• 228 
July lO 
THE EiFLE. 
TBE IRISH iJIERICiX lIATfll. 
The Voyage — The Arrival— The Reception-- 
The Practice Shoot. 
[From our Special Correspondent.] 
Dublix, June 22. 
The American gentlemen xvho have gone over to 
fight the battles of the rifles, have been in Ireland, at 
this writing, about one week and a merry week it has 
been. There has been much feasting, considerable 
talking, and speeehmaking, a vast amount of drinking, 
and a wee-bit of shooting. The majority of the team 
have taken ten shots each, at 800, 900 and 1000 yards, 
and beyond this, have not handled their weapon on the 
field. In my last letter I gave you the trip over on the 
steamer, up to the sighting of land. This most joyful 
sight, even to the most peaceful sea voyagers, took 
place about 7 o’clock on the morning of Monday, the 
14th inst. All were up bright and early that morning, 
even those who had chosen to remain below in seclusion 
during the trip were anxious to have a glance at the 
solid land once more. The hills which first hove in 
sight were not the most hospitable in appearance. Cold 
and gray in the morning light, and with the ship roll- 
ing more vigorously thau it had yet done, the first 
glimpse of the old sod was not calculated to cheer the 
traveller overmuch. Fastnet light was passed and the 
telegraph station from which the news of the safe pas- 
sage was flashed in either direction across the continent 
to friends left behind and the friends awaiting ahead. 
From this point to Queenstown harbor proper, the run is 
some sixty miles along a bold coast, and b}' 11 o’clock 
the turn was taken into the harbor, where the steamer 
completed the first stage of its voyage, by coming to 
anchor. In the channel between forts Camden and 
Carlisle, a little puffing harbor steamer, a cross between 
a row-boat and a launch, black as the ace of spades, 
with low guards, and no cabin, came alongside the 
steamer. This little concern was the landing tender, 
and on it the passengers for Ireland were bundlea, bag 
and baggage, but it had a few gentlemen on board, 
besides the custom officer and the crew. These 
were the delegation of the reception committee, who 
had come down from Dublin to meet the American 
riflemen and bid them a hearty welcome to the old 
country. Even before the two craft bad met, the recog- 
nitions had begun. Major Leech, looking to a dot, the 
same genial gentleman he had been in America, was 
seen in a prominent position on the top of the paddle- 
box, peering out eagerly at the long lines of faces, look- 
ing over the bulwarks of the vessel to distinguish some 
friendly faces which he had before met at Creedmoor. 
Major Fulton, who had been perched on the taflrail 
first caught his eye and then one after another of the 
riflemen were sorted out ’from the compan}', and with 
shaking of hats and cheers of good fellowship, the Irish 
party boarded the “City of Chester.” Col. Gildersleeve 
met them at the gangwa}- and the handshaking for a 
time was something hveh'. The Irish gentlemen were 
Major Leech, chairman, Alderman Purdon, Sir James 
Mackey and W. D. Waterhouse, seecrtary. Captain 
Leitch of the steamship, gave the team acd their friends 
a parting sample of his interest in the match by invit- 
ing them to his cabin, there to partake of a few glasses 
of champagne. But time pressed, and soon all were 
huddled on the somewhat frail decks of the tender and 
cast off from their ocean home, under a shower of old 
shoes, and cheers for prosperity from the passengers 
remaining on board. All went merry as meriy could 
be. and the first touch of Irish hospitality portended a 
brisk future to the visit in the line of proffered civilities. 
The captain of the little craft, with the bat- filled with 
little choppy waves dashing their spray over the pas- 
sengers at every yard, thought it a compliment to his 
American passengers to take a turn round the harbor 
before making to his dock, and an hour was spent in the 
trip. 
The quay at Queenstown was crowded, and as the 
American riflemen walked ashore they were greeted 
with more applause from as ragged a crowd as it was 
possible to get together, even in Ireland. The wel- 
come, however, was a heartfelt one, not so much on ac- 
count of the rifle match, though on that point the pop- 
ulace were well informed, as on account of their being 
citizens of America, coming from that land where each 
member of that cheering mob had friends or relatives. 
and where the}’, too, would hie when opportunity of- 
fered. It was “ God bless the Stars and Stripes” that 
was most often heard even when the British jack was 
floating over the head of the exclaimer. 
