Glass T>/id 3Q Book M^S SG im&il^ibpot* THE SURROUNDING SCENERY: BEING A COMPLETE ITINERARY OF THE LAKES. BY G. N. SMITH. Embellished with Maps and Views from Original Drawings taken hy hint on the spot. To which ara added copious Notes, a Catalogue of Plants, and an Etymological Index of Irish Names. BY G. DOWNES, A- B. DUBLIN : PRINTED FOR JOHNSTON AND DEAS ; JOHN BOLSTER, BOOKSELLER TO HIS MAJESTY, AND S. KING AND CO. cork; b. o'brien and g.m'kern, limerick; JOHN BULL, WATERrORD J J . HODGESON AND M.JELI ETT, BELFAST. 1822. 1. ^3b% TO The Right Honorable CHARLES KENDALL BUSHE 3 LORD CHIEF JUSTICE Of His Majesty's Court of King's Bench. MY LORD, In the following work I have attempted to describe the most beautiful and most sublime district of this Island, un- der the various effects in which particular portions of its scenery appeared to me to the greatest advantage; and I have adopt- ed a new and, I trust, efficacious method for carrying the stranger to the sites se- lected. A variety of details are given in connection with |he main design, and the result of my labours I beg leave to in- scribe to vou. IV. DEDICATION. The distinguished part which your Lord- ship has borne for a long period in the affairs of Ireland, and the high character which by the suffrage of all parties you have maintained, entitle yourLordship to the ad- miration of your Country ; and as this is perhaps the only opportunity I shall ever possess of testifying my humble but ar- dent applause, I embrace it with the sin- cerest satisfaction. I have the honor to be, My Lord, Your Lordship's obedient Servant, GEO. NELSON SMITH. Limerick, May 1822. CONTENTS. v PAGE. Dedication . . . . . . . . . . iii. Introduction . . . . . « . . 1 County of Kerry . . - . . . . . . 5 Town of Killarney . . . . . . . . 9 Mails 11 Roads 12 Hotels — Inns — Lodgings .. .. 13 Boats — Boatmen — Guides .. ... 14 West Domain .. .. .. .. .. 19 Station 1 .. ' . _ . . . . . . 21 2 .. 22 Aghadoe 29 Round Tower . . . . . . 35 The Pulpit . . 37 Denagh Bridge . . . . . . 39 Danish Fort . • . . . . ib. Station 3 40 Deer- Park 42 Station 4 43 5 .. .. .. -.. 44 Druidical Circle . . . . . . 46 Violet Hill . . . . ... . . 47 Station 6 . . • • . . " «, . ib. VI CONTENTS. PAGE. Flesk Bridge 51 Cahirnane . . . . . . . . . . 52 Castlelough Bay . . . . . . . . 54 Station 7 . . . . . . . . ib.. Mucruss Abbey . . 58 Grounds of Mucruss . . . . . . . . 66 Station 8 68 The Peninsula . . . . . . . . 71 Station 9 -. 72 Brickeen Bridge . . . . . . . . 76 — Island . . . . . . . . 77 Station 10 . . . . . . . . ib. Green Hills— Station 11 79 The Demesne of Mucruss . . . . . . 82 Station 12 ib. ' 13 ..83 14 84 Turk Waterfall 85 Side of Mangerton . . . . . . . . 87 Station 15 . . .. . . . . ib. Mangerton . . . . . . . . . . 90 Devil's Punch-Bowl . . . . 91 Cairn 93 Station 16 ... . . . . . 95 Kenmare Road to Killamey . . . . . . 100 Station 17 . . . . . . ib. 18 .. 103 Kenmare House . , . . . . . . 105 CONTENTS. vil PAGE. Road from Killarney to Ross . . . . 106 Station 19 ib. Ross Castle 109 Shores at the Estuary of Flesk River . . 112 The Arbutus .. .. 114 The Archipelago .. .. .. . . 117 Shores of Mucruss .. .. .. . . 119 Glena Bay . . . . ' 121 Music 125 Middle Lake 127 Station 20 ib. Turk Mountain— Station 21 130 Glena Mountain— Station 22 133 O' Sullivan's Cascade . . . . . . . . 135 Lower Part of the Lower Lake . . . . 136 InnisfalJen . . . . 137 Abbey of Innisfallen . . . . 138 Bed of Honour 143 Station 23 145 O'Donoghue's Prison .. .. .. .. -146 Reen Point . . - . . 149 Station 24 151 Ross Bay . . 152 Station 25 153 Ross Castle (revisited) . . . , ib. Station 26 154 Route to Upper Lake . . .... . . 157 Macgillicuddy's Reeks , 158 viil CONTENTS. PAGE. Greenagh . . . . . . . . '. . ib' Station 27 159 Dunlow Castle . . . . . . . . 160 Gap of Dunlow . . . . . . . . 163 Station 28 165 Upper Lake . . . . . . . . . . 167 Ronayne's Island - . . . . . . . . ib. Station 29 168 Shores .. .. 172 Derricanihy Glen . . . . . . . . ib. Hyde's Cottage 174 Station 30 .. ., .. .. 175 Derricanihy Cascade . . . . ib. Cromagloun . . . . . . . . . . 178 Station 31 . . . . . . . . ib. Stag- Hunt 179 Upper Lake (revisited) . . . . * . 180 Station 32 ib. Newfoundland . . . . . . . . 181 Coleman's Eye . . . . . . . . ib. Eagle's Nest— Station 33 182 Old Weir Bridge 185 Dinas Island 186 Introduction to the Routes . . . . . . 188 Routes 191 Mineralogical Appendix, &c. . . r . 202 Botanical Index . . . . , . . . 207 Etymological Index of Irish Names . . . . 215 Directions to the Binder . . . . » . 223 INTRODUCTION. Strangers who visit the justly celebrated scen- ery of Killarney, are generally limited in point of time, and, from want of any authentic direc- tory, are usually conducted along such routes as the guides and boatmen have been accustomed to pursue, without any reference to the diversity of tastes, or previous arrangements of the visitants. In consequence of this, they receive nothing more than a general impression of the grandeur and luxuriance of this enchanting region, and depart without retaining in their memory any distinct traces of those particular beauties with which they had recently been delighted. To obviate this inconvenience, is the principal design of the following pages. Verbal descrip- tion, unaccompanied by graphic delineation, can 2 Introduction. convey but faint ideas of real scenery ; and mere drawings, unaided by an illustrative text, must be equally insufficient for the direction of the tourists. These two essential requisites are com- bined in the present publication ; and although, in consequence of the expense of providing en- gravings, their number is necessarily limited, such stations have been chosen, as comprise the ob- jects most frequently referred to. No former writer on the subject, has adopted the same method of arrangement or descrip- tion, with that now offered to the reader ; which, it is presumed, will be found materially useful in abridging the labour to which inquirers have been hitherto exposed, in turning over the pages of such diffuse, vague, or unconnected ac- counts of Killarney, as are already before the public. The whole is reduced to such a system of classification, as will ensure a continuity of walks, rides, or aquatic excursions. In order to preserve the closest adherence to nature and truth, the account here given is tran- scribed, with little variation, from notes taken Introduction. 3 immediately on the spot ; and the single circum- stance, that the entire was actually written amid the scenery it professes to describe, would jus- tify the publishers in pronouncing this to be the most accurate, as it is the latest and most ample, itinerary of Killarney existing. The minor details which occur in the relations of the guides have been studiously avoided ; and it has been a primary object with the writer, to bring into view such features of the scenery, as are universally interesting, and calculated to affect the mind either by their simplicity, their beauty, or their sublimity. The Lakes of Killarney are seldom visited for scientific purposes, except by those who, being already well versed in their favourite pursuit, would find it superfluous to consult works of this kind, for disquisitions on the various subjects con- nected with natural history. As, however, it might facilitate the researches of professed col- lectors, and at the same time gratify the curiosity of the unscientific tourist, to be apprized of the leading geological and mineralogical features of b2 4 Introduction. the country, an Appendix to that effect has been subjoined. The catalogue of rare plants, and the etymological index of Irish names, which have been also appended, will be found not un- acceptable to the botanist and philologist ; while care has been taken, throughout the Notes, to collect a variety of information, more exclusively addressed to such as are attached to the study of antiquities, but calculated also to enhance the satisfaction of the general traveller, by rendering him familiar with objects, which he will encoun- ter at every step of his progress through this in- teresting island. „<..