Year: 1874

BLACK SNAKE AND JAMES GORDON BENNETT.

 Our readers will remember in our first let ter we left them in the Atlantic ocean, being then few hundred miles off the coast of Ireland. Land was first sighted at about 3.so r. NJ. on Sunday; the dim out line of the mountains on the northwest coast of Ireland being visible 10 the expert enced and far reaching eyes of the three sea captains, to whom we alluded in our other letter, but which were with much diff hculty deciphered by others. Monday morning gun from the steamer called us out of bed at 1,2 o'clock, Git being then daylight to look upon land, which was within almost stones throw of us. This land was none other than 'Swate Ireland, and surely had we never seen land half so sweet to us before. We had arrived at the calling port for the State Line steam ships in Ireland, at Larne, near Belfast. The hills rose abruptly before us; and it appears that if Nature failed originally to adornf some of those which were composed entirely of rock, with vegetation, sturdy irish muscle and pluck carried the soil and spread it over them, and now luxurious growth of all manner of green things is giving them their dearly earned reward. Landing large number of passengers at Lsrue, the screw commenc ed again to turn and to push us across to

 iL THE CLYDE

 Beginning at the entrance to the Clyde, the scenery on either side began to call forth expressions of admiration from all the passengers who chanced to be on deck, (and they were nearly all there ) and al though the entire day was consumed in get ting up to c lasgow, and the scenery on both sides was constantly being admired, it will tell about as much as we can in any other way about it, to say not one of the passengers tired looking at it from the early morn alluded to above to the time of our arrival in Glasgow, at o'clock in the even ing. Certainly nothing in nature or art has ever approached it in real beauty, was the testimony of every American on board.

 

 river on each side, and which ln most in stances were entirely destitute of timber, and appeared as though shorn smoothly and sowed to grass, and which was just coming up; 1t being of that beautiful and fresh looking green, which, more than any other is so much admired. These mountains are, nearly all of them, cultivated to the top of them, the different fields representing vari- ous shades of color from deep green to the light salmon color of tue ripened grains, and which, being divided by those most beautiful of all fences, the hawthorne hedge, presented panorama more beauti- ful than we had supposed existed in nature anywhere on the face of the globe. As we said to passenger, it really seemed as though the whole region had been adorned for some grand occasion as room IS swept and garnished. and trimmed with ev- ergreens for special entertainment, so it seemed as we viewed those beautiful fields, with their division lines of deep green hedges.

 As we proceeded up the Clyde, much else beside the green fields of Scotland at tracted the attention of the Americans on board. Among the first we came to is that most singular freak of nature known as Aisle Graz which is huge eminence of solid rock, conical in shape and rising more than 1000 feet above the water. It is vul gaIly known as .Paddy's Lighthouse Soil has been carried in boats and spread over this huge rock and it is now covered witl grass, and large numbers of goats and rab- bits subsist there; they being ID charge oi a keeper who lives on this cone shaped is land with them all the time.

 The island of Arran Holy Island; the vast tract of country owned by the Duke of Hamilton, with his residence and hunt ing grounds. as well as constant success sion and ever changing variety of cheering views the entire journey up to Glasgow calling forth unceasing expressions of ad miration, more than paid the voyagers fo their days of seasickness and misery whicl had but just past.

 Pro5ably more ship building is done ol the Clyde than in any other one place il the world. The largest and best ship are built there. Commencing a Greenock, (where our good friend Captail Brown, of coffin notoriety, left us with hi son wee David'-and finer Scotch lad i seldom met with, , up to Glasgow,it seeme as though the river on both sides was ful of ships of all sizes and in all stages of COT struction. .....

 The State of Pennsylvania arrived g her wharf at about 6 o'clock P. M, when W were permitted for the first time to plac our feet on foreign soil. Our stay in Gla' gow was not lengthy; glance at two C three of the principal attractions there, an we move on to the beautiful cit of Edinburgh. Our journey from Glasgo' to Edinburgh is made by rail and we can not here forbear word or two about the

 RAILWAYS,

 as first seen by us. The road beds are bal lasted with stone and are smoother and be ter than in America. The trains run muc more rapidly and the cars shake and ratt about but very little; indeed whe running at oery rapid rate, we could star up and hold our field glasses sufficiently st

 to view objec9s at distance very satisfat

 torily: But the cars, though they ric

 easily, are very common in comparison

 American coaches. They are only abo

 half as long and divided into three, fo

 and five compartments each, according

 their length. As soon as passenger el

 ters one, he is locked in, the same as Anne

 jeans lock cattle and swine in freight ca

 to ahin from the West The conductors.