
OF waters so near at hand.
1t is said that one of our millionaires at
one time contemplated buying up the
whole region and making 1t an exclusive
ly American resort, but the Irish inter-
fered through patriotism, not being able
to brook the thought.
Meanwhile the ascent had been growing
mere and more PERCEPTIONS. once even, in
five and half miles grade of fourteen
hundred feet having been reached. After
going through a tunnel under Turner'S
rock, We found ourselves out Of the
County OF Cork and entering that of
Kerry. the dividing line being marked by
circular hole in the top near the centre
of the tunnel.
At one O'Clock we arrived at Kenmars
on the bay of the same name and after
leaving this village. the way for long
time lay near q preoipice oyerhanging a
marshy valley where peat was abundant;
and AS we ascended, the view became
most ravishing, with the Gaia Mountain
still in the south. the Kenmare river In
the background, while Macgillicuddy's
Reeks reared their spires to the left, with
their lofty SUBMITS "stern, fiercely bsau-
tiful with fang-iike peaks" The highest
OF this range Is the Carran- Tual, the
loftiest mountain in Ireland. At this
point also the Purple Mountain shines out
wildly, overspread on its upper side with
purple heather while the surface bortler.
ing on the lakes is fringed with the arbu.
tus. The Gap of Dunloe maks the picture
perfect, being delightful pass between
the mountains just spoken OF, and Eagle
Rock and the Tonnes on the other side,
all "dehantly piercing the ornament.
In descending one of the mountains Just
before reaching Killarney we noticed be-
low picturesque cottage which we after
wards passed ON making the tour of the
lakes. 1t was built by Lady Kenmare
for Queen Victoria on the occasion of
one of her visits to the Lakes of Kill.
arney, for a hating place for the Queen
to lunch. Our American friend offended
the driver by jokingly asking him what
the Queen had for lunch that day. This
coachman had been already put out on
account OF what he considered ths Ameri-
nan's impertinent questions and this
was too m uoh for his irasclble temper.
SO he squelched the young man by saying:
----------------- ------------------------