1898 Official Guide

[Introduction]

5, ATHOL STREET,
DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN.

THIS pamphlet is issued under the auspices and authority of the Official Board of Advertising (appointed by the Insular Legislature) for the Isle of Man, and it is hoped that the information given may prove of service to intending visitors to the Island. The particulars of accommodation for Visitors in Hotels, Boarding and Lodging and Farm Houses throughout the Island, contained herein, have been supplied by the proprietors of the several establishments upon forms specially provided by the Board for the purpose, and have been inserted free of charge, and, under the circumstances, it must be understood that no responsibility or obligation attaches to the Board regarding the information furnished under this head. The limited size of the pamphlet has rendered it impossible to set forth particulars and facts relative to the unique advantages and attractions of the Isle of Man as a Health and Pleasure Resort, and the splendid facilities now existing for reaching the same from all parts of the Kingdom, in as ample a manner as could be wished. The undersigned will, however, have pleasure in supplying intending visitors with all further information desired, immediately upon receipt of application for the same.

WALTER KEIG, Secretary Official Board of Advertising for the Isle of Man.

LONDON OFFICE: — (where all information may also be obtained) 27, Imperial Buildings, Ludgate Circus, E.C.

MANXLAND: AS A HOLIDAY RESORT.

THE beauty-loving Italians of the South have a proverb — " See Naples, and die"; meaning that so great is the beauty of that nobly-placed city, with its wide-armed bay, its clustered buildings gleaming white in the bright sunshine, terrace above terrace from the edge of the blue tideless sea, and its picturesque background of rocky coast and peaked mountain, that nothing more beautiful remains to be seen on this earth. The boast contained in this national saying is a bold one; but if there is any one who can realise the underlying sentiment, and share in its warmth, it is the Manxman, who, beyond question, dwells in one of the loveliest lands on the earth's wide surface. He, too, can boast of a country whose scenery is so uniquely beautiful, so diversified in aspect, so rich in historical associations and in the memories of a greater past, that he can sympathise with the patriotic Italian, and echo his proud boast — " See Manxland, or you have missed one of the brightest spots on earth."

MANX SCENERY.

Nor would such a boast be out of place, or undeserved. In a space of some two hundred and thirty square miles, it comprehends every physical feature of the entire British Archipelago, with one single exception — it has now no Lake District. It has a high, rockbound coast, rivalling in height and in grandeur of form /the highest and wildest of the western coasts of Scotland or Ireland, against which the restless, changeful sea frets and foams ; with rugged cliffs and huge promontories, whose weather-blackened crags are hollowed by the waves into far-reaching caves and narrow-winding passages, and upon whose shelving ledges are perched myraids of sea-birds of various forms of plumage. Above this Cyclopean sea-wall, the land slopes upwards into the mountainous interior; the lower parts rich with cultivation, and thickly dotted with villa, and farm, and cottage ; the higher parts green with perennial pasture ; the uplands a blaze of golden gorse or dark with purple heath and weather-stained rock ; and, above all, the long series of mountain peaks soaring high into the bright sunny air. At numerous points in its long coastline, this vast wall of cliff and sea-worn rock is broken by openings bordered by shelving beaches of smooth, brown sand, or rounded shingle, and protected on either hand by great headlands of gnarled and twisted slates, through which can be caught glimpses of lovely sylvan glens, each with a bright and sparkling stream murmuring and dancing amid the lights and shadows of the sunlit woods. Deep in the mountainous' interior, again, there are other glens and valleys, whose growing reputation brings many thousands to visit and revisit them year by year — valleys like Glen Rushen, in the west ; or Ravensdale, or Sulby Glen, or Glen Auldyn, in the north; or Ballure, or Cornah, or Laxey Glen, in the east; or the Baldwin Glens, or Glen Moar, and the Rhenass Valley, in the centre ; whose sides are abrupt mountain slopes soaring upwards 1,500, or 1,800, or 2,000 feet, thickly wooded below, rich farmlands above ; and, higher still, wild common-lands overgrown with heath, and gorse, and long lank grass. Down these beautiful valleys flow streams of purest water, which, rising among the boglands high up among the mountains, come leaping and dancing along their rock-strewn beds, racing along the steep inclines, and flinging themselves with a rush and a scurry, cutting and carving the rocks they pass on their way into many quaint and curious shapes — writing their story as they go. In their lower courses, they sweep through the silent woods with greater volume and with greater dignity, forming cool, slumberous reaches, in which the speckled trout leap and dart after incautious flies, like flashes of silvery light ; and, lower still, they flow between fields of waving corn and verdant meadow-lands, in which the sleepy cattle cluster under the shady trees, or stand half-immersed in the flowing stream for coolness.

THE ISLAND AS A HEALTH RESORT.

