The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-12-18

IL
IRENE edge of the abyss. as the road
IS covered with loose bould4-s, this
is sometimes exciting, but their con-
fdence in themselves is quite just-
fed. There is no record Of an acct
dent with Killarney pony. It is
pretty to see the courtesy with which
the pony-boys will hold a nervous
riders hand to help them over stiff
places, and there are some very stiff
places, going through the Gap, places
in which the vale contracts and the
path becomes a mere shelf of rock
I Halfway through the Gap our party
was Joined by sta1wart mounted
policeman. who thrtw in Ills lot with
the rear-guard. O'Connell IS Kill
larney man. an e&-soldier, with some
thing Of the roliicking wit and dare
devllry of Terence Nulvaney.
Being the best Of good company,
and a gentleman to boot, like every
Killarney man We met, he was al
ways the centre of things.
As l went ahead with Paddle, the
women from the cabins on the way
would rush out and shout something
in Irish, to which Pat would reply in
the same tongue,
Pat, says l, what is it they say -
They want to know If the ser
geant's behind, because if he is they
can't offer the poteen Wild the goats
milk
There is a good deal Of Illicit dis
filling and rending i'll the Gap. ! hal
not the pleasure OF tasting the poteen,
but l can recommend the delicious
goats milk.
At the foot of the Purple Noun
tain you find the boat waiting to take
you through the lakes.
a Picture of Nature.
Il vas the early part OF August
when | was there and the weather
vas simply ideal and grand. | shall
never forget the still beauty Of the
Upper Lake, with its myriad islets.
The damp in the atmosphere makes
for exquisite colours on the hills.
They are clothed with purple heather
as with a garment: AMI the woods
of the lower slopes, where the rcd
deer roam in freedom wore every
color, from green and purple and
russell to the bravest sold and scar
let and copper Of autumn. Outside
, i'll the world there was quite wind.
We found the Lower Lake a NINA
ture sea when We came there. Be
tween the soaring hills the lakes lay
as in a cup. You looked in their
depths and saw mountains and wood
cd islands and dappled SHY all flood
ed with the pure gold of August
sunshine. You could feel the silence:
only a thunderstorm could disturb the
ineffable placidity.
How still it is YOU realize, when
the gun is fired of at the foot Of the
Eagles Nest. that superb crag rising
1000 feet: The thunder of the re-
verbrations and the echoes so roll
ing Off through the mountains, tear
ing and crashing into silence. Kill
laTney echoes are wonderful At the
entrance to the Gap there is d spe-
cjally fairy-like echo which sends
YOU The hours Of Eifland family
blowing" in response TO bar of
music played on the guides horn.
Winter storms must be superb here.
At DiniS Cottage, in the Middle Lake,
there is woman with a wonderful
oval face. She would make a superb
model for Il Mater Doloroso. The
sorrow OF centuries seem to be in
the liquid eyes, the composed fea-
lures, and the sweet and melancholy
mouth. While we drank cup Of
tea and admired the calm majestic
beauty of the lake, she told us Of the
winter storms.
Terrible it does be, shureIy," she
said, when the thunder goes crash
in an tearin' from hill 10 hill and
the lightnin' learin about them.
twould put the fear in your heart,
sburely,'
| The Kerry Peasants.
The boatmen, three stalvart SONS
and their old father, had the gravity
AMI distinction we had noticed in all
the peasants. They seem to learn
infinite patience with the tourists.
When we shot the rapids under the
Old Weir Bridge with such skill, and
some foolish people plunged about IN
the boat and came mighty near ID.
setting us,-the old fellow was i'm
periouH indeed, but perfectly cour-
teoLs- The Kerry pea SAINTS are charm
liz people. thing ~ admire II
them is their independence. If you
give them q gratulty they take it,
but they never seem to expect it.
The tourist may be the Killarney
peasants pay master. but You would
never suspect the relationship Their
dwelling on the past is all interest
ing thing. I took It for granted that
Lord kenmare at least would be q
centre OF profound interest to them see
ing that he is one of their own fa,th-a
Roman Catholic. But bless you, no
Their hearts allegiance is with the
old lords Of the soil, the Mccarthy
Mere. Who Joined the sre,.t Desmond
Rebellion IN Ll.abeths time. and
whose fortunes vent under Nth the
Desmond. AMI the O'Doncghue Of the
Gems. vhose Castle of Ross Is one
o. the beautiful things ct Killarney
Lovely t vas - stray down the
winding TaIk from Dinls Cottage, and
where the water Tapped the shore
| through Towering myrtle and COR
geous tl1eh1as, to. SIT on Z fallen tres
| trunk N tbs sun, and look away BE-
| tween Tore and elena to the DANCING
water under the Old Weir Bridge.
Can heaven be mere Beautiful? one
| asked Then there Is Tore Waterfall
! a short distance from Killarney. You