one night and of witchcraft. The legend of Devenish tower is that it was erected in one night by a witch, who, at daylight next morning, was seen by a young man busily at work near its cap. The calliagh, or hag, being an extremely modest witch, was horrified at having been thus discovered, especially as she had reason to believe no inconsiderable portion of her legs had been too curiously inspected by the intruding youth below. She hastily finished the tower as it now stands, but tradition saith that the intention of the "proper" though "uncanny" architect was to raise the building at least three times its present height! Another tradition refers to a chase made by the enemy of mankind after one of the friars, who had left the sanctuary of the island for a trip to the mainland. The devil thought to make prey of the ecclesiastic; but there must be two to a bargain, and the latter fled for even more than his "bare life" towards the "Holy Isle." In a few moments he would be safe, for evil spirits possessed no power in the waters surrounding the island. He is within a few perches of the shore, when, alas ! the fell pursuer all but grasps his flying mantle. Now for a spring! 'tis given, and he lands safely upon a little island lying near the middle of the lake, and which miraculously rose to meet his trembling feet. This island remains to the present day, is styled the "Friar's Leap," and its ample rush is well-known to anglers as a favourite haunt of perch and pike. It is a remarkable circumstance which we have ourselves on more than one occasion observed, that within the "Leap" and the eastern shore of the lough a kind of tide runs northwards for twelve hours, and then southwards for the other twelve hours of the same day. This fact is well known to boatmen and anglers who frequent that portion of the Erne. A lively tradition of the bells of the round tower having, during the "times of trouble," been thrown into the lough in order that they might be preserved (were they buoyed ?), still exists, and the famous "Atchey," as well as several other boatment and cotmen residing in Enniskillen and the neighbourhood, vow that when shoving their vessels past the Friar's Leap, they have not unfrequently struck the bells with the points of their poles, and that upon such occasions the former emitted clear musical sounds! SECOND EXCURSION. THE UPPER LOUGH ERNE-ENNISKILLEN TO BELTURBET. It will be seen from the time-table at the end of our Guide, that on every Thursday until October 28th in the present year it is proposed to run the good screw-steamer Knockninny from Enniskillen to Belturbet and back. She starts at 6.30 A.M., returning from Belturbet at 4 P.M. On Wednesdays the Knockninny can be hired for private excursions for schools, picnic parties, &c., from Enniskillen to any part of Upper or Lower Lough Erne and back for £5. Reduced return fares will be given from any station on the Irish North Western Railway on application to Mr. Henry Plews, General Traffic manager, Enniskillen. The same boat starts on Saturdays at 4 P.M. from Enniskillen for Belturbet, but does not return the same day. By this route, from the elevated deck of his vessel the tourist enjoys peculiar facilities for examining the varied beauties of the Upper Lough. Indeed this is one of the most delightful, if not the most delightful of all the trips by water which may be made upon or in the neighbourhood of the Erne. The views are truly magnificent, and ever-changing in character. Here the vessel plunges through a rapid stream, the steep banks of which are clothed in an endless variety of wood, springing as it were from many-tinted rocks or banks of emerald moss; there, she glides through the broad deep lake as through a sea, with innumerable islands and far-stretching promontories in front and upon either side. At one point attention is drawn to the historic fortress, clothed in ivy such as only Ireland can produce-a silent, moulting, abandoned ruin now, but in its day a prize for which armies fought and bled. At another, to the almost regal mansion of our own time, the residence of nobility certainly not of the absentee class, as a glance at the neighbouring well-tilled fields and comfortable farmsteads of the tenantry sufficiently indicates. 66 But a scene, however beautiful or romantic-however associated with great deeds of the past or the triumphs of modern civilisation-will always be felt to want a something in its power of attraction if it present no distance to which the imagination may travel-no dim vision of still greater remoteness over the hills and far away." Now in this respect the landscape of the whole of Lough Erne, Upper as well as Lower, leaves little to be desired. Upon the starboard side from Enniskillen are exquisite distances-Cuilca Bennaghlan, Knockninny, and other mountains of various degrees of altitude, and presenting a variety of form and colour, closing in the scene. Upon the port-side, the cairncrowned head of heath-clad Topaid looks down upon the whole of Fermanagh, and upon portions of eight other counties, as upon a map. But lo! "The morn is up again-the dewy morn With breath all incense, and with cheek all bloom, as we find ourselves in the main street of Enniskillen— time 6.25 a.m.