The advantages of the Isle of Man as a health resort have never yet been properly placed before the public ; and even now they are only beginning to make themselves known to the outside world. It has been generally accepted that places lying farther to the north must necessarily have a colder climate, and, therefore, be less fitted for a winter residence for invalids, especially for those with delicate lungs. than places farther south ; and from this belief the Isle of Man has greatly suffered. This belief, however, is founded upon a misapprehension of the causes which produce climate. Climate is not merely a matter of latitude. It is the result of a great variety of causes — of oceanic currents, of elevation, of the contour and aspect of the land, of the nature of the soil, the position and direction of the mountains and other high lands, and a number of other causes, including the position of the towns, the character of their drainage, and of the houses of which they are composed. We have not sufficient space to enter at any length into these several causes of climate so far as they apply to the Island. It will be sufficient to say that, in most of the essential points which go to make an effective health resort, the Isle of Man can take that position. Its climate is essentially an insular one, and, therefore, free from sudden and violent changes of temperature. It is sheltered on all the unhealthy sides — the north, the north-west, and the east-by other lands, whose refrigerative influences again are effectually counteracted by the broad stretch of intervening sea. It is only completely open to the Atlantic currents on the south-west ; and from that desirable quarter the heated.. Gulf Stream flows up the Channel, bringing with it those warm-mists, which so frequently envelop the Island, and which makes its atmosphere, even in the height of summer, so mild and genial. The Island is certainly in the midst of a large sea ; but it is an inland sea, sheltered and protected by the land round it. Its coastline is rugged and dangerous ; but no such gales visit its shores as are common along the Cornish and Devonshire coasts, and no such destructive waves break upon its cliffs as dash in wild fury upon the exposed south-west of England. In these respects the Isle of Man is placed far above the much-vaunted south-western counties. So, again, in other points, in the character, and arrangement, and height of the mountains ; in its aspect to the sun, and its general contour ; in the nature of its soil, and in the position, the drainage, and the ventilation of its towns — in all these points, and in others, not specially named, the Island holds a high position. Its mountains are not high enough to be frostbound in winter and spring, and so they do not reduce the winter temperature, as is the case in the famous resorts of the Riviera ; while they are so disposed as to intercept the rain clouds, and so lessen the annual rainfall. Take Douglas and Ramsey, for instance. With the most desirable of aspects, and standing on warm soil, which carefully retains the warmth of the sunlight, and gives it out again as the temperature falls in the evening. Thus, the Island is not subject to those great and violent changes of temperature so characteristic of the climate of the French and Italian towns on the Mediterranean coasts, which are so trying to those who resort to these towns. No icy winds chill its invalid visitors, such as rush down the snow and ice covered slopes of the Alps ; and no such fierce storms burst upon its shores as those which torment the waters of the blue Mediterranean.

Mean, or average, temperatures are at best a deceptive method of estimating the real conditions of a town or district as a winter residence for invalids, as it is evident that two places with the same mean annual temperature may have very different winter conditions for persons in delicate health. It is easily conceivable that a place with a lower mean temperature may be a much more desirable winter residence. In this particular, the Isle of Man stands deservedly high. Its mean winter temperature is 42·5 degrees, that of Devon 42 degrees.

The Manx Climate.

Mr. Hall Caine, in his booklet, " The Little Man Island," writes " There is a legend of the Isle of Man which tells of a magician, called Manannin, who lived here like Prospero, and kept the Island to himself by concealing it from seafarers under a cloud of mist. If this legend indicates a misty atmosphere, it is at fault. The air of the Island is dry, clear, and bracing. Nowhere in the United Kingdom, so far as I know, is there so much sunshine. The fuchsia grows in the open air, and is often used (as at the village of Colby, at Knocksharry, and in Ballaugh) for garden hedges, instead of thorn. A soft haze sometimes hangs over the Island in summer, when the air is not hot, but the sea is warm. The sun shines through it, and makes mysterious shapes in the hills and over the curraghs. I do not think it is an exhalation from the ground ; I have never heard that it is unhealthy ; it can be seen to come up from the sea. In short I do not know a climate at once more genial and more bracing, or scenery more cheerful and more heartsome."

The Proof.

And the novelist's impressions are fully confirmed by the facts and figures published by Mr. Arthur Moore, J. P., F. R. M. S., in his exhaustive work "The Climate of the Isle of Man." The towns and visiting centres of the Island are all situate on the coast ; and, according to Mr. Arthur Moore, the following is the mean coastal temperature : —

A Striking Comparison.

The temperature of the Isle of Man is decidedly the most equable of any of the British Watering Places, as the following figures will, show : —

Extreme Variation.

