hough we had resolved the evening before, to remain a few
days fishing in the lovely lakes collected in the gorges of the reeks.
The day was misty and wet. This, we hoped, would afford us a good
opportunity of seeing the lakes unobserved; for such weather would
necessarily confine the tourists to their hotels. We accordingly
directed our way to the Upper Lake, along ledges of rocks covered with
tall wet grass, wading or swimming through outlets of the lake. We
obtained a tolerable view of the Upper Lake, and minutely examined the
several accesses to it through the wood on the southern side. After
spending most of the fore-noon in this wood, we attempted to cross the
upper neck of the lake for the purpose of skirting the base of
Mangerton and gaining the summit of Turc Mountain, from which are to be
seen the Middle and Lower Lake in their most varied and seductive
loveliness. Few travellers ever see the lakes from this point, because
it is difficult to attain; but I had been there, and knowing its
superiority over every other, I wished to give my comrade a taste of the
exquisite pleasure derivable from a scene of beauty unsurpassed in the
world. There is no spot, in or near Killarney, from which its wonderful
scenery can be seen to such advantage. On the water, at Ross Island, at
Mucross or Glena, the view is confined to the scenery immediately
around, with an occasional glimpse of the nearer mountains, which indeed
may well satisfy the most exacting curiosity and fastidious taste, while
from the summit of Mangerton (the great mountain attraction of
travellers) but miniature forms of beauty present themselves, the great
distance and height contracting the circle of beauty, and depriving
every object of its fulness and natural proportions. From Turc mountain,
on the other hand, you see the lake at your feet--all its islets, curls,
cascades are within ken, entrancing your senses. Standing on that green
hill, it is impossible to divest the mind of the idea, that the scene is
one of pure enchantment.

But we were destined not to realise it. There was a police-station
immediately on our way. In our first effort to avoid it, we found
ourselves, after much trouble, within one field of the door. We then
made a still wider circuit, keeping, as we thought, far clear of it; but
following a valley which led round a clump of hill, we once more very
nearly stepped into its back yard. To avoid similar mistakes we
ventured along the pub