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ranean thunder never ceased to roar when the wind was high. This horrible noise still continues whenever the well is filled up; but when the impetuous waves confined in the cavern have in some degree removed the stones at the bottom of the well, the water acts with the greatest violence upon them, breaking them to powder, and driving them back into the sea. The first stones being carried away, the others fall of course; and the well being once cleared,the wheat sheaf of water forms again, and spreads desolation through the adjacent parts. In the space of twenty years the well has been filled up three times; and the inhabi tants are in constant dread of a fresh eruption*.

THE CAVE OF KILCORNEY.

THAT part of Ireland called, Burren, is a small barony in the N. W. part of the county of Clare, and bounded on the north side by the Bay of Galway. It is from one end to the other a continuation of very high, rocky, limestone hills, there being little or no plain land throughout the whole. It is that part of which it is reported, that Oliver Cromwell said, (when he came to storm a few castles in it) that he could neither see water enough to drown a man, wood enough to hang a man, or earth to bury a man in. It is notwithstanding most fertile, and produces immense quantities of Juniper, and some yew; besides a great variety of the capillary herbs, Virga Aurea, Verbena, and some other common plants, I have found the Teucrium Alpinum magno flore, of Caspar Bauhin, and a large shrubby Cinquefoil, answering the description which Mr. Morison gives, in his second volume of Hist.

Though produced by a different cause, the jet of water has a similar appearance to that thrown up by the Geysers of Iceland. If I remember right, there is a grotto of the same nature, which bears the name of Mac Swine's gun, on the coast of Antrim. The principle by which the water is impelled into the air has been applied to an useful purpose, by M. Montgolfier, in his hydraulic ram.

Ed. P. M..

Oxon, of his Pentaphylloides rectum fructicosum Eboracense.

The inhabitants are but few, and they mostly poor cottagers, whose chief stock is a parcel of goats. They tare courteous and good-natured to strangers, though very wild and unpolished; and are superstitious zealots to the church of Rome.

The place where this cave lies, is called Kilcorney: It is a pretty low valley, in comparison to the hills that surround it. The entrance is into the east end of it (for it lies east and west) about midway. Here are the ruins of an old church, and, a little westward of it, an even plain of about an acre of ground; on the north side of which, under a steep rugged cliff, lies the

cave.

The mouth of it is level with the plain, about three feet in diameter. It has been much larger, but was blocked up with lime and stone; which plainly appears still, but to what purpose is not known. Some conjecture it was an attempt to restrain the great flux of water; but the fabulous natives, who tell numberless tales of it, say, it is a passage to the Antipodes; and that a stud of fine horses have been seen coming out of it very often, to eat the corn sown in the valley. They further add, that many stratagems have been tried to catch some of them; but, with the loss of - some men's lives, they could catch only one stallion, the breed of which, being very valuable, they say is kept to this day by O'Laughlin, which with them is a kind of titular king that they pay great respect to. But to return to the cave :

When you have passed this narrow entrance, it grows much wider and loftier. The floor is a pretty even rock, from two to four or five yards broad; the sides and top are rugged and unequal, from six to twelve or fourteen feet high.

About forty yards from the door, there is a pretty deep pit, seven or eight yards over; but, when passed, the floor is plain and even, as before, for about two hundred yards, which is the farthest that any one known has ventured into it. For my part, I did not pass this pit, but have seen several that did, whose veracity I can depend upon. Most people that have

gone into it, went by a thread or clue, others have carried a bundle of straw, and dropped it by the way, to guide their return; which seems altogether unnecessary, there being no windings or chambers throughout of any extent. It is all over, even in the depth of winter, as dry as any place of the kind under ground can be and what seems very prodigious, is, that it often pours forth such a deluge as covers the adjacent plain, sometimes with above twenty feet depth of

water.

The times of its overflowing are uncertain and irregular; sometimes it does not happen above once in a year or two, but most commonly three or four times a year. It is sometimes observed to succeed great rains and storms, though it often happens without either.

The neighbouring inhabitants are alarmed at its approach, by a great noise, as of many falling waters at a distance; which continues for some hours before, and generally continues all the time of the flood.

