chias form a thick glade,
and the trunks of several of them almost defy the ordinary axe or saw.
There are on the island, besides holy wells, a number of soutterains and
cairns, that

"Sit upon the ground
To tell sad stories of the death of kings."

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ At Valencia.]

[Illustration: _Photos, Cuthbert, Valencia._ Valencia Harbour. Fishing
Fleet. Entrance to Valencia Harbour.]

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Cliffs at Valencia.]

Irish is freely spoken on the island, and if properly introduced, the
visitor may be able to hear many old stories of Finn and his companions,
the Gabawn Saior, and other heroes of the peasants' heart. Thick as
mists at morn legends hover about the island, and beyond the great Slate
quarries may be seen many caves of great interest. There is a tradition
on the island that St. Vincent Ferrar landed there. The harbour offers a
deep and sheltered anchorage, and was formerly much frequented by
smugglers, whose cave is still shown. Paul Jones often put in here, and
on one occasion pressed into his service a number of fishermen, whom he
took from the neighbouring fishing grounds. None of them returned except
one, who had long been imprisoned in France, but he came home "with a
stocking full of doubloons," and his children's children are still known
as "The Paul Jones's."

At ~Brayhead~,

"Where the broad ocean leans against the land,"

there is a splendid view from nearly eight hundred feet above the sea.
The rocks around the coast, encircled with white foam, make a beautiful
contrast to the grey and emerald and gold of the sandy coves and green
hills.

[Illustration: _Photo, Lawrence, Dublin._ Cliffs at Valencia.]

Dolus and Bolus Heads reach far into the ocean. The ~Skelligs~, "the
most western of Christ's fortresses in the ancient world," raise their
heads to the south, while northwards the Great Blasket, a mountainous
island, and its eleven brothers, with Innisvic Killane, may be seen. On
the 10th September, 1588, the Armada ship, _Our Lady of the Rosary_, of
1,000 tons, was wrecked in the Blasket Sound; among the many who
perished was the Prince of Askule, natural son to King Philip of Spain.
Around the coast line there have been many wrecks, and not a few are the
pathetic stories still told of them on the island.

The last wreck of importance gave another opportunity for the intrepid
islanders to show what stern stuff they were