<•'<••«!>*<•'<•'<«•<* 7/ 41 ^ COUNTY OF KERRY. As it is intended to avoid as much as possible, throughout this work, prolix and uninteresting details, and to dilate upon such topics alone as may be of practical advantage to the traveller, we might be justly accused of inconsistency, if we entered into any thing like a minute investiga- tion of the general history of Kerry. Since, how- ever, books of this description are generally con- sulted by tourists previously to commencing their excursions, as well as in their leisure hours — and allusion must occasionally be made, during our progress round the lakes, to those ancient chief- tains who once enjoyed the supremacy of the surrounding country, (of the fortresses of whose power, and the depositories of whose ashes, some vestiges are still existing,) — it may not be wholly irrelevant to premise a few words on this subject. As early as the second century, mention is made of the maritime parts of the county of Kerry, in the works of Ptolemy the geographer. 6 County of Kerry. who appears to have examined the coast from the Kenmare to the Shannon. Those antiquari- ans who uphold the Spanish colonization of Ire- land, assert that a considerable band of the Mi- lesians entered the country along the former of these rivers, which was termed by Ptolemy the Zernus, supporting their opinion on certain etymo- logical arguments, unnecessary to be introduced here. Some of the Irish historians allege, that this country has its name from Ciar, son to Fer- gus, King of Ulster ; while others assert, and with more probability, that it is derived from Ciar-na-Luachra, son to Cork, a Munster mo- narch. By the monkish authors it was termed the country of St. Brandon, the patron saint, from whose name a lofty mountain in the western part of the county is still called Brandon Hill. About the time of the English invasion, the county of Kerry was subject to a number of petty toparchs, among whom were the O'Con- nors, the O'Sullivans, the O'Donoghues (dis- tinguished into the families of O'Donoghue More and O'Donoghue Ross), and the Mac Carthys. County of Kerry. 7 After most of the other clans had been subdued, the chief of the Mac Carthys still maintained his independence, having intrenched himself among inaccessible mountains, woods, and fastnesses. Being however obliged, in consequence of a piece of domestic treachery, to apply for succour to the celebrated adventurer Raymond Le Grosse, the English at length obtained a footing in the country, — Mac Carthy himself having granted a considerable tract of land to Raymond, in which he settled his son Maurice, the founder of the present family of the Fitmaurices or Fitzmorrises. During several centuries, the history of this county consists of little more than a tissue of al- ternate victories and defeats, experienced by the native chieftains and the adjoining English settlers, in which feudal contentions, the Mac Carthies and Fitz-Geralds were usually foremost. Notwith- standing the influence of hostile rancour, and national prejudice, the name of Mac Carthy More appears to have been always treated with respect. A member of this family was even ennobled by Queen Elizabeth, in 1565, under the title of Earl 8 County of Kerry. of Glencare, and, although he afterwards became implicated in the rebellion of O'Neil, he was suf- fered, upon making a formal submission, to re- tain the undisturbed enjoyment of his estates until his death. Most of the families which have been settled in Kerry, during and since the reign of Elizabeth, have obtained their possessions out of the confiscated estates of the former inhabitants. •M>-»H§M« <• 1" TOWN OF KILLARNEY. The town consists of a leading street, lying north and south, and of two smaller ones which branch off from it. One of these takes an east- erly direction from the southern end of the Main Street, and the other diverges towards the west, nearly from the centre of the town. These streets are well paved and nagged throughout, and their width is found quite sufficient, owing to the clean- liness which prevails in every quarter. The influx of strangers bent on objects of plea- sure, and generally prepared to indulge in luxu- rious living, combined with the extended views of the late noble proprietor, have conspired to increase the size of the town, and to occasion the respectability of its present appearance. Killar- ney has indeed, owing to the operation of these two causes, at length become, from a straggling and insignificant hamlet, the residence of five thousand inhabitants. Lord Kenmare's mansion is situated at the 10 Town of Killarney. southern extremity of the Main Street, from which it is divided by a high wall. Near this is the Church, a plain modern edifice, with a clock and slated steeple. Beyond it are the News-Rooms, to which strangers easily procure access, and which is supplied with books of general reference as well as with newspapers. Immediately oppo- site is the Mail- Coach Hotel. The nearest street on the right leads to the Roman Catholic Semi- nary, and to the Lancasterian School, which has been lately erected under the auspices of the Right Rev. Dr. Sughrue, and is conducted by the brethren of the order of St. Francis. Through this street the Cork road lies. Further down are the Market House and Post Office, beyond which the houses continue uninterrupted to a considera- ble distance. From this street a road branches to the right towards Castle-island ; on the left, but more in the direction of the Main Street, is the mail-coach road to Tralee ; opposite to the Market House a regular well-built street (in which are several commodious inns,) slopes off westward, and terminates at the West Domain Town of Killarney — Mails. 11 on the Aghadoe road. To the right of it is the Roman Catholic Chapel, and, nearly opposite, the Sessions' House. Farther down, stands an extensive Boarding School, and at the lower end, on the right, the Presentation Convent. The shops are numerous, and well supplied with such articles as are in general demand. The entire has an air of neatness, cleanliness and comfort ; and the leading characteristics of the people are ho- nesty and civility. Mails— The English, Dublin, Cork, Ma- croom, and Millstreet mails, reach Killarney every day at from twelve to twenty minutes after three o'clock in the afternoon, with the exception of the Dublin mail, which does not arrive on Tuesdays. They are despatched every day at nine o'clock in the morning. The Kenmare mail arrives at eight o'clock on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and is despatched at thirty mi- nutes after three o'clock in the afternoon on the same days. The Tralee mail, also, arrives gene- rally at ten minutes after eight in the morning, 12 Town of Killarney — Roads. and is despatched at thirty minutes after three in the afternoon, every day. Roads. — The great or leading roads to Killar- ney lie either through Cork or Limerick. From Cork a conveyance by the mail may be provided, but from Limerick travellers are obliged to post, either through Bandon or Castle-island. The establishment of the steam-packet between Limerick and Kilrush, has opened a new route, by which the fare of each person, from Limerick to Killarney, does not exceed three crowns. The packet puts off a boat to Tarbert island, where passengers from Limerick a're landed, — the fare being five shillings and five-pence, or three shil- lings and nine-pence to those who go in the steer- age. From thence, through Listowel to Tralee, well-appointed jaunting-cars may be hired at the expense of five shillings and five-pence each per- son, or chaises at the regular rate of posting. But, during the summer season, post-cars usually ply this distance at a much cheaper rate, and at Tralee the mail coach is met. Travellers may Killarney — Hotels — Inns — Lodgings. 