182 APPROACH TO KILLARNEY. For the first four or five miles after leaving Kenmare, the ascent is regular, but not very steep; and the scenery, though never extraordinarily grand, becomes gradually more interesting and wilder. At the very top of the ascent a wall of rock seemed to bar our further progress. Through this an opening has been hewn; upon emerging through which I was quite taken by surprise, at the very glorious prospect that at once broke upon me. In truth, completely as I thought I had seen the environs of Killarney, and prepared as I was for the vaunted beauties of this road, I was obliged to confess that I had not previously formed any adequate conception of the extreme loveliness of the whole drive from this point to the town. This is the only approach to Killarney at all worthy of its picturesque scenery; so much so, that I should strongly recommend any tourists, who really wish to see it to advantage, to visit Glengarriffe first, and then cross APPROACH TO KILLARNEY. 183 to Killarney, by this new road from Kenmare. If they have but fine weather for the drive, none at least who have any soul for Nature's loveliest scenes will at all regret the little détour they may have to make. The day that I passed was splendid. The aërial tints had a transparency and brilliancy rarely witnessed in our climate; and the mountains not only wore no cloud upon their lofty brows, but seemed to stand forth in bold relief from the dark blue sky, with a clearness of chiselled outline, that increased their apparent height and proximity. There they stood, the Everlasting Hills, in "magnificently stern array, before me the noblest monuments of their Maker's Omnipotence and Eternity, which this portion of His works, with which we are more immediately connected, exhibits. دو Soon after, the Upper Lake gradually developed itself in all its beauty; and anon, the dells, and glens, and woods of Derricunnihy, with the amphitheatre of broken rocks that 184 APPROACH TO KILLARNEY. encircle them, burst upon my view. Within these romantic glades lies a celebrated waterfall, which I thought it would be worth while to visit, as it was likely to be in high beauty after the late rains. There was indeed a considerably greater body of water than the usual summer average; but it would require much more to constitute it a fine cascade. The stream tumbles over an inclined mass of rocks, without ever making any grand fall. It is enveloped in thickest shade of overarching arbutus, and ash, and oak, which conspire to form a sweet sylvan scene; but, as a waterfall, I think it decidedly inferior to either of its rivals, Turk or O'Sullivan's. About half a mile below it is a neat, unpretending cottage, belonging to Mr. Hyde, where parties are allowed to dine: it stands at a short distance above the Upper Lake, from which it is easily approached. Rejoining my car, I drove leisurely along the shores of this superb sheet of water; APPROACH TO KILLARNEY. 185 passed through the Tunnel, and beneath the noble Turk Mountain; and cast my eyes over the familiar features of the Middle and Lower Lakes, which, as they severally came in sight, spoke to my heart with the charm of recollected music. CHAPTER VIII. A second Glance at the Lakes of Killarney - Last Day's Angling Attempted Apology for Fly-fishing - Feelings on leaving Killarney. UPON arriving at Killarney, I of course went to my former quarters at Hegarty's; and was much gratified by the apparent delight with which my return was hailed by the former companions of my sport. James Doherty, in particular, declared that the sight of me had added ten years to his life; and I believe he felt it, at least for the moment. The Irish feel much more rapidly, and express their feelings much more energetically, than our Saxon phlegm will allow us to do; resembling, in both respects, the vivacious |