-proceeding to the boat. At that early hour the capital of the North West is as a rule sleeping. The "Sons of William," as birds, would never "catch the worm." Three cars may be seen slowly wending their way to the post office, within which building the passer-by may recognise a slight stir, caused by clerks and postmen engaged in sorting letters, parcels, &c. This business accomplished, bags are brought out and placed upon the cars (rejoicing in the title of "Royal Mail"), which immediately depart on their respective journeys to Tempo, Derrygonnelly, or the Black Lion. These post-cars, with their low rates of fare and strict punctuality, may often be advantageously used by tourists, as we shall have occasion to show. Passing through Schoolhouse-lane—so called from the Royal School of Enniskillen, founded A.D. 1627, having been there located until the removal of that establishment in 1777, to its present unequalled site upon the hill of Portora-and leaving the Butter-market (a place well worth seeing upon its business day-Tuesday) to the right, we soon find ourselves embarked upon Mr. Porter's swift and comfortablyfitted steamer. The view of the Erne from this starting-point is not very prepossessing, and is yet not without a certain degree of picturesque interest. Nearly opposite stands the convent of the Sisters of Mercy, adjoining which may be seen the modern Roman Catholic cemetery, adorned with crosses and many tasteful memorials. The Cole monument towers in the distance. We have, on the Enniskillen side, a good view of the parish church, with its handsome east window and clerestory, and its solemn grove of elms, beneath the shade of which rest the remains of the leading townspeople since the days of Charles I. We soon round the barrack point, catching a glimpse of the handsome houses of "The Brook"-the "West End" of Enniskillen. That large and many-windowed structure to the right is Portora Royal School, already referred to. Our vessel must now pass beneath the West Bridge. In a moment she passes the picturesque towers of the castle of Maguire; but though the British colours wave over the taffrail, there is no challenge from warder or man-at-arms. "Old times are changed, old manners gone," else our tale would have a different complexion. Instead of banners blazoned with the "ship and salmon" of the descendants of Uidhir, or the "red hand" of the O'Neills displayed from vantage coign or battlement, the shirts of privates Pat Molloy, Sandy MacGrab, or of Jack Crossbelts, hung from a window, woo the. zephyrs! We are now gliding along the southern shore of Enniskillen. The singularity of the position for a town is very apparent, even in summer weather, when a portion of the low-lying land of the island, called the Long Meadow, is laid bare, and becomes fit for pasture. In winter time, however, the waters of the lough come up even to the houses, and not unfrequently invade them or their gardens. At a distance by water of about a mile and a-half from the town, the scenery of the Upper Lough may be said to commence. The woods to the left form portion of the demesne of Castlecoole, the magnificent seat of the Earl of Belmore. The mansion, which was commenced in 1791 from designs by Wyat, is stated to have cost upwards of £100,000. Externally it is in the Doric style, internally the Ionic was adopted. We need not trouble the tourist with a description of façade, portico, pediment, or entablature. Let him, if he please, imagine a very spacious, substantially built, and well-designed structure of Portland stone. The hall exhibits pilasters of porphyry, and the whole of the interior is in keeping with the external grandeur. Until the present year, strangers were admitted to the demesne, which is well worthy of a visit, as it contains some of the finest timber in the empire, is exquisitely laid out, adorned with beautiful sheets of water, teeming with wild-foul almost tame (such is the sense of security which they there enjoy), and stored with innumerable aquatic and other plants. This spring, according to information received from one of the principal gate-keepers, all visitors except such as had business at the Castle, were excluded, in consequence of some vulgar thefts of " dendrims" which had been perpetrated by unknown individuals. This is very hard on honest people who might wish still to enjoy their accustomed walk amongst the unrivalled beeches of Castlecoole. Perhaps when Lord Belmore, who is at present filling a high official appointment at the Antipodes, shall have heard of the new order, the old concession to the public may be restored. Coole is a corruption of a Celtic word signifying a corner or recess. An ancient castle of the O'Cassidys, hereditary physicians to the Maguires, Princes of Fermanagh, stood within the grounds, and is said to have occupied the site of the present mansion. Upon the right, the Sillees river sluggishly flows into the Erne. This stream is supposed by a portion of the population to rest under the ban of St. Feber, a religieuse, the ruins of whose church may still be seen near the glen of the Marble Arch, and to whom several wells in the county are dedicated. The legend, which appears to be of great antiquity, is as follows: A pagan prince, instigated by the Druids, determined upon the destruction of the saint, who was in the habit of travelling from place to place in company with a white doe, the latter carrying, in bags sustained saddlewise, the few requisites considered necessary in early times for daily use, and a number of holy books and requirements for the services of religion. When in the neighbourhood of Derrygonnelly, at a ford of the Sillees which is still shown, the hounds, probably wolfdogs or deer hounds, of the unbelieving enemy were ruthlessly and ungallantly set upon her-for the saint was a |