13 regulate their time according to the advertise- ments of the steam packet, which are posted up in all the houses of entertainment at Limerick. Hotels — Inns— Lodgings. — There are three hotels in Killarney, which afford every reason- able accommodation, and which mark the rapid increase and improvement of the town. Scarcely ten years have elapsed, since parties with car- riages were indebted to the liberality of Lord Kenmare for a place to secure them against the weather. The preference which any one house may obtain over another is frequently determined by accidental circumstances, and, although it may appear invidious to particularise, we cannot refrain from noticing here the extreme satisfac- tion, which is universally expressed by those who have lodged at the establishment of Mr. Murphy, which is provided with accommodation for carriages, &c. Provisions are in Killarney remarkably cheap. Kerry mutton, so celebrated for its venison fla- c 14 Killarney — Boats — Boatmen — Guides. your, seldom exceeds 3§d. a pound, and salmon is to be had fresh from the lake at Id. a pound. Butter, the staple commodity of the district, is always reasonable. Killarney can boast of un- adulterated and well-baked loaf bread, an article of very rare occurrence in the smaller provincial towns of Ireland. For this it is indebted to Stephen Galway, Esq. the Seneschal, whose en- terprising spirit, and extended views, have con- ferred many advantages on the community.— Those who protract their residence here can procure lodgings — from a single room to h suite of apartments — the charges for which necessarily vary with their description and extent, but which are, in general, exceedingly reasonable. Boats — Boatmen — Guides. — The procuring a guide who may have an intimate knowledge of all the paths and stations in the neighbourhood, and some perception of the beauties of nature, is of infinite advantage, in enabling visitors to avoid the fatigue of uninteresting excursions, and to secure an expeditious and satisfactory survey Killarney —Boats— Boatmen— Guides. 15 of the entire region. Such are readily found, and may be engaged at a moderate hire. Boat- men of a similar character, should, if possible, be selected : and parties should be careful not to allow them the unrestrained use of spirits, in which some of them are perhaps but too much inclined to indulge, being always allowed re- freshments when the company dine abroad on their excursions ; they are, however, in general, exceedingly civil and obliging, and thoroughly acquainted with all the circumstances relative to the lakes. The fare is an English shil- ling for rowing each person through the Lower Lake, or shorter distances, and one and eight-pence for any longer stages, or when they are kept on duty all day. The general tenor of their conversation is so interlarded with mar- vellous accounts of enchantments, and other su- pernatural concerns, that it is difficult to separate these delusions from whatever solid information they may have gleaned, by listening to the ob- servations of the more intelligent of their number. Those who will follow the usual routine adopted 1 6 Kiilarn ey — Boats — Boatmen — Guides. by visitors, may have the use of Lord Kenmare's boats, which are under the direction of a regular superintendant, or pilot, as he is frequently call- ed, and have been liberally provided by his lord- ship with the means of general accommodation. Small parties, single individuals, or such as would be economical, may hire a small boat, manned by a couple of rowers, and visit even the Upper Lake, at the rate of five shillings and five-pence a day. In all cases it is preferable that the com- pany should fix on the route, and exercise their own judgment, as far as it may be practicable, — since many are obliged to dispense with visiting several interesting spots, through ignorance of their proximity to the route chosen.^ A thorough acquaintance with the following pages will en- * It would be inexcusable to conclude even this brief notice of the ecclesiastical metropolis of Kerry, without adverting to the advanced state of classical learning in its vicinity, and indeed throughout the entire county. Besides our own individual experience we have the testimonies of many distinguished writers to cite in support of this opinion. "It is asserted that Latin has been very generally studied in Kerry, even by the lowest ranks of the KiUarney— Boats — Boatm en — Guides, 1 7 able any stranger, however inexperienced, to direct his course through all the scenery of the lakes and their environing shores, and enable him people; and 1 have heard more than one gentleman bear testimony to the circumstance of barefooted boys having been found reading classical authors in the fields. It is related of one of these poor fellows, that, upon an expostulation having been made with him on such an unproiitable use of his time, he replied, with much spirit, — " Est quodam prodire tenus, si non datur ultra." " A gentleman of my acquaintance, indeed, who was with me at Killarney, once happened to be present when a poor boy came into the inn yard, and asked for alms in Latin; and he observed that several of the towns-folk, who were by-stand ers, replied to him in that language, and, for some minutes, continued the conversation with apparent facility." Weld's Killar- ney. "Concerning the genius of the common people of this country, which leads them to a knowledge of clas- sical learning, somewhat is already noticed, p. 67. I have in my survey met with some good latin scholars who did not understand the english tongue; particularly, one Peter Kelly, who lived in a very uncultivated part of the county, already described, called Ballybog. Greek is also taught in some of the mountainous parts, generally by persons who pick it up, as mendicant scholars, at some english school/' "It is well known, that classical learning extends itself, even to a fault, c2 18 KiUarney— Boats — Boatmen — Guides. to detect any attempts, on the part of the boat- men or guides, to alter or abridge the intended excursion. among the lower and poorer kind in this county ; many of whom, to the taking them off more useful works, have greater knowledge in this way, than some of the better sort, in other places/' Smith's Kerry. In fact, many of the peasants are able to converse in three lan- guages, the Latin, the English, and the Irish. '►>'»MM«'«§ M 19 WEST DOMAIN. We commence our walk by leaving Killarney through New Street, but obtain no prospect until we arrive at a small bridge over the river Denagh. Here the left side of the road is bounded by a high wall, but the right opens upon a cultivated spot which will be described here- after*. On passing the bridge, and knocking at a large gate on the left hand, admission is im- mediately obtained to the grounds denominated Lord Kenmare's West Domain. A path directly onward leads to a wooden bridge over the Denagh, beyond which we turn to the left, and, following the flexures of a walk well shaded with shrubs and forest trees, arrive at an open area, which extends from the rere of his lord- ship's mansion. Formerly a vista, terminated by Ross Castle, opened from the eastern angle of this terrace, but the intervening wood having been suffered to screen it out, there