402 Lakes of Killarney. 



pression stronger; in a few minutes the fog 

 again interposed the sublimity of the scene 

 faded away, and left us in doubt, whether 

 what we had seen was real, or only an airy 

 dream of the imagination. So transient was 

 the view so powerful the effect, that fancy 

 was left to the full exercise of all her empire. 

 We were not, however, long suffered to enjoy 

 the delusion created by this sudden and irre- 

 sistible incitement of feeling. The rain began 

 to fall in torrents, and obliged us, in despair of 

 making any further progress, to take shelter in 

 the cottage at the foot of Glena. 



The hunting party had here been assembled 

 since nine in the morning, and, having ex- 

 hausted their store of patience, were embarking 

 when we landed. We found a comfortable 

 room with a good fire, and we received much 

 civility from the keeper. Unwilling to relin- 

 quish all hope of the rain ceasing, our first care 

 was to get our clothes dried. After some time, 

 one of the parties by whom the room had been 

 previously engaged returned ; and, on our pre- 

 paring to quit it, Mr. O'Connell, who was one 

 of the company, understanding we were Eng- 

 lish travellers, most politely and hospitably in- 

 vited us to join them. The excessive good 

 humour and gaiety which now prevailed soon 



