132 GAME BIRDS AND WILD FOWL. 



dark mountains, and every now and then obtain- 

 ing a view of the open sea on our right, or 

 catching a glimpse of a tremendous precipice 

 in the distance ; until, on surmounting an ascent 

 of more than usual tediousness and length, a 

 magnificent scene was suddenly spread before 

 us. Beneath lay a valley, through the centre 

 of which dashed a wild stream, from whose 

 well known waters, when a boy, I have many 

 a time filled my basket with the small pink- 

 fleshed mountain trout. Further on to the 

 right the hills on either side gradually ap- 

 proached each other, forming a dark ravine, 

 through which the little river hurried in many 

 a foaming cascade on its way to the sea, which 

 stretched away as far as the eye could reach, 

 from the Stags of Broadhaven to Killala Bay. 

 A lofty isolated rock, the abode of myriads of 

 sea birds during the breeding season, stood at 

 a short distance from the precipitous coast, whence 

 it seemed to have been detached by some con- 

 vulsion of nature, or by the continuous action 

 of the eternal waves of the Atlantic. Far in 

 the north-east the blue outline of the Donegal 

 cliffs was visible on the horizon, while over this 

 vast expanse of ocean not a sail was to be 

 descried; but at least a mile from the shore, 

 although apparently much nearer, a little group 