only remains a narrow telescopic view of the waters, and of 20 West Domain. the lesser hills which trend away beyond the Lower Lake. In the evening, the line of water, seen over the tufts of trees which bound the lawn, forms merely a streak of light in the landscape, totally inadequate to counterpoise the overpower- ing masses of shadow, which everywhere sur- round it; during other parts of the day it is' generally in obscurity, owing to the reflection of the mountains, — and at such times the whole scene is tame and unattractive. There are several stations in these grounds, from which admirable prospects of the Lower Lake might be opened, so as to allow a view of the mountains in all their grandeur and sublimity, which at present are only partially visible. In- stead of this, the pedestrian is hemmed in, during the remainder of his walk through the grounds, by quaintly trimmed hedges, flanking smooth gravel walks, as monotonous as art can render them. Sometimes the fatigued eye is relieved from the irksome repetition of these unvarying promenades, by an occasional shrub, the light foliage and pliant boughs of which may have West Domain — Station 1. 21 escaped the Vandal touch of perverted taste, and retained their natural luxuriance. On arriving at the wall which divides the shrubbery from Ross road, the views, though confined and partial, are agreeable, especially the lower walk across the lawn. At its western extremity we again meet the Denagh. A delightful path along the margin of this lovely stream conducts to the little wooden bridge, which we now recross. Instead, how- ever, of leaving the grounds, we turn to the left up a rather sudden acclivity, and occupy the first station for a general view, at a clump of Scotch firs, which grow upon the brow of the hill. Station 1. The town of Killarney appears hence to much advantage, the whole extent of the Main Street, with its white walls and slated roofs, being dis- closed to view, except in a few places, where tufts of foliage iaterpose their verdant masses, and heighten the charms of the scene by an agree- able relief against the buildings. The hedge-row 22 West Domain — Station 2. wood of the Aghadoe road terminates the pros- pect on the left, the most distant hill on which side is Tullig; and the nearer wood is Park, at the lower end of which Mr. Cronin's house is beautifully situated. The double-peaked hill, seen beyond the church steeple, is called the Paps ; and, between it and Drumhoomper Hill (which is nearer to the right, and surmounted by Mr. Coltman's castle), is a valley, through which flows the river Flesk, from a fine conical moun- tain of the same name, but of which the view is excluded by the group of Scotch firs above-men- tioned. Ascending a little, and inclining towards the lakes, we take our next station at a little knoll, adorned with a group of mountain-ash trees, not a hundred yards distant. Station 2. We have now lost sight of the town, but gained — in addition to all the rest of the scenery — a view of Flesk mountain, and of the indented outline called Sronnabuie, lying further to the right. The lofty West Domain — Station 2. 23 Mangerton succeeds, reposing (as Gray would have said,) like a huge monster, too unwieldy to move, In a large hollow, that seems, as it were, scooped from the side of this mountain, there is a consi- derable lake, — and, near the summit of the western ridge, where a circular and steep crater appears, there is another, called the Devil's Punch-Bowl— remarkable for the perennial coldness of its water, and for its extreme depth, which has indeed never been fathomed. The top of Mangerton is generally obscured by the vapours which abound throughout the district— a circumstance which, owing to the tameness of its outline, is rather ac- ceptable than otherwise to the lovers of pictu- resque effect, however disagreeable the consequen- ces may frequently be to those who ascend to the summit. The next mountain, westward, is Turk, with its central peak and two lateral projections. It is separated from Mangerton by a deep ravine, through which lies a rugged road, leading to the town of Kenmare. A stream, descending from the rocks, gurgles along this glen, until it dashes 24 West Domain — Station 2. down that frowning chasm, where you see it winding away to join the peaceful waters of the Middle Lake. This lake also bears the name of Turk, from Turk mountain, the base of which it washes from end to end. It is not visible from this station, but its place is easily discoverable by the position of the mountain. The receding hills in the centre decline towards the Upper Lake; and that mountain jutting forward directly in front is the beautiful Glena, with its graceful swells and sable forests, advancing on the Lower Lake. Next lies the double-peaked Tomies ; and, lessening on the right, a succession of pointed hills of diversified forms verge towards +he horizon, where they mingle with the heights that overhang Dingle Bay. Beneath is disclosed the great Lower Lake, expanding its spacious surface to the delighted eye, and peacefully lav- ing its rich variety of wooded islands ; the most conspicuous of which is Ross, having the castle of the same name at one extremity of it. The grounds of Mucruss stretch like a barrier in front of Turk, and the mouldering pinnacles of the West Domain — Station 2. 25 tower of the abbey may be seen overtopping the trees, where the peninsula bends round Castle- lough Bay. The wooded grounds of Cahimane, skirting the nearer margin of the bay, and the level inclosures of pasturage and lawns, extend to the station where we are now seated. Nothing can be finer than this display of the most striking features of natural landscape, con- centrated in the most diversified luxuriance. When the sun rises through a partially clouded atmosphere, the blue, withdrawing hills, hardly distinguishable from the lighter haze which over- hangs the horizon, — the side of Mangerton tinged with a golden glow, — Turk deeply dyed in the coldest purple, — Glena seen smiling with its co- louring of olive and brown, — the calm lake, re- flecting the silver drapery of the sky, — form a mag- nificent assemblage of objects ; while a line of quivering light glances along the waters, and glides, like the footsteps of a spirit, upon their surface. The undulating eminences, which gently ascend from the nearer shore, interpose a fine green amid the aerial tint of the lake, the un- D 26 West Domain— Station 2. defined hue of the distance, and the fresh and varied colouring of the herbage that embellishes the foreground, thickly sprinkled with dew-drops that sparkle in the morning sun. Nor is the sight alone regaled — Up springs the lark, Shrill- voiced and loud, the messenger of morn. Thomson. The bleating of flocks which are scattered over the mountains, — the lowing of imprisoned cat- tle, which pace the rocky shores of the islands, — the distant voices of peasants, heard at inter- vals, — and the barking of dogs, — come softened on the ear ; and — if sounds be picturesque— that call is eminently so, with which the early fisher- man invites his mates to accompany him on his daily avocations: — But who the melodies of morn can tell? The wild brook babbling down the mountain side; The lowing herd; the sheepfold's simple bell; The pipe of early shepherd dim descried la the lone valley; echoing far and wide The clamorous horn along the cliffs above; The hollow murmur of the ocean-tide ; The hum of bees, the linnet's lay of love, And the full choir that wakes the universal grove. Beattib. West Domain — Station 2. 