Natural History of the Island of Rathlin. 45 
The mariner, in coasting by Rathlin, has every thing to contend with. Even if the 
weather be calm, the tides are so irregular, and set down the channel with such a force, 
that considerable risk is incurred. If a storm arise and the wind should be blowing on 
the shore of the island nearest the vessel, but little chance of escape can be offered. 
The shores consist of one entire range of rocks; and these so steep and rugged, as to 
prevent any aid being afforded by those on shore, should even a pause in the fury of 
the elements enable her cries to be heard by the islanders. 
Surrounded as it is by a wild and turbulent sea—from the precipitous nature of its 
shores, and the number of caves every where to be found, Rathlin has been in former 
days a favourite resort of smugglers. In Queen’s Anne’s reign, a French privateer 
had made Church bay her head quarters ; and there is not the smallest doubt that were 
there any persons on the island favourable to illicit trade, the system might be pursued 
to a great extent. Any one who would take the trouble of walking round Raghery, 
must be struck with the impossibility of a body of men preventing boats or vessels from 
having intercourse with the island, unless by keeping a sentinel and guard on each of 
the headlands. Although many vessels can be boarded coming through the channel 
in fine weather, it would be out of the question attempting it during the gales of wind 
which, for many months in the year, sweep round its shores. 
The channel between Rathlin and the mainland has, it is said, a strong resemblance 
to the Straits of Reggio between Sicily and the coast of Calabria, particularly in the 
indenting of its shores, the velocity of its tides, and the vortices produced by counter 
currents. Like it, the water is frequently agitated and thrown into ridges and whirl- 
ings by the violence of the current, the particular direction of certain winds, and the 
irregular conformation of the coasts. At times it likewise happens, as I have observed, 
_ that a very dense vapour is accumulated over the waters of the channel. If the atmos- 
phere be highly impregnated with these vapours and dense exhalations not previously 
dispersed by the action of the winds or waves, or rarefied by the sun, it then happens 
that in this vapour, as in a curtain extended along the channel for some height above 
the sea, the extraordinary phenomenon called the Fata Morgana may be observed. 
In one instance, many years ago, a gentleman of undoubted veracity, the comman- 
der of a corps of yeomen, being at some distance from the shore, with a party in his 
pleasure-boat, distinctly saw a body of armed men going through their exercise on the 
beach; and so complete was the deception, that he supposed it had been a field-day 
which he had forgotten. A woman also, ata time when an alarm of French invasion pre- 
vailed, very early on a summer’s morning, saw a numerous fleet of French vessels ad- 
yancing in full sail up the channel. She withdrew in amazement to call her friends to 
witness the spectacle, but on her return the whole had vanished! 
On the evening I first crossed the channel to Raghery, the boatmen were pointing 
out the most interesting objects to my notice, and enlivening the time by the relation 
of any little occurrences of more than ordinary note which they had met with. One 
VOL. XVII. LL 
