34 THE GIANT'S CAUSEWAY. lar cliff, formed of the same basaltic rocks as the Causeway, though the columns are not so distinctly marked; resembling much our palisades. There seemed to be a succession of little bays or recesses, like horse-shoes, with huge white chalk cliffs projecting out into the sea, standing almost by themselves, and forming a strong contrast to the black rocks in the rear. As we progressed, these projections seemed to take all manner of shapes-temples and thrones-sea-gods and all sorts of beings; and at short distances the yawning mouths of huge caverns presented themselves to view. At Porte Rush we took breakfast, and a jaunting car for the Causeway. These cars are very little larger than our hand-carts, and yet they are contrived to carry six-I can't say very comfortably. The seats run lengthwise of the car, over each wheel, and the passengers sit back to back, with their feet within a foot of the ground. A seat in front accommodates the driver, and this is the only means of conveyance, in rain or shine, for the North of Ireland. grand Causeway extends seven hundred feet in length along the shore, and three hundred in breadth. The parts of the columns visible, above ground, being from four to nine feet in height. There is one of which you see the whole length, with thirty-eight distinct joints or parts, fitting into each other, the one concave, the other convex. These columns vary in shape from triangular to nonagon or nine-sided, and yet are as regular, and fit each other more closely than if made by the square and rule of the mason. They show themselves in columns from one to nine feet, rising one above another; and there is a vast space, where you walk over the tops of them like a pavement, the surface being comparatively smooth, with the exception that the tops are either convex or concave. There is a tradition among the Irish, that a giant who dwelt in the cave of Staffa, formerly walked on this species of pavement, from Staffa in Scotland across The VISIT TO THE CAVE. 35 to Ireland, and back as he found occasion, and hence its name. And present appearances do indicate that once a line of similar formation of column, a rock did indeed extend across from Ireland to Scotland. You perceive the same identical pointed columns, we were told, on the opposite sides of a small island, midway between Staffa and the Causeway, extending into the sea, on one side in the direction of Staffa, and on the other towards the Causeway. And then again at Staffa, are found the same columns, extending into the sea in the direction of this little island. To our astonishment, a spring of very delightful water, which we drank from, called the Giant's well, was pointed out to us amid these columns, within a few paces of, and almost washed by the ocean. There is also a number of caves extending far under the rocks near by, where the ocean washes in, and the breakers dash about most awfully. I think I never in my life felt so much awed as when inside of one of these immense ocean caves. The mouth is a perfect archway; the height of the arch being ninety feet, and the length, or rather depth of the cave, being six hundred and sixty-six feet. The entrance is extremely dangerous-the waves run very high, and dashing against the sides of the cave, created a white sea of foam within. Mr. R., of Philadelphia, observed, there was not one lady in a hundred would dare venture in that cave, and I assure you, I gave heartfelt thanks when I found myself safe out and on terra firma. We entered upon a billow, watching a favorable one, that in an instant swept us a hundred feet within the cave, and made our exit with the aid of a tremendous receding wave. The skill of the four Irish oarsmen fully equalled that of the gondoliers of Venice, and it was nothing but their tact and extraordinary presence of mind that brought us out safe from our perils. We visited one other curiosity after leaving the Cause 36 way. IRISH BEGGARS. Some eight miles farther north towards Ballycastle, there is a stupendous high cliff against which the ocean beats, and some hundred feet distant in the sea, is an island cliff of equal height, called "Carrick-a-ride." Between these two cliffs extends a ladder of ropes, with a plank two feet wide upon them; and across this narrow bridge the fishermen run with their baskets of salmon on their backs, which are caught in abundance on this little sea-girt isle. It made the head dizzy to gaze into the depth below, and beneath we heard the breaker's sullen roar, holding by each other's hands through involuntary fear. And if you could have seen our escort to this bridge, your sides would have ached with laughter. As we passed through the village in our car all the ragamuffians of the place turned out, and began calling, "a scramble for half-pence, bonny gentlemen'-and when we threw them one after another, there was a scramble indeed. Such tatterdemalions, I am sure, As they ran can no where be seen except in Ireland. along, their rags fluttered in the wind, each seemed bidding good day to the other, as if not sure which part would take its leave first. One old man who headed the escort, (twentythree in number,) wore a coat that would have been a curiosity in any of our museums-it was literally, as I told you, this letter should be, a thing of "shreds and patches," a hundred at the least. It was curious to see them run by the side of the cars for a six-pence. One girl, about twelve years old, ran some five miles, and kept even with us up hill and down, though the horse was at his full trotting speed, and she had coursed the same ground with another party that day. I don't know where you would find man, woman, or child, in our country, to do the same for a six-pence. The dirt and filth of their low thatched huts exceed all belief. Pigs, chickens, and children mix promiscuously inside and FACE OF THE COUNTRY. 37 out—a child with a clean face would have been a curiosity -a marvel in the neighborhood. But enough of this. For miles after leaving the Causeway, all the stone for fences and building are of the balsatic rock, and as far south as Belfast, one hundred miles distant, there is a high cliff by the road side, with perpendicular columns of rock some sixty feet high. The road from the Causeway to Belfast is most excellent, and the ride one of exceeding beauty and interest. It leads the whole distance, following the indentations of the land, close upon the margin of the ocean. For fifty miles or more, travelling from the Causeway towards Belfast, there is not a tree nor a bush that a snake could hide in, save the hawthorn hedges which divide the fields; and yet in the peat bogs in this country, you may distinctly see decayed trunks of trees, and stumps, with fibres of the roots. The peat seems expressly calculated by Providence to supply the deficiency of other fuel here, where they have neither wood nor coal. Though ordinarily we had seen the peat to smoke and smoulder away, rather than burn on the cottage fire-place, on arriving at Ballycastle, after a long cold ride, we found a blazing fire of it in the the parlor quite delightful. I will now conclude. OPERA-TOWER DOCKS ROUTE-MENAI BRIDGE-COAL MINES-OXFORD-LONDON- PITAL. London, July. My dear J"" I am now in this great mart of the world, London-this modern Babylon of which Whittington says, "where all the streets are paved with gold, and all the maidens pretty," which lastI believe is generally acknowledged to be true, and as we are willing to accede to the truth that "all is not gold that glitters," so I think will those who go through the streets of this vast metropolis truly exclaim, there is a great deal of gold that makes no shine. But before I go on to describe to you the wonders that I see on every side, and as this ends our tour through Great Britain, and will be our starting point for the continent, I propose now to give you a list of the principal places through which we have passed, and the principal objects visited. This is the more necessary, as in writing my letters to you and to B. alternately, I have given you no account of things described in my letters to friends there, and it will also enable you to follow us more closely and correctly as far as we have now travelled. We landed at Liverpool, Tuesday, June 20th. We passed one day in visiting Chester and Eaton Hall, which I have described to you. We left Liverpool, Thursday, at seven, P. M., and reached Manchester about ten in the evening. We |