Obrázky stránek
PDF
ePub

"Te hill, and te hole, and te pog. Let Krulagh ko-and Dathy."

66

Governor," said Fitzroy, to an officer that approached, "will you accept my order of dismissal for this unfortunate, and give him the pass?"

The governor complied, and our hero quitted the yard, followed by the old woman, and Dathy, with the dog fast in his embrace, cautiously stealing after him, his person bent almost double, until the gate was cleared, when the old woman, seizing him by the breast of his thrumb jacket, and fixing her eyes upon his liberator, emphatically exclaimed-" Bertram Fitzroy! Bertram Fitzroy !"

66

Woigh, woigh, Pertrap Mishroy! Pertrap Mishroy," yelled the Caliban. "Bertram Fitzroy!" said the female, giving him a shake.

"Pertram Whitsroy! Pertram Whitsroy!" again he repeated." Oigh Gaull morni," he added, letting go the dog, who instantly took to flight, yelping, whining, and half turning his head towards his master, who, disengaging himself, sprung after

it with a rapidity that utterly amazed the young Englishman, who, remounting his steed, sat observing them, until they became lost in the distance; then bestowing on the old woman a small piece of silver, he returned towards the city, strongly impressed with the novelty of the adventure.

CHAP. II.

Addidit et fontes, immensaque stagna lacusque; cinxitque obliquis ripis declivia flumina.

OVID's Metamorphosis.

Loch Lene, Kerry.

THE County of Kerry, particularly that part of it in which Killarney lies, is perhaps the most picturesque of any part of Ireland. Our hero was greatly delighted with the richness, novelty, and beauty of the scenery, which surrounded the fort in which he was stationed, on all sides. His spare hours were agreeably occupied in rambling along the margin of the expansive lakes, or in climbing the steep sides

of Mount Mangerton, to witness more nearly the descent of the waters from the mountain lake, "Poule Iferon," which, in its extraordinary perennial overflowings, forms the most beautiful cascades that are to be met with in Europe.

This lake, which is situated upon the summit of the mountain, is unfathomable, and thence derives its name, Poule Iferon (i. e. portal to hell); and from its overflowings, are formed the beautiful Lakes of Killarney, one of which, " Loch Lene," is six miles in length, and nearly four in breadth. In this stands the beautiful island of Innisfallen, containing nearly eighteen Irish acres, from whence may be seen to great advantage O'Sullivan's Cascade.

The upper lake is nearly five miles in length, and four in breadth; the islands in this are very numerous, and it is almost surrounded by mountains, from the summits of which descend innumerable cascades; and the islets, taken as points of observation, afford numberless beautiful and picturesque views.

Mount Mangerton itself is a singular

specimen of mountain woodland; for being covered from its base to its summit with dwarf oak, ash, hazel, and the beautiful arbutus, which here grows to a great size, it appears to the traveller at a distance a celestial forest, shooting up into purer regions, as if to tempt beings of superior natures to make their abodes within its umbrageous recesses; and though we have not heard that any of them have availed themselves of the implied invitation, the loch itself hath been more successful, if tradition may be credited, or even the testimony of those solitary beings who have taken up their abodes in its vicinity; for at periods, say they, a beautiful mermaid is seen skimming the surface of the lakes, sometimes in an aquatic car of curious structure, at others gambolling and laving on their bosom, now sinking into their deepest recesses, and anon basking in the rays of an ardent sun.

Among those who were most positive of her identity, was poor Mala O’Dunn, the widow of the "Fisher of the Lochs," as he was termed by way of pre-eminence,

who, after having traversed them for more than the third of a century, found in their depths a cheerless lonely grave, and whose son, Quale O'Dunn, had of late entered himself into one of the corps of which our hero was nominal commandant.

The cottage of poor Mala stood, or rather staggered, near the shelving base of Mount Mangerton, upon the borders of the middle lake; so that on Bertram's descent from Iferon, he seldom failed to call and chat with the ancient body, whose skin resembled in hue the scaly forms which, stuffed and smoked, hung dangling from various parts of the roof, and which (putting aside the old skiff and tackle of O'Dunn) she more than all things prized, since they were all of his own taking. The lochs were pregnant with marine curiosities, and when one of these finny gentry chanced into his meshes, he blessed the haul, and stuffed the creature; and indeed these were often advantageous to him, particularly when a visiter of the lakes chanced to call at the "Dunn Shell Man's," for so was his hovel named.

« PředchozíPokračovat »