Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/342

 328 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1758.

in a manner not to be dcfcribed, nor believed by any but by ihofe who have heard them; the whole duration of a fingle found being near a minute ; and yet the rcper- cufTions are innumerable, and the variety inconceivable. But the rea- der may from this imagine, that a moft furprifing mulical effedl muft arife from the variety of notes jfluing from the throats of a large pack of buck-hounds, enlivened by the chearipg lliouts of the fportf- inen, and the noife of the horns.

From the mou;;.r;ins the ftag of- ten flies to the foil for refrefhraent, where he is fometimcs taken by perfons who attend in boatb to call a rope over the horns; or the poor snimal is purfued to feme ifland, where he is killed ; or being re- freflied by fwimming, is hunted again to the mountains; in all, and every of v;hich places, particularly towards the upper lake, the echoes are prodigious grand.

But the moll aftonilhing founds are thofe made by the difcharge of cannon placed in a proper fitua- tion, upon the points of fome par- ticular iflands, which may bell an- fwer to the concave fides of the mountains. When the piece is firll exploded, there is no return of any particular found for near a mi- nute ; but then a loud clap of thunder, which lafts for feveral fe- conds, enfues ; and after a Ihort paufe, a fecond, and fo on, for feveral repetitions ; like volleys of fmall arms, which are alternately anfwered from the neighbouring mountains and valleys, and at length die away, with a noile refemblmg that of the waves of the ocean beating againll a concave Ihore. Nothing would be more pleafant than the ringing of a peal of bells, placed in a fmall ifland in this

lake, which would feem to be more numerous than all thofe of a great city, by being anfwered by num- bqrlefs imaginary bells from the. neighbouring rocks. But this, with feveral other methods of improv- ing the natural beauties of the lake, particularly the placing tame fwans on it, and otiier embellifh- roentf, is f<ibmitted to its owner: who by adding, if pofllble, to its native elegancy, might render it more pleafing to travellers, who may be induced, out of curlofity, to vifit it, and which would be of great advantage to the adjacent town of Kiilarney.

There have been but few coun- tries in Europe that haye not con- trived means to draw a concourfe of people to vifit them, whofe very travelling and intercourfe increafe wealth and trade; and are a fecret motive to induce inhabitants to come and fettle in them.

A river falls from the upper into the lower lake, difcharging iifelf between the mountains of Glenna and Turk, between which hills is one of the moft romantic glins that can be conceived. The trees on both fides feem to overfliadow this pafiage, which is a kind of watry defile for fome miles in length, and admits of u confiderable variety, being deep and fmoolh in fome places, and in others rocky and fliallow; at which lad the paflen- gers difembark, and the boat is forced by ftrength of men's arms, under a kind of arch. The ufing of fails is here dangerous, on ac- count of the mountain fqualls, their fides hanging direifily over the river, which, in chis place, is almoft too narrow even for oars. The ftupen- dous rock, called the Eagle's Nell, noted alfo for a fine echo, is com- monly a place of refrefliment to paflengers.