The Customs officer sat in all his official dignity ready 
to pounce upon anything contraband, and yet anything 
bearing the label of the American Rifle team passed 
free and untouched. This rare honor and privilege 
was supplemented by' another when the head of the 
Irish Constabulary handed Col. Gildersleeve, on his 
stepping ashore, a batch of papers with Her Majesty’s 
compliments to the members of the American team. 
They were permits to carry arms in Ireland, to avtdd 
any unpleasant consequences under the rigid rules on 
that matter, if such license had not been granted, not 
that any infraction of the law prohibiting the shooting 
of landlords at sight was expected from the American 
visitors, but that neglect to keep within the letter of the 
law might be attended with unpleasant consequences by 
some over zealous magistrate Armed with these double 
privileges, the delegates from Creedmoor walked ashore 
rifles in hand, with a wagon load of ammunition at 
their heels, “ An Armed Peace Delegation,” if that is 
not too much for an Irish bull. The ladies of the party- 
found gifted Cavaliers in the Irish gentlemen, and all 
marched to the Queen’s hotel overiooking the harbor, 
where lunch was served and a resting spell taken until 
four o'clock Even already the invitations began to 
pour in.J Sir John Arnott planned a visit to his estate at 
Woodland, but the programme which had been laid 
down by the reception committee had anticipated the 
arrival of the steamer on Sunday evening, and alreaiiy 
the Lake of Killarney visit had been stricken from the 
list, and all side exliibilions of welcome were perforce 
laid aside. The trip from Queenstown to Cork was by- 
rail, the. roughness of the river Lee, even for a consid- 
erable distance up, owing to a storm of the night pre- 
ceding, making any more sea travelling irksome to the 
already overburdened visitors. The route by rail, how- 
ever, lay beside the river, and its beauties could be at 
least partially appreciated. At Cork more crowds and 
more cheering met them upon alighting from the little 
pens, or railway carriages, as our slow-coach British 
cousins call them. The Imperial hotel was the stopping 
place here, reached about six o’clock, and at seven the 
whole party sat down to a dinner which would not 
have been below an effort of our Xew York Delmonico. 
This compliment had been paid to the Americans by' 
Messrs. Curry and Cotton, the proprietors of the place, 
as their mite of welcome to the guests of the nation. 
The number sitting down was about CO, and for an 
hour or so the solid comforts of an abundant market 
■were enjoyed without stint. To those who had been 
confined for sometime to the sameness of an ocean 
steamer saloon, this was a most enjoyable change, while 
to the Irish gentlemen, hearty' and rubicund as they 
most universally are, a dinner is never amiss. At its 
conclusion the speech-making opened. The chairman, 
Mr. Curry, proposed the health of the American team, 
and Col. Gildersleeve in responding made a very neat 
little return for the many compliments which had been 
already shown them on beh-.lf of their country-. Even 
the waters, he said, had leaped from their watery bed to 
embrace the new comers. This j.llusion to the little 
passage round the bay was most appreciated by those 
who had experienced it. This was the first evening 
spent by the Americans on Irish soil and under an Irish 
sky, one peculiarity striking them with great force, the 
long twilight. At nine o’clock the street lamps had 
not yet been lighted, and the team stepped out for an 
hour’s evening promenade. The light lasted so long that 
it was necessary if the regular hours of sleep were re- 
garded to retire before dusk; to wait for our American 
night would be useless since it does not come. Cork 
was strolled througii here and there by the team men, 
anxious to get a little steady walking. All were well, 
Capt. Coleman coming round very finely after his sick- 
ness on the steamer; a trifle weak and pala, but improv- 
ing rapidly under the generous diet and moist atmo- 
sphere of the land. 
Tuesday, Jcxe 15 — All were up bright and early, 
even after the late retirement which the late twilight 
had beguiled them into on the evening preceding. It 
was to be a day of pleasure and bustle, and by 9 o’clock 
jaunting cars and wagonettes a score were at the hotel 
door, ready to convey the party to Blarney Castle, 
where the famous Blarney -stone was to be kissed as a 
fitting prelude to any intercourse with the Irish people. 
The Americans wished to arm themselves with the 
fluency of speech, the ready turned compliment that at 
all times during their stay, they might be ready to meet 
blarney with blarney. Col. Bodine, Col. Mitchell, Ma- 
jor Leech, Major Fulton, Gen. Dakin, Col. Gilder- 
sleeve and one or two others of the pait}- however, 
spent the morning in a visit to Capt. M'alker and his 
fellow officers at their barracks near Cork. Capt. 