27 We continue our route by regaining the high- road, and proceeding on towards Aghadoe. The way is pleasing, and can be rendered ex- tremely agreeable by pursuing a narrow lane, which leads down to Reen Point, until we arrive within a few yards of the main road. The view is along the lower part of the Lower Lake, and is seen to most advantage in the evening. The objects were all described at the last station ; — but we have here a new foreground — and the position of many parts of the landscape is so much changed as to present a very different picture, full of softness, simplicity, and beauty. Following the road, we soon behold the re- markable ruins on the ridge of Aghadoe Hill, which we approach by a path leading upwards to the right. The ascent is very fatiguing, but this disadvantage is amply compensated by the extensive views across the lake, which this emi- nence commands. Indeed, the least enthusiastic traveller, who rambles through these enchanting regions, will be disposed to sympathize in the feeling, which dictated the following lines of 28 West Domain— Station 2. a classic poet, who once resided at no very- great distance from them ; and to whose inability, in those turbulent times, to visit the scenery of Killarney, — or, perhaps, his ignorance of its at- tractions, — it is probably to be attributed, that no poem descriptive of the lakes, whiclrhas hitherto appeared, is at all worthy of the subject :— The waies, through which my weary steps I guyde In this delightfull land of Faery, Are so exceeding spacious and wyde, And sprinckled with such sweet variety Of all that pleasant is to eare or eye, That I nigh ravisht with rare thoughts delight My tedious travell doe forget thereby; And when I gin to feele decay of might, It strength to me supplies, and chears my dulled spright. Spenser. ••>.>.•>.•> Jp <.••>••►••► >©<<..<•.«••<•> 51 FLESK BRIDGE. A little beyond Violet Hill, there is a bridge over the river Flesk, which rises on the mountain so often mentioned, and, flowing through a valley and round Drumhoomper Hill, passes under this bridge, and glides away into the Lower Lake. Every fall of rain, and almost every heavy shower, causes a correspondent fluctuation in the waters of the Flesk — so that the ridge of stones, a little below the bridge, (over which the stream merely murmurs in summer,) is occasionally quite covered, and breaches are frequently the result when the floods are much swollen. The views from the bridge are amusing, rather than grand or beautiful. Sometimes the walls of Ross Cas- tle appear completely white, and form a pictu- resque contrast to the sombre colouring of Glena, — while, at other times, their gray and gloomy hues are strikingly opposed to " the mountain's living drapery." In the forenoon, gleams of light of a peculiar f2 52 Cahirnane. nature, often illumine Glena — originating not so much from the coruscations, that flash out between the rifts of the clouds, as from the partially dia- phanous state of the atmosphere ; and these are most frequently seen from the Flesk road. Hath Nature then no spirit ? — Look upon Yon bursts of rapid light swift glancing o'er The bosom of the mountains — they are thoughts By Nature in triumphant mood expressed, From hill to loftier hill, — o'er many a bright, x\nd many a dusky field, — brown heaths and tracts Of green and flowery freshness, among which The mountain flock is seen : while, higher up, Half-way to its proud summit, sits a cloud, Reposing? upon yonder towering cliff, That rules the wide perspective. — " Wills. Beyond the bridge, and somewhat on the right, is CAHIRNANE, the seat of R. T. Herbert ? Esq. Advance along the avenue, and pass the house, which, al- though low, is roomy and comfortable. The straight line of approach serves to set off to ad- vantage the beautifully winding course of the walks, which intersect this Paradise of sweets. What art tries to mimic in less favoured regions Cahirnane. 53 is here presented by nature, in all the superior charms of her rich and appropriate garb. One might sit for hours before that inimitably luxu- riant and diversified bank, imbibing new pleasure from every breeze, and every occasional ray that transiently illumines it. How gracefully does that airy group of ash impend over the rock, at whose base the fox-glove bows beneath a weight of purple bells, while its sides are luxuriantly clothed with lichens of the most varied and gorgeous dyes •— The living Stains which Nature's hand alone, Profuse of Life, pours forth tfpon the Stone ; For ever growing ; where the common Eye Can but the bare and rocky Bed descry : There Science loves to trace her Tribes minute, The juiceless Foliage, and the tasteless Fruit; There she perceives them round the surface creep, And while they meet, their due distinctions keep ; Mix'dbut not blended; each its name retains, And these are Nature's ever-during stains. Crabbe. The long, trailing briar, winds round the preci- pice in serpentine festoons, and the fern mingles with the innumerable diversity of flowering shrubs that crown its brow. F3 54 Castlelough Bay. — Station 7. In such luxurious plentie of all pleasure, It seem'd a second paradise to ghesse, So lavishly enricht with nature's threasure, That if the happie soules, which doe possesse Th' Elysian fields, and live in lasting blesse, Should happen this with living eye to see, They soon would loath their lesser happinesse, And wish to life return'd again to bee, That in this ioyous place they mote have ioyance free. Fresh shadowes, fit to shroud from sunny ray ; Faire lawnds, to take the sunne in season dew ; Sweet springs, in which a thousand nymphs did play ; Soft-rombling brookes, that gentle slomber drew ; High-reared mounts, the lands about to view ; Low-looking dales, disloignd from common gaze ; Delightfull bowres, to solace lovers trew; False labyrinthes, fond runners eyes to daze ; All which by nature made did nature selfe amaze. Spenser. Incline now towards the lake, and approach CASTLELOUGH BAY, enjoying at every step a new disposition of sce- nery. Ascend that high and abrupt rock by an easy, winding path, and you will obtain a com- pletely novel prospect of the waters. Station 7. The foreground is that part of the shore next Castlelough Bay. — Station 7. 55 to what is called the Fishery. From our station be- ing so little elevated above the water, the level sur- face of the lake affords an agreeable resting place to the eye, while Glena bursts majestically upon the view, over the intricate assemblage of islands south of Ross, — whose castle, relieved against the dis- tance, breaks the low outline with great effect. Aghadoe is seen on the right, and the trees of Cahirnane terminate the prospect in that direction; but on the left a part of MaDgerton appears, with its base hidden by the green hills east of Mucruss. Between us and Turk Mountain, we perceive the top of the abbey and Mucruss House, with the woods and rocky shores of the peninsula stretch- ing along to Glena Bay, the view of which is ob- structed by the intermediate archipelago. Many spots round this station command admirable speci- mens of scenery of the low foreground descrip- tion, rendered exceedingly interesting by the interruptions in the prospect, which the shifting positions of the islands with respect to each other occasion at every change. 56 Castlelougk Bay.— Station 7. In these landscapes Ross Castle generally forms a very prominent feature : but we are frequently compelled to lament that absence of all taste, which annexed a pile of modernly built barracks to the ancient tower, and adulterated the land- scape still more by whitewashing them. These barracks, unless when in shade, or obscured by the humidity of the weather, are always offensive to the eye of the observer — nor can they be easily omitted in drawings, without the sacrifice of too considerable a portion of the mountain scenery, as there are very few points of view which admit of the introduction of trees to conceal the blemish. We may now wander round Castlelough Bay. The name is nearly all that remains of the fortress, which formerly stood here.