The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-11

~. Patrick's Isle, Q small island connected
with the town by Q caussway. but moro
accessible by penny rowboat ferry stsnds
Peel Castle. including within ito precincts
the walls Of the Cathedral Of St. German,
This impressive ruin 10 noteworthy a the
scene Of many Of tho incidents Of Scott's
'Peveril Of the Peak From Peel. also.
the traveller interested In juridical matters
may readily visit the Tynwald Hill, some
three miles distant. At tho village Of 81.
John. which was the open air meeting place
OF the ancient Manx Parliament, and from
which the titles Of tho acts of tho British
Parliament affecting the lsle Of Man are
publicly read every year on July S. The
hill is circular terraced mound of grass
covered earth. consisting Of two ter
races. with . total height Of ton or twelve
feet. and diameter Of perhaps 100 feet.
1t is surrounded by low wall, and q broad
path leads from IL to a large church, in
which some Of the most important core.
monies connected with tho government
OF the island are also conducted.
From Peel to Ramsey, ON the mort heast
coast. an excellent carriage road, almost
psrklike in its oonst ruction leads up the
west coast to Kirk Michael, and thence
across the island. on high ground overlook
ing the low northern plain. At Ballaush.
where we stopped to water the horses, We
were told that ducks and shore birds az
forded fine shooting in the autumn. From
Douglas to Port Erin and from Port Erin
to Peel we had seen very little woodland.
It would not 10 correct TO cay that the
- k,,x IA
except along the water courses and hedges.
On the sixteen mile drive. however, from
Peel to Ramsey, trees we're al undant.
There were large areas planted with larches.
and along the road near Bishopscourt,
the residence Of the Bishop Of Sodor and
Man, the overhanging boughs formed an
arch Of living green almost a mile in length,
through which the rays Of the afternoon
CUE s,eaI1.eti - through tho sIchesi vim
dows Of q cathedral. No reader Of Hall
Gaines Manx novels can forget Bahops-
court. The Sodor in the title Of the Bishop
ID phrase Of Morse origin signifying the
Southern Isles, and applied to tho islands
on the Scottish coast which were formerly
included within the diocese.
Ramsey. though much smaller than Doug
Las, resembles that port in its general feat
ures. The return to Douglas may be made
by the steam railway. over q oircuitous
route to St. John, near Peel, ard thence
across tho middle Of the islsnd; or directly
down the COAT, eighteen mikes, by trolley
limo. We chose tho latter route. The
line N constructed. not on pnltic high
way, but on land belonging to The trolley
company itself. The road Is ballast II
with stone. fenced 90 both sides and guarded
train, consisting of VIC GERS. is operated
in all respects a. would he train on steam
railroad; and, most Notable Of all. no PER
son is allowed to take raseege on q car
after all the seats are occupied. The hrs
runs uphill and down. along the coast. on
the very edge Of cliffs ard headlapds rising
sheer above the SEA hundreds OF feet, at a
spced which covers the eighteen miles in
an hour and a quarter. and you are sorry
when the journey is done. The rapid
motion through the cool evening air. had
something like the same effect AZ driving
your own ant omohilo at its bert: 1t was
indesoritsh,y bracing and invigcratirg.
And so We come hack to Douglas again,
and after three days and nights on the island
we must leave the Isle of Man. How can
we best sum up our Impressions? For these
who have spent a summer in North Devon,
the Isle Of Man may be hkened to bit OF
North Devon, with more farms and lese
moorland, set in an azure sea. For Ameri-
cans who have not seen that delicious corner
of England, we might say 1t resembles
highly fertile and cultivated Mount Desert.
without the woods. The scarcity Of timber
produces no impression of baroness or ster-
iity. The presence of hedges everywhere
prevents this The prevailing air of the
island is one OF prosperity. The dwellings
everywhere are Of stone; and so are the
barns and even the smaller outbuildinge.
In every village. the love OF flowers il mani
tested by the attention given to the gardens
and window plants; and the fuchsis hedges
are the tallest and finest to be found in the
world.
When il is said that the Isle Of Man IL
practically unknown TO American tourists,
Il must not be understood that Manxmen
have no relations with this country. The
failure OF the lead mines In the island has
sent many Manx miners to America. For
some reason not readily ascertainable,
emierants from the island have been at
tracted to Cleveland; and there is. Manx
colony in that city which. as we were in
formed, comprises among it's members some
Of Cleveland's most successful business
men.
MAN is famous for a breed Of tailless
ca q, says Baedeker. thus expressing whd
is probably the only fact Of common knowl-
edge about the island. Welooked for these
cats from Spanish Head to Sulby Glen and
from Peel TO Douglas-alrnosr in vain
for three was the utmost number that our
four eyes could discover during a sojourn
OF, three days, although cats with the or
binary ial appendage were common
enough. The CURIOSITY OF visit ors. however.
in regard to the characteristic MInx cats
ia almost equailed by the desire Of strangers
for some explanation of the armorial de-
vice OF the Isle of Man. This consists Of
three legs arranged equidistant from one
another, like the spokes Of a wheel, the
legs being clad in armor, the toes pointing
out ward and the heels bearing spurs. Mr..
A. w. Moore, the hist orian OF the island,
thinks the symbol originated in Sicily.
Il is found on Sicilian coins 1000 years old,
and may have been brought from the Medi-
terranean by the Vikings. Its meaning
is doubtful, though it was probably origin
ally intended az a representation Of the sun
The device appears on the Manx flag, and
on official documents is accompanied by the
Latin motto "Quocunque jeceris sabit," "
1 e., whichever way you throw II, II will
stand" This legend Is regarded as typical
of the Manx character, which makes the
natives of the island usually successful
wherever they go. At all events. their old