Statistics, therefore, conclusively prove that the Isle of Man is the mildest in winter and the coolest in summer of all health resorts. The explanation is to be found in two facts — (I) — that it is completely, instead of partially, surrounded by the sea ; and (2) — that the sea washing the coast of the Isle of Man is distinctly warmer than the sea which surrounds the British Isles generally, being 0·7 above the mean temperature of the sea round the British Coast, and 0·6, above the temperature of the sea near Liverpool. Thus it will be seen that the Isle of Man obtains the most valuable climatic advantages from the Gulf Stream.

The Influence on Vegetation.

The observations of Dr. Fred. S. Tellet, F. E.G. S., are further confirmation. In a recent presidential address to the Natural History and Antiquarian Society, Dr. Tellet said : " If we wish for any ocular proof of mildness and equability of the Manx climate, we have only to look around us, and see its effects on vegetation. Exotic trees and plants which * * * have to be kept under glass — at any rate during the winter months — grow and flourish in the open air in the Isle of Man. I might instance the Veronica, Escallonia, Macrantha, and the Fuchsia, which thrive in almost any situation. The Cordyline Australis, Ti or Cabbage Tree, introduced from New Zealand about thirty years ago, grows to the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, flowers and bears seed, and flourishes in the most exposed aspect. * * * The Clianthus and Geranium may be seen growing against walls, whilst the Palm will grow in sheltered situations ; one about fifteen feet high flowers at Ballamoar. The Camellia, too, is quite hardy, and quite recently was in full bloom in February. Facts like these speak for themselves, and require no comment."

MANXLAND AS A WINTER RESORT.

As a winter resort the Isle of Man has claims which are only beginning to be recognised. Placed in the centre of the "British Mediterranean," surrounded on all sides, except towards the south-west, by other lands, and exposed to the full influences of the Gulf Stream, its situation is everything which could be desired as a winter residence for delicate or sick persons. Its winter temperature is equal to that of the most favoured of the south coast localities, and considerably higher than most of them. Ventnor, Eastbourne, Osborne, and others further east, are several degrees lower ; and it is only one or two of the best-sheltered spots on the Devonshire and Cornish coasts that can show a winter record at all approaching that of the Isle of Man. In other important particulars, again, the Island has distinct advantages. Its atmosphere is much less humid than that of either Devon or Cornwall, its annual rainfall is very much less — both important considerations, from the depressing effect of continued rain or damp upon the condition of sick or delicate people. Its winter weather, again, is much more favourable to outdoor exercise, from the less amount of rain falling, from the greater amount of sunshine, and from the milder character of the storms which occasionally visit it. With regard to the latter, it may be pointed out that, owing to its enclosed situation, the winter gales are less violent and less injurious in their effects ; while its seas, being less open to the Atlantic, have a higher temperature than the Cornish and Devonian seas, and are not subject to such fierce inshore storms. So, too, with the districts most patronised as winter resorts along the Mediterranean coasts. In their best winter features the Isle of Man is fully their equal, — while it is entirely free from such sudden and trying changes as the bitter winds from the snow and ice-covered Alps, or the terrible gales from the Mediterranean. Weakly and delicate persons making the Isle of Man their winter residence have none of these trials to bear. They find a climate at once mild and bracing, a temperature which rarely sinks to freezing point, and which never remains many hours near it, whose winter average is 42½°, whose annual rainfall is only 43 inches, and whose midwinter weather encourages that amount of locomotion which is so essential to healthy existence.

The Queen, of November 23rd, 1895, says : —

Of the Isle of Man, a correspondent writes, dating Port Erin, Nov. 5 as follows: — " I have seen the question answered in your useful column on this Isle, and write to testify to its health-giving qualities and mildness of climate. To-day we have fishing a few yards from shore, trawling, and had a fair catch of 20 lb. in three hours, weight from 1 lb. to 81b. We have strawberries in the garden, green peas and beans ; these latter, and potatoes, we had since the first week in May last. In the garden the trees are still green, and a hydrangea (measuring 2 feet and more round), with some dozens of flowers, is in blossom. Carnations, pelargoniums, and other bedding plants are also in bloom, these latter remaining out in winter. The sea passages over from England have been calm and sunny. To-day, Nov. 5, 1 have been sitting out doing my embroidery. I may say that I have no interest in any way in the Island further than that I gain health and strength here sooner than anywhere. I have travelled round the world, and I should be glad if people further south than Manchester and Liverpool would try the Isle of Man, instead of crowded English and other places.

ANTIQUITIES. — HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS.