* Leaving, therefore, * "Nearer to Killarney stands the ruins of Castle- Lou^h, built on a rock surrounded by the lake; it was entirely demolished in the wars of 164 1 ." — Smith's Kerry. " The old fortress of Castle-lough stands on an in- sulated rock near the head of the bay. Its position might have rendered it strong; but it was too much limited in extent, to have been a place of great impor- Mucruss Abbey. — Station 7. 57 the antiquary to explore its site, let us direct our course towards Mucruss, and — turning a little to the right on entering the demesne — approach the ruins of its celebrated abbey. tance. So completely was it demolished by the par- liamentary army, that the few remaining fragments of the walls are now scarcely discernible from the rocks on which they rest. The name of Castle-lough is at present given to a neat little \ ilia belonging to Mrs. De- lany, the grounds of which are prettily disposed,"— Weld's Killarney. 58 MUCRUSS ABBEY Is situated on a rising ground, at the distance of about a furlong from the lake ; although in Walmsley's view the waters are seen close under its eastern window, with the slender loop-holes reflected on their calm surface. The secluded sanc- tity of this place is violated by an ugly palisade, which extends all round from the transept to the north-western angle of the building, where it is met by a high wall, which bespeaks the intrusion of modern desecrators on the venerable sanctuary. View No. 9 exhibits the prospect under the wes- tern door, shewing the nave and arched entrance from it to the transept on the right, with the chan- cel and eastern window, through a slender Gothic arch — four of which (placed at right angles,) sup- port the steeple. Under that on the left is the passage into the cloister, which forms an area of fifty feet square, and has an arched walk all round* The west and north sides of the square have severally six Saxon arches, while the oppo- JV? 7. V T H ^"E § T TH E TY OP ?lTCHr? S -A B B E Y 7V°.G. IC^TEEIOIL KFJSOTU'em.IPSS ABBEY. C ILffilSTKB OP ?1Y CMTSS ABBEY. flBR Smi/Ji del* Mucruss Alley — Station 7. 59 site sides have only five arches each, which are Gothic. The pillars between them are all nearly of the same form. At the entrance, and also at the opposite angle, there are flights of steps, which lead to the upper apartments. We may ascend by that at the entrance, and view the dilapidated state of the cells and dormitories, overgrown with rank grass and saplings. From the embat- tled walk round the cloister we obtain glimpses of the lake, glittering in chequered brightness through the abundant foliage of the trees, — being occasionally obliged to push aside the extended branches of a noble yew, which grows from the centre of the area below, and spreads widely in every direction. A view of this venerable tree is given in plate No. 10. Grose* states, * "though this is commonly now called Mucrus Abbey, its old appellation was Ivrelagh, or the Build- ing on the Lake. It is in the barony of Magunihy, on the margin of Lough Lean, or Lake of Killarney. Donald Mac Carty, in the year 1440, founded a friary here under the invocation of the Holy Trinity for Conventual Franciscans : he repaired it in 1468, a few months before his decease. Since that time it has 60 Mucruss Alley. — Station 7. that this abbey was founded by Donald Mac Carthy in 1440, for conventual Franciscans, and dedicated to the Holy Trinity, — and that it was rebuilt in 1 602 : but from an inscription on a stone in the wall, near the eastern window at the north side of the chancel, we learn that the continued the cemetery of the Mac Carty family. Do- nald, Earl of Clancare, was interred here, as was Patrick, Lord Kerry, the earl's nephew, in 1600. it was again repaired in 1602, but afterwards suf- fered to decay. The walks are surrounded by a vene- rable grove of ash trees, which seem to grow sponta- neously from the ruins of the abbey. The choir, nave, and steeple are entire, and there are many de. cayed tombs. The cloysters are also standing, and consist of several Gothic arches of solid marble, which inclose a small square, in the centre of which stood a remarkably tal| yew-tree ; its spreading branches, like a great umbrella, overshadowing the niches of the whole cloyster, forming an uncommon and very pictu- resque covering. A bell, not many years ago, was found in the adjacent lough, and from its inscription it appeared to have belonged to this Abbey. A miracu- lous image of the Virgin Mary was said to have been formerly preserved here. On the dissolution, the site and revenues of this house were granted to Capt. Robert Collan, who assigned them to Bishop Crosbie." — Groses Antiquities of Ireland. Mucruss Albey. — Station 7. 61 repairs were made in 1626. After visiting the apartments attached to this part of the edifice, descend to the refectory, kitchen, vaults, &c. Several of these are piled full of boards, ta- ken from the graves while still undecayed, in order to make room for fresh coffins; as this is a favorite place of interment, and funerals are often conducted hither from very great dis- tances. This predilection does not arise, as some have asserted, from its being considered a place of superior sanctity, — but from the inclination of the people always to deposit their dead in the ori- ginal family burying-ground, and the circum- stance — that the whole region is inhabited by few who are not united by some tie of consanguinity, however faint. Hence, it is by no means strange that funerals should be very frequent here, and also at Aghadoe, where the same causes operate. In the external angle, formed by the nave and transept, there is an immense pile of skulls and bones of the human skeleton, heaped up in pro- miscuous confusion. A large ash tree stands be- G 62 Mucruss Alley. — Station 7. side this appalling charnel-house, and waves its drooping foliage over it. If the young and the thoughtless could pause here without being dis^ gusted at the sight, and moralize on the scene be- fore them, many an useful lesson might be im- pressed on their minds. Those, whose bones are here tossed about, undistinguished and unknown, once partook of the same state of existence we now enjoy, and have only passed away a little earlier than ourselves to those regions, where " the wick- ed cease from troubling : and" where " the weary be at rest." It is in scenes such as this that the " solemn night-born adjuration" of the author of the Complaint (an extract from which we can- not forbear introducing,) assumes its full supre- macy over a well regulated mind : " By thousands, now, resigning their last breath, " And calling thee— wert thou so wise to hear ! " By tombs o'er tombs arising ; human earth "Ejected, to make room for — human earth; " The monarch's terror ! and the sexton's trade' " By pompous obsequies that shun the day, " The torch funereal, and the nodding flume, " Which makes poor man's humiliation proud; " Boast of our ruin ! triumph of our dust! Mucruss Abbey. — Station 7, 63 " By the damp vault that weeps o'er royal bones ; "And the pale lamp that shews the ghastly dead, " More ghastly, through the thick incumbent gloom ! ' ' Ey visits (if there are) from darker scenes, " The gliding spectre ! and the groaning grave ! " By groans, and graves, and miseries that groan " For the grave's shelter ! By desponding men, " Senseless to pains of death, from pangs of guilt ! " By guilt's last audit ! By yon moon in blood, " The rocking firmament, the falling stars, " And thunder's last discharge, great