28 'I Ju Irish Nairn alist. January, 1909. 



these sounds have appeared to orit^inate near the T3 rone shore, sonie^ 

 times in the southern jiortion of the Uike^ sometimes apparently in 

 Toome Bay, and sometimes close to the shore near Antrim. When the 

 hike ^^as covered with ice, as it was in February, 1S95, on a very calm 

 sunny afternoon, there were regular boomings at distant intervals, and 

 lasting perhaps a couple of hours, apparently far away in the south-west, 

 the writer being engaged skating near the Massereene and Shane's 

 Castle demesnes at the time. On another occasion, but during the same 

 protracted frost, and when the ice was about breaking up, there were 

 terrific boomings, apparently about half-a-mile, or less, from the shore 

 nearest Antrim. Skaters were momentarily alarmed, and stepped to 

 look round to see what had happened ; but there were no visible effects. 

 On a fine spring day, a golfer was much startled by one of these dull, 

 explosive sounds, which appeared to have originated about a hundred 

 yards from the mouth of the Six-Mill water. The fishermen denominate 

 them " lough shootings." But the mystery attaching to them has not yet 

 been fully stated. The}- are, I believe, never heard at night. I think I 

 have heard them at almost all hours during the day, and this, fishermen 

 have done : but I have met with none, fishermen or shore-residents, who 

 can say they have heard these boomings during daikness. This seem 

 to me one of the strangest things about them. If the boomings origin- 

 ated within the lough itself, there would surely be some local disturbance 

 of the water ; but none is ever seen. Therefore, I conclude that they 

 proceed from the atmosphere above ; and yet, if there were aerial 

 explosions, would they not be attended by flashes of some kind "i But 

 no flashes are ever seen accompanying the sounds. The fishermen 

 regard them as ordinary occurrences, and never trouble their heads 

 about the cause. Whether any superstition attaches to them I do not 

 really know; but these people appear to me as though they would 

 rather not speak of them. 



Sounds of a similar nature to those I have attempted to describe, are 

 heard at intervals in different parts of the world, and according to Mr. 

 G. H. Pentland, thej' are heard off the eastern coast of Ireland, from 

 Wicklow to Carlingford. Are they, I wonder, heard there in various 

 kinds of weather, though bright and sunny seems to be regarded as most 

 probable ; and at all seasons of the year as at Lough Neagh ? Are they 

 heard during darkness .-' It would be interesting to know as fully as 

 possible the circumstances under which the sounds occur. If I under, 

 stand Professor Grenville Cole aright, he thinks they may possibly, only 

 possibly, be caused by seismic movements of some kind. But do such 

 earth movements never take place during the night .^ And do they 

 always make a dull, muffled, explosive sound ? And would the}' not be 

 heard coming from the land as well as from water ? I fear we are yet a 

 long way from knowing the cause. So far as I am aware, the I.ough 

 Xeagh reports have not yet been properly investigated. 



W. vS. SMFTif. 



Antrim. 



'1 



