*893-940 35 



night as seen on the home-coming to conjure up the departed 

 spirits of the O'Cahans, MacQuillans, and MacDonnells, and 

 the fierce fighting and persistent siege of Sir John Perrot, or the 

 rather questionable means by which MacDonnell obtained 

 possession of these lands. 



At Bushmills the party was joined by a local member, W. 

 A. Traill, electrical engineer of the tramway — an acquisition 

 that was appreciated by all present, as the local information 

 imparted by him throughout the day added greatly to the 

 interest of the excursion. 



On arrival at the Causeway Hotel, half an hour was allowed 

 for lunch, and then a start was made down to the Causeway by 

 all the members, it having been decided that none should go to 

 the caves in the boats on account of the heavy sea that was 

 running. Upon reaching what is called the Grand Causeway 

 the secretary's whistle called all together, whilst Mr. Traill 

 briefly described the different features of this wonderful geolo- 

 gical formation, commencing at the Stookans and the rock 

 resembling an aged female figure, and passing on to the Wishing 

 Chair, then the Causeway upon which the party was standing, 

 which he described as the overflowing of a thick sheet of lava 

 subjected to a very gradual cooling by which the columnar 

 formation is engendered. The columns, which are usually 

 hexagonal, have formed at right angles to the planes of cooling, 

 and as this has been virtually a horizontal sheet from which 

 the covering beds have been swept away, the ends of the 

 vertical columns constitute the causeway, which runs out into 

 the sea a distance of 250 yards. Some of the pillars have three 

 and four sides, others have five and seven. One column only, 

 called the Keystone, is a perfect octagon. The party having 

 been photographed by a member, the way was taken past the 

 Giant's Loom towards the Giant's Organ, near which the 

 shepherd's path was ascended to the summit of the cliffs. This 

 stiff ascent having been surmounted, a halt was called and 

 advantage taken of a small natural amphitheatre overlooking 

 the varied landscape for the purpose of hearing Mr. Traill read 