nature's knell ! " By Second chaos ; and Eternal night!' — Be Wise— Young. The situation of Mucruss Abbey is very fine, but many of the features are altered which dis- tinguished it about forty years ago, when it was visited by Mr. Young,* the traveller. At that pe- * " From hence entered the garden, and viewed Mucruss abbey, one of the most interesting scenes I ever saw ; it is the ruin of a considerable abbey, built in Henry the Vlth's time, and so entire, that if it were more so, though the building would be more per- fect, the ruin would be less pleasing ; it is half ob- scured in the shade of some venerable ash trees ; ivy has given the picturesque circumstance, which that plant alone can confer, while the broken walls and ruined turrets throw over it The last mournful graces of decay, G2 64 Mucruss Abbey. — Station 7. riod, the intrusive and ill-judged appurtenance of a paling had not yet been erected, — nor had the hand of the decorator yet felled a tree, or eradicated a weed. There is no beauty in the architecture of the exterior — no imposing massiveness in the di- mensions of the venerable structure — to justify its exposure to the garish eye of day ; but it should have been preserved in that sombre soli- heaps of skulls and bones scattered about, with net- tles, briars, and weeds sprouting in tufts from the loose stones, all unite to raise those melancholy impressions, which are the merit of such scenes, and which can scarcely any where be felt more completely. The cloisters form a dismal area, in the center of which grows the most prodigious yew tree I ever beheld, in one great stem, two feet diameter, and fourteen feet high, from whence a vast head of branches spreads on every side, so as to form a perfect canopy to the whole space ; 1 looked for its fit inhabitant — it is a spot where The moping owl doth to the moon complain. This ruin is in the true style in which all such build- ings should appear ; there is not an intruding circum- stance — the hand of dress has not touched it — melan- choly is the impression which such scenes should kin- dle, and it is here raised most powerfully." — Young s Tour in Ireland. Grounds of Mucruss. 65 tude, — that awful and uninterrupted repose, — which, while it leads the mind to contemplation, elevates and purines the best affections of the soul : — Is there, a heart that music cannot melt ? Alas ! how is that rugged heart forlorn ! Is there, who ne'er those mystic transports felt Of solitude and melancholy born ? Beattie. From the deep grove on the south of the Ab- bey* we emerge on the * Although care has been taken to render the ac- count of this celebrated abbey as explicit as possible, the following passages, will, it is hoped, not be deemed superfluous : — " A ruined church is a common object, which, independent of the picturesque beauty it may possess, excites little interest ; but the sight of a monastery carries us back to distant ages, and gives rise to a train of reflection which every mind of sen- sibility feels a pleasure in indulging. \Ye remember that these places were the asylums of men who, vo- luntarily renouncing the seducing pleasures of the world, devoted themselves to the services of charity and of religion. Hither the aged peasants from the neighbouring hamlets flocked, in the hours of sick- ness and of affliction, to obtain the advice and conso- lation of the ghostly fathers, to crave the boon of cha- g3 66 Grounds of Mucruss. GROUNDS OF MUCRUSS, and pursue a well kept carriage road through an exceedingly rich bordering of shrubs, fine full- rity, or implore the blessing of Jleaven on the labours of their toiling offspring. Hither, during the ages of violence and rapine, those who by inclination were disposed to retirement and to ease' could withdraw in safety from the dangers of contending factions, and demote themselves to the calm and tranquil pursuits of literature. These were the sacred retreats of learning, where the germs of knowledge were preserved till a more genial season bade them spring forth and flourish in open day. 1 ' ** The remembrance of what this place once was is fresh in the minds of the country people ; and many a pious devotee, impressed with a fond belief of its sanctity, may he seen before the tombs and antient shrines, in deep and earnest prayer. The appearance of these poor people, clad in long russet garments, prostrated on their knees, and count- ing their beads with all the enthusiasm of devotion, is quite in character with the solemnity of the scene, and calculated to increase the melancholy and religious awe which the contemplation of so venerable a ruin is likely to inspire." " The vaults and winding passages of the abbey are still more gloomy than the cloister : — There through thick walls oblique the broken light, From narrow loop-holes, quivers to the sight. This obscurity adds much to the effect of the ruin, and, combined with the stillness and solitude of deep Grounds of Mucruss. — Station 8. 67 grown birches and spreading oaks, intermingled with trees of almost all the species which were met by the father of English poetry, in his morn- ing walk : — the Daphene closed vnder rynde Grene Laurer, and the holsome Pyne The Myrre also, that wepeth euer of kynde The Cedres hye, vpright as a lyne The Fylberte eke, y* lowe doth enclyne Her bowes grene, to the erthe adoun Unto her knyght called Demophoun. There sawe I eke the freshe hauthorne In whyte motley, that so swote doth smel Afshe, fyrre, & oke, with many a yong acorne, And many a tree mo than I can tel. Chaucer. s retirement, the fragments of monumental grandeur, and the frightful spectacles of mouldering mortality, forms an association highly calculated to inspire the imagination with visionary fears. As you wander on, the mind, yielding to the impression of such gloomy images, becomes abstracted from this world. The shade of every waving branch is converted to a spec- tre, and the echoes of the footsteps to the whispering of the ideal inhabitants. The startled senses distrust their own perception, and the delusion can scarcely be dispelled by returning to the cheerful regions of light and life." — Weld's Killarney. 68 Grounds of Mucruss. — Station 8. Many luxuriant groups decorate the slopes which decline from the upper walk, and continue until we reach the smooth lawn, where the house of H. A. Herbert, Esq. appears in view. Station 8. On the right the lake opens beautifully, with the point of Glena in the west, and all the grounds we have hitherto traversed, forming an amphi- theatre in the back-ground : the wooded islands and Ross Castle towering ^above them fill up the middle space, and the foreground is occupied by Sugar Island, and the shore of the peninsula. In the opposite direction the margin of the wood- ed ground, from which we have just emerged, forms a light boundary to the view of Mangerton. Colonel Herbert's* house diversifies the tameness * The following description of the view, which this gentleman's residence commands, is from the pen of an ingenious traveller, whose observations are always either instructive or entertaining : — " September 27th, walked into Mr. Herbert's beautiful grounds, to Oroch's hill, in the lawn that he has cleared from that profusion of stones which lie under the wall ; the Grounds of Mucruss* — Station 8. 