IValker, it w'ill be remembered, was a member of last 
3 'ear's team, and helped the Americans on to victorj- at 
Cieidmoor by m-'king the lowest Irish score. After a 
ple.asant hour with the officers and testing their wine 
store, this wing of the part}- drove ovei to Shaudon and 
heard the bells chime several sweet melodies and patri- 
otic airs. The ladies, the reception committee and the 
other gentlemen of the party took jaunting cars to Blar- 
ney. It was a fine ride, the rain not falling forfullj- an 
hour during the trip, and after an escort bj- a treop of 
beggar urchins the stop was made at Blarney. All 
mounted to the top and aeruitim kissed the stone in 
due form, and with all the rites and ceremonies thereto 
perlaininii, including the chaffing from tho ladies, who 
had to content themselves with the stone in the cellar 
below. Jlr. Ballard led off as the rnost gallant alread}', 
and when all had osculati’d, and had sprawled along 
the wall top, with the 100 or less feet of perpendicular 
wall face below them, the crooked old stairs in the 
lower w ere lra^ersed, with looks and peeps into the odd 
cavernous rooms and chambers, and with the bestowal 
of a few- pettj' gyatuiiies on the beggar tribe which seem 
to infest everv- stopping-place, the Blarney station on 
the roai to Dublin w-as driven to The train brought 
up the military visitors of the morning, and then fnll 
speed w as made to Dublin with cheers from the crowds 
at each station. A stop at Limerick Junction permit- 
ted the lasting of the celebrated Limerick cakes in their 
perfection, with other good things in profusion, all 
washed down with the biggest of champagne bumpers. 
The Irish capital was reached about 6 o’clock, and 
the King’s Bridge station into which the train bow-led 
w-as a mass of Dublin ciiizens and cairiages. The Lord 
ilai'or was there leadj- to give the first w-elcome to tho 
American new-comers, but the mob pressed up against 
the carriage doors, cheering and hurrahing, until those 
in w-ere securely pinned with no chance of opening the 
doors. It required much exertion on the part of the 
police to clear a small passage to the open carriages set 
apart for the entrj- of the team to the city. At last all 
w ere read^- and heai eil by a band of music and the 
Lord 3Iaj-or’s carriage, the procession started. It had 
been announced that the route would be along the quays, 
but the Lifley w-as low and not over-sweet, and the car- 
riages took the upper route over Montpelier Hill, tia 
the Circular road, Grafton and Sackville street to the 
Shelburne Hotel. The music in ignorance of the 
change kept on down the river side and drew with it a 
large portion of the crow-d w ho in the huddle of cars 
and carriages supposed the Americans were in corn- 
pan}-. ThiS/auj ; pas was a great relief to the crowded 
streets, but even the road chosen was crowded with cit- 
izens of all classes who cheered at every step of the 
road. Flags, stars and stripes, green and gold, with 
the Union Jack of crossed red, white and blue were up 
in every direction, and the gentlemen of the party were 
kept busy returning the salutations of the ladies in the 
houses lining the streets. It was a royal reception free 
from any tinsel of soldierly display, but full of a popu- 
lar enthusiasm, and the hurrah after hurrah for the 
Americans and the American team show-ed that the 
heart of the people was with the visitors. In the broad 
street in front of the fine hotel which had been selected 
as their headquarters, the crowd had concentrated itself 
and burst forth again and again in cheers as each car- 
riage deposited its burden. All through the evening 
the crow-d hung about the place, anxious to have a look 
at the strangers from across the Atlantic. In the even- 
ing a private dinner was served in the reception parlor 
which had been set apart for the special use of the team 
during their stay in Dublin. Major Leech congratu- 
lated the Americans on their arrival home, as he was 
glad to call Dublin. Col. Gildersleeve thanked him 
and through him the citizens of Dublin, for the most 
magnificent reception w-hich had been accorded them. 
M'edxesday, June 16 — The first day after arrival in 
Dublin was given entirely to the Americans without any 
set engagement on the list. Invitations in plenty there ' 
were from ever}- source, but the day was showery, off 
and on rain and shine, keeping all within doors, and al- 
lowing them to collect their baggage (a work of some 
moment in this laud of no checks and each man for 
