fended the castle when besieged by King James's general, Lord 

 Galmoy. Within the enclosure of the castle grounds stands a 

 venerable yew, one of the oldest in the kingdom. It is several cen- 

 turies old, and its spread arms cover a space of 280 feet in circum- 

 ference. The branches are lateral, not vertical, and are now care- 

 fully supported on uprights, properly fixed for the purpose, in refe- 

 rence to which the tree says, by a printed paper on its trunk', " I 

 am not proud, and no one can ever say that I ever held my head 

 too high. May the courteous readers find themselves in their old 

 age as comfortably supported as I am." 



The whole party left Crom Castle early in the evening, and get- 

 ting on board the Knochiinny, steamed down the lake for Ennis- 

 killen. When going up the lake the party had dinner on board, 

 and after dinner made several experiments with dredges and sur- 

 face nets, so that on the return trip there was nothing to do but 

 enjoy the quiet evening and delightful scenery, rendered all the 

 more beautiful as the sun sunk lower and lower, and was at last 

 lost in crimson and gold behind the gray outline of the distant 

 hills. The gathering shades of evening tested the skill of the 

 helmsman in steering by low swampy margins, wooded islands, 

 and prominent banks that now and then threatened to stay his 

 progress, but did not prevent him from safely landing his charge, 

 who soon after were comfortably cared for in the cheerful hostelry 

 of the Imperial Hotel. 



Next day a similar trip was taken on the lower lake, with the 

 exception that the weather was not so fine, but it did not, how- 

 ever, prevent the party from dredging the lake, and visiting the old 

 ruins on the Island of Innismacsaint. Here St. Ninneth, a disciple 

 of St. Finnian of Clonard, contemporary of St. Columba, 

 founded a monastery. Sketches were made of the ruined 

 church, and the fine old stone cross that stands close by. A visit 

 was also paid to Castle Caldwell, and after dinner on board, the 

 north side of the lake was visited, landing on White Island and 

 Seventh Island. At the former there are remains of a very old 

 church, having a very good doorway, and some carving of the kind 

 known as Sheela-na-Gig. Devenish is well known for its remark- 