69 of the unvaried swells in the middle distance, while the luxuriant foliage behind it appears finely- contrasted to Turk Mountain, which lies in a neu- tralized blue tint, — and to that circular bend of the lake immediately on our right, which reflects the azure and silvery brightness of the lightly clouded sky. This is a fine assemblage of ob- jects, notwithstanding the level verdant area in scene which this point commands is truly delicious ; the house is on the edge of the lawn, by a wood which covers the whole peninsula, fringes the slope at your feet, and forms a beautiful shore to the lake. Tomis and Glena are vast mountainous masses of in- credible magnificence, the outline soft and easy in its swells, whereas those above the eagle's nest are of so broken and abrupt an outline, that nothing can be imagined more savage, an aspect horrid and sublime, that gives all the impressions to be wished to astonish, rather than please the mind. The Turk exhibits no- ble features, and Mangerton's huge body rises above the whole. The cultivated tracts towards Killarney, form a shore in contrast to the terrific scenes I have just mentioned; the distant boundary of the lake, a vast ridge of distant blue mountains towards Dingle." -—Youngs Tour in Ireland. 70 Grounds of Mucruss. ^-Station 8. front of the house, which is too formal and arti- ficial to harmonize with the other features of so glorious a picture. 71 THE PENINSULA. Pass the house, and enter a shady and em- bowered avenue at the rere, along which you may continue your walk through the whole ex- tent of the peninsula. Those who visit Killarney, merely to run over as much space as their stay will allow— that they may recount upon their re- turn the immense variety they have seen — should hurry through these grounds (which are not less than two miles in length,) with the rapidity of mail-coach travelling, — and eye the beauties around, as if they were seen flitting past the coach window. But such as are endued with a percep- tion of the picturesque, and have a feeling for the charms of nature, should deviate from the regular path, and explore the dells and eminences, the beautifully planted lawns and tangled forests, which every where abound, — interspersed with flowery banks, shrubby thickets, and finely clothed rocks, from the fissures of which large trees are growing, with the same bloom and lux- 72 The Peninsula* — Station 9. uriance as in the most favoured soil. The super- abundance of wood precludes the visitor from enjoying the views which might be opened on either side ; but he should continue his walk (when practicable,) as far as the shores of the lakes, where he would be amply compensated for the difficulties and obstructions he must have en- countered on his progress. Nearly midway to Brickeen Bridge lies a small lough, beautifully surrounded with lawns, and bordered with full- grown trees, — and, a short way beyond it in the direction of Turk Lake, there is a beautiful bay, which is bounded with marble rocks, and has its shore embroidered with a luxuriance of ver- dure, to the very edge of the water. Station 9. We have now a most enchanting view up the defile, through which the water flows that forms the passage to the Upper Lake. When the wea- ther is fine, the cerulean hue of the heavens comes softened to the eye through the sultry atmosphere,-^ the accumulated masses of clouds are frequently The Peninsula. — Station 9. 73 tinted with a pearly lustre, which overhang the distance ; and the broken outlines of the more re- mote mountains lend a fine contrast to their forms, while the harmony of their hues preserves a de- lightful unity of colouring : — 'Tis beautiful indeed — through parted boughs To see the moving clouds darken the sky, To mark their many-shifting forms, and tints, As slow they pass ; then see the lively blue Pure, spotless, like the soul, that hath not known Unworthy passions, or, if dimmed awhile, Soon shines reclaimed. Anster. The lovely lake, reposing in peaceful beauty, re- flects the sombre shadows of the nearer mountains, and the loose, hanging foliage, on the margin of Dinas Island, dips into the calm surface of the otherwise unruffled expanse. The brightest parts of the sky are brought forward even to our feet on the clear water, — which, as it grows more shal- low and more transparent, exhibits every little polished pebble that sparkles on its sandy bot- tom. It is impossible to avoid reverting again and 74 The Peninsula. — Station 9. again to this enchanting scene, as we hang by the tough roots and saplings which enable us to as- cend its steep banks, and force our way through the thickets which we must pass to regain the path. Beyond this fairy cove we enter on grounds wooded in a wilder style than any we have yet beheld. The trees are not old, or of great growth ; but the entire character of the scene is uncouth and desolate, — exhibiting no traces of the sublime, but only a chaos of rude and savage materials confusedly thrown together. Here we pass a cottage that has been highly panegy- rized by an elegant writer who visited it about twenty years ago, but which is now a shapeless ruin. On approaching it through the gloomy scenery which has just been described, the dis- mal appearance of the place suggests the idea of its having been once the haunt of desperate free- booters, and forcibly recalls the words of the poet : — Strange — that where Nature loved to trace, As if for Gods, a dwelling-place, And every charm and grace hath mixed Within the paradise she fixed, The Penifisula. — Station 9. 75 There man, enamoured of distress, Should mar it into wilderness, And trample, brute-like, o'er each flower That tasks not one laborious hour; Nor claims the culture of his hand To bloom along the fairy land, But springs as to preclude his care, And sweetly woos him — but to spare ! Lord Byron. «HHH>i§««">''M>*sM«'"M>*SX4H«"f" 12 87 SIDE OF MANGERTON. The view hen ce has often been highly extolled ; but it is one of those unfit for the canvass, owing to the multiplicity of its details, and the extreme elevation of the point of sight. The features are all of such a description as ages will not alter ; and they present, at this moment, the exact out- lines that Mr. Young enumerated so admirably, upon visiting them nearly half a century since. This gentleman's account of flip collective sce- nery of the lakes, inserted in his agricultural tour, is replete with evidences of a pure and cultivated taste, — and gave the tone to Mr. Weld's elegant and scientific work, as may be inferred from the comparison of numerous passages. Young's deline- ation of the view of Mangerton, is as follows : — Station 15. " From this scene of wild magnificence, I broke at once upon all the glories of Killarney ; 88 Side of Mangerton. — Station 15. from an elevated point of view I looked down on a considerable part of the lake, which gave me a specimen of what I might expect. The water you command (which, however, is only a part of the lake) appears a bason of two or three miles round ; to the left it is inclosed by the moun- tains you have passed particularly by the Turk, whose outline is uncommonly noble, and joins a range of others, that form the most magnificent shore in the world : on the other side is a rising scenery of cultivated hills, and Lord Kenmare's park and woods ; the end of the lake at your feet is formed by the root of Mangerton, on whose side the road leads. From hence I looked down on a pretty range of inclosures on the lake, and the woods and lawns of Mucruss, forming a large promontory of thick wood, shooting far into the lake. The most active fancy can sketch nothing in addition . Islands of wood beyond seem to join it, and reaches of the lake, break- ing partly between, give the most lively inter- mixture of water : six or seven isles and islets Side of Manger ton. — Station 15. 89 form an accompanyment, some are rocky, but with a slight vegetation ; others contain groups of trees, and the whole thrown into forms, which would furnish new ideas to a painter. Farther is a chain of wooded islands, which also appear to join the main land, with an offspring of lesser ones scattered around. " «t+*t-+)§M»i»<