Page:Three Years in Europe.djvu/103

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IRELAND AND WALES.
77

of Killerney, the pride of Ireland, and equal in picturesque beauty to the prettiest lakes of Scotland. Killerney.We took a long drive in a car, and then had a ride through one of the wildest valleys that I have ever seen, the "Gap of Dunloe." It is not quite so bleak and barren as the vale of Glencoe in Scotland, but the mountains are quite as high and the whole scene is quite as wild and picturesque.

Emerging from that valley we came to the lakes and took a boat. The scenes through which we then passed defy all description. Enough be it to say that it is the wildest and the most picturesque scene that can he made up of mountains, rivulets, lakes, istands, creeks, promontories, and wild vegetation. The lakes being surrounded on all sides by high mountains, every loud sound was echoed most distinctly. Our guide had a bugle with him which he sounded, and thrice was it echoed distinctly by the surrounding rocks. Our boatman repeated a long sentence, pausing a little after every word, and every word was echoed back as distinctly as possible! At another place, the "Eagle's Nest," the echo seemed to be louder than the bugle sound itself! One of the lakes of Killarney is the scene of action of the beautiful drama "Cawleen Bawn." The rock from which "Cawleen Bawn" is supposed to have been thrown into the water was pointed out to us.

From Killarney we came to Cork, paying a visit to Blarney, which notwithstanding the magical Cork.powers ascribed to