The water comes forth with extreme rapidity from the mouth of the cave, and likewise from some smaller holes in the low grounds, attended with a surprising noise. It flows for a day or two, and always returns into the same cave, and partly into the small holes, from whence it was observed to come before, but with a more slow and tardy course. The water is of a putrid quality, like stagnated pond water, insipid as spring water. It always leaves a filthy muddy scum upon the ground it covered, which greatly enriches the soil.

It has been known, sometimes, though rarely, to overflow and ebb, in six or eight hour's time, but in a much less quantity.

There is neither river nor lake any where in that part of the country, and it is above six miles from the sea. There are very near it several much lower valleys, in which there is no appearance of water, unless a little rain water collected in a pit, in a fissure of a rock, or the like.

No. 37.

FOR ARLISS' POCKET MAGAZINE.

THE THREE LAST YEARS

OF THE

LIFE OF LEWIS THE SEVENTEENTH.

SIR-Though many authors have mentioned circumstances relating to the protracted imprisonment of the unfortunate child who bore the title of Lewis the Seventeenth; it is not till lately that any writer has given a complete picture of his sufferings, from the time when he first lost his liberty to the time of his death. M. Gallais, an author of considerable reputation in France, has now performed the task, and as the narrative appears to me to be interesting, I have translated it, and, if you think it worthy of a place in your magazine, it is much at your service. I am, Sir, your's, &c. D.D.T.

LEWIS the Seventeenth was born at Versailles on the 27th of March, 1786, and received at his birth the title of Duke of Normandy, which he quitted for that of Dauphin, on the death of his clder brother, Lewis Xavier, who died at Meudon, on the 4th of June, 1789.

He was seven years old when, in August 1792, the catastrophe of his august parents snatched him, with them, from the palace of the Thuilleries to the prison of the Temple.

Nature had given him a charming figure, and he already gave sigus that he would have a sound understanding, and all the benevolence of his father. Alas, it was a premature flower, which the storm was to beat down before its time, and which was destined never to ripen into fruit.

The misfortunes of his family had the effect of call. ing early into action his feeling and his intellectual qualities. During the first months of his captivity the king wished to cultivate them himself, by giving him lessons in history, latin, and biography; and the hours of study of the illustrious prisoners were arranged in the following manner.

The king regularly arose from his bed at six o'clock.

After his majesty was up, Clery, his valet, went to the queen's room, where the young prince slept, and dressed him. At nine, the king, the queen, his children, and Madame Elizabeth, their aunt, went up into the king's room to breakfast. At ten, all the family went down again to the queen's room, and passed the day there. The king then gave lessons to the dauphin; while, on her side, the queen was engaged in the education of the princess royal, and the duchess of Angouleme.

At one o'clock, when the weather was fine, the commissioners of the municipality, the stern jailors of the royal family, allowed them to walk for an hour in the garden. During this time the prince diverted himself with playing at foot-ball, quoits, running, and other sports suitable to his years.

At two, the royal family returned to their room, and ate a frugal dinner. The queen endeavoured to forget her sorrows, and to give to her husband and her children, an example of serenity, which she was far from feeling at the bottom of her heart. After dinner their majesties made a party at picquet or at backgammon, during which the children talked or played at some

game.

At four, the king slept for an hour, and meanwhile the family worked, read, or remained in profound silence. When Lewis awoke, Clery came to give the young prince lessons of writing and arithmetic, under the inspection of his father.

Towards the decline of the day, the whole family drew round the table, and heard the queen read from some good author, in history, morals, or literature. This reading, sometimes interrupted by the remarks of the king, lasted till eight o'clock, when the dauphin had his supper, and, while the child was eating it, the king amused himself with making his family guess at enigmas, from old numbers of the " French Mercury." The dauphin went to bed at half-past nine; and the queen and madame Elizabeth in turn stayed by his bed while the king supped. After supper the king went to kiss his children, gave his hand to the queen and madame Elizabeth, to bid them good night, and then went up to his bed-chamber.

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