rom that
port, there were so many saints' days on which the Irish crews would
not go out fishing, but were having good times on the land, that the
skippers, who were Cornishmen, had to form a crew out of their own
numbers and take one of their boats to sea.

One day we had landed on the Arran Islands, and I was hunting ferns in
the rock crevices, for owing to the warmth of the Gulf current the
growth is luxuriant. On the top of the cliffs about three hundred feet
high, I fell in with two Irishmen smoking their pipes and sprawling on
the edge of the precipice. The water below was very deep and they were
fishing. I had the fun of seeing dangling codfish hauled leisurely up
all that long distance, and if one fell off on the passage, it was
amusing to note the absolute insouciance of the fishermen, who assured
me that there were plenty more in the sea.

It has always been a puzzle to me why so few tourists and yachtsmen
visit the south and west coast of Ireland. Its marvellous wild, rock
scenery, its exquisite bays,--no other words describe them,--its
emerald verdure, and its interesting and hospitable people have given
me, during the spring fishing seasons that I spent on that coast, some
of the happiest memories of my life. On the contrary, most of the
yachts hang around the Solent, and the piers of Ryde, Cowes, and
Southampton, instead of the magnificent coast from Queenstown to
Donegal Cliffs, and from there all along West Scotland to the
Hebrides.

About this time our work established a dispensary and social centre at
Crookhaven, just inside the Fastnet Lighthouse, and another in Tralee
on the Kerry coast, north of Cape Clear. Gatherings for worship and
singing were also held on Sundays on the boats, for on that day
neither Scotch, Manx, nor English went fishing. The men loved the
music, the singing of hymns, and the conversational addresses. Many
would take some part in the service, and my memories of those
gatherings are still very pleasant ones.

On this wild coast calls for help frequently came from the poor
settlers as well as from the seafarers. A summons coming in one day
from the Fastnet Light, we rowed out in a small boat to that lovely
rock in the Atlantic. A heavy sea, however, making landing impossible,
we caught hold of a buoy, anchored off from the rock, and then rowing
in almost to the surf, caught a line from the high overhanging crane.
A few moments later one was picked out of the tumbling, tossin