Friday, July 21st
We had set this Day apart for an excursion on the upper and lower Lakes for which purpose we rose early and were in readiness by 7 in the morning but owing to some difficulties about getting a Boat it was near 9 O'Clock before we left our Inn. Having procured a Man with a Bugle & French Horn & made all other necessary arrangements we at length set out on foot & walked along rather an uninteresting Road for nearly two Miles to Ross Castle.33 This Castle of which Weld has given an accurate Drawing34 stands just over the Bridge which connects Ross Island with the main Land & was formerly very strong & used as a Royal residence,35 but is now converted to a Barrack.36 We here embarked & were rowed along Ross Bay towards the lovely Island of Innisfallen, on the edge of which under a Canopy of Ash & Beech Trees stands the ruin of an Abbey which Lord Kenmare has converted into a Banqueting House for the accommodation of visitors.37 The northern-most points of Ross Island are formed of steep Limestone Rocks, & passing thro' a narrow strait between these and Mouse Island we reached the open Lake which then suddenly opened to our view.
In the neighbourhood of Killarney there are two Lakes, 4 or 5 Miles distant from each other, & of these one is called the upper and the other the lower Lake. The latter on which we now entered is about 7 Miles long & from 3 to 4 broad. On the West it is bounded by the steep sides of the Tommies & Glennaa Mountains & the Eastern washes a beautiful well cultivated Country over which several lofty Mountains rise at a short distance. Its surface is studded with more than thirty Islands of various sizes, some of which are barren Craigs, & others are clothed with a great variety of unusually beautiful and richly contrasted foliage. O'Donoghue's Table is a naked craig of which so much of the base has been worn away by the continued action of the water, that it appears as if it was artificially supported by four Pillars. The Weather could not have been more delightful, & the surface of the Lake was gently undulated by a faint Breeze.
Dinis Island is much resorted to by parties of pleasure, both on account of its internal beauties & the great variety of prospects which it commands. Thro' the narrow Channel at its extremity we were rowed till we had nearly arrived in Mucross Lake when turning suddenly to the right we entered the Stream which connects the upper with the lower Lake. Our Boatmen said they never before knew the Water so low, & we in consequence to lighten our Boat were obliged to land by the old Weir Bridge and walk along the Banks of the Channel till we arrived at the Eagles Nest. In its loftiest clefts large numbers of Eagles build their Nests. & are generally seen hovering about it, but in this respect we were not fortunate. We here crossed over in our Boat to the opposite shore, & landed a Cannon which our Boatmen had borrowed for the purpose at Lord Kenmare's. We fired six rounds & in the intervals our Musician who was concealed among the opposite Rocks played alternately on the Bugle & French Horn. The repeated Echoes produced by each Discharge of our Cannon resembled loud peals of Thunder & seemed to rend the Rocks. We then reimbarked & having proceeded a short distance, we again landed on a rocky point a little above the Eagles Nest where both with our Cannon and Bugle we tried another series of Echoes & thought them still finer than the last.38 We were from there rowed thro' a great variety of exquisitely beautiful scenery, along the numerous windings of the Stream. In about half an hour we arrived in a small Bason encircled by stupendous Rocks & among them a short passage called Colman's Eye from some person of that name having
Among a cluster of beautifully romantic Islands near the extremity of the Lakes is one called Royane's Island, distinguishable by its larger size, & by a Cottage which Lord Kenmare has built on it for the accommodation of Strangers. The Island consists of a rugged Rock which is covered with the Arbutus, Holly & a variety of Trees and Shrubs.
On this Island we landed & whilst an old woman who attends there on such occasions was preparing a cold Dinner that we had brought with us we wound along a Path to the summit of the Island. Every thing around was wild & magnificent and excepting the Cottage below not a Trace of Man's Labor could be seen.
We returned to our Dinner & as on one excuse or other the Musician had not complied with my request to play God save the King whilst we were on the water I now insisted that it should be played. The Boatmen, at least, pretended not to dislike it & I afterwards gave them leave to play Erin go bras if they chose.39 The principal Boatman who is a shrewd fellow said they did not like those party tunes, one of which I found is Erin go bras & the other
Having dined we reimbarked & were rowed round the upper end of the Lake to Crosbies Cottage than which it is impossible to imagine a more sequestered or romantic retreat. From thence we returned as we came, but the purple tints of Evening, & the lengthened Shadows from the mountains had so increased the beautiful effect of the Scenery that we enjoyed it almost as much as if we had not seen it before.
The Boatmen as they rowed along amused us with many Tales about O'Donoghue who was formerly Lord of this Country, & who tho' he has been dead many hundred years, still frequently appears on the Lake & is often attended with a splendid retinue.40 Our steersman who is 78 years of age declared he had very often seen him, told us many romantic particulars, in perfect unison with the wildness of the Scenery, & which he offered to confirm with an Oath. Two of the other Boatmen also declared they had seen him & that he is often seen rising from & walking or playing Goals on the Water, [and this] is by all the Lower orders in this Country, fully and firmly believed.41
We landed at nine o' Clock on the South side of Ross Island, & from thence walked thro' Lord Kenmare's Grounds to our Inn at