The most superficial knowledge of the geographical position of the Isle of Man, or of its past history, will show how intimately this small but intensely interesting Island has been connected with its more important neighbours, and how greatly it has suffered from that involuntary connection. Wars innumerable — miseries unspeakable — have come upon the Manx people from it; and again and again so dreadful did their condition become that the land was left almost without inhabitants, and cultivation nearly ceased within it. The effects of these terrible times are still felt in many ways, and show themselves in the peculiar character and customs of the people. Of the traces of these wars and troubles the whole country is full. Of the first Norse conquest we have the traditional landing-place of the greatest of the Manx heroes — Orry, at the Lhen-Moar, the old silted-up estuary of the Sulby. Of the second conquest there is the site, at Sky Hill, near Ramsey, of the decisive battle between the Manx people and the invaders under Godred Crovan. Of the Scottish conquest, in 1270, we are reminded by the battlefield of Ronaldsway, near Castletown ; while of lesser fights and tragedies we have the scenes thickly scattered over the Island. Of the Druidic period — the later Stone Age — there are the many stone circles and sepulchral mounds, of which the ruined circles in Glen Darragh (The Vale of Oaks), and on the Mull Hills, above the primitive village of Cregn ash, and the great Mound of Cronk-ny-Marroo, on St. Anne's Head, are examples. Not much later are the huge monoliths which form such conspicuous objects in almost every Manx scene, and the heroes' graves uniformly associated with them. Of the period which followed the introduction of Christianity there are the ruined Treen Chapels, found in every part of the country. Many of these sacred buildings, among the oldest in Christendom, still exist in a ruinous condition ; while others are marked only by their sites, and their circumjacent burial grounds, and by the quaint legends still lingering about them. Of the same, or even at an earlier age, are the chains of fortified posts, which fringe the coastline, and block the central valleys. and occupy the summits of the highest mountains, of which Cronk-ny-Moar, or Fairy Hill, in Rushen, Castleward, near Douglas, and the great earthworks on South Barrule are examples. Of later and more historical times we have Castle Rushen, one of the finest examples of a mediaeval fortress in existence, and Peel Castle ; and, of ecclesiastical edifices, St. Germain's Cathedral, on Peel Islet, Rushen Abbey, near Ballasalla, and the venerable ruins on St. Michael's Isle. The light thrown by these and other remains upon the history of the Island, and the conditions of its people, and their relations with their neighbours beyond the seas during a thousand eventful years, is very great, while the conclusions they suggest are interesting in the highest degree. Indeed, so important is their bearing upon the history of this lengthened period, of the greater part of which we have no written records, that without their help we should have practically no knowledge of the history of the country or the condition of its people during the first half of the Christian era. Hence, it almost impossible to exaggerate their value to the archeologist and the historian ; while, even to the ordinary tourist, their venerable appearance and their picturesque surroundings add largely to the interest and attractions of the localities in which they are situated.

REACHING THE ISLE OF MAN.

From its central position the Isle of Man may be easily and cheaply reached from any part of the neighbouring countries ; and convenient steam communications have been established between it and all parts of the Three Kingdoms. Magnificent services of trains are now provided by the great railway companies in connection with the equally magnificent steamboat services (containing some of the fastest vessels afloat), so that, for example, a visitor from the south of England may breakfast comfortably in London, and dine at his usual hour in Douglas ; and visitors from other quarters — from the centre and north of England, from Scotland, and from Ireland — can reach it with equal speed and comfort by the different lines of communication. Through excursions at very low rates have been arranged by the railway and steam packet companies from the principal centres throughout the Kingdom, and full particulars of same may be obtained on application to the offices of the leading railway companies.

The Island is in regular steam communication with Greenock, Glasgow, and Ardrossan, in Scotland ; with Whitehaven, Barrow, Silloth, Fleetwood, and Liverpool, in England ; and with Kings town, Dublin, and Belfast, in Ireland ; and, besides, has occasional communication with Garliestown, in Scotland ; Blackpool and Southport, in Lancashire ; Llandudno, in Wales; and Greenore, in Ireland. So that, no matter in what part of the Kingdom you may reside, you will find it an easy, and also an inexpensive, matter to reach the Isle of Man.

Special Facilities for London Visitors,

During the summer months frequent cheap excursions, varying in length from 3 to 17 day, are run from London to Douglas, at return fares ranging from 22s.. and full particulars with regard to same may be obtained at either Euston, St. Pancras, King's Cross, or Paddington Stations; from Messrs. Cook & Son, Ludgate Circus, London ; Messrs. Gaze & Sons, 142, Strand, London ; the London Offices of the Isle of Man Official Board of Advertising; or the Secretary, 5, Athol Street, Douglas.

EXCURSIONS BY SEA.

But not only is Manxland thus easy of access: it is equally convenient as a central point from which to make pleasant excursions to the adjacent countries, whose coastlines show themselves so enticingly along the horizon. Throughout the visiting season, excursions are regularly made by the splendid steamers of the Isle of Man, the Barrow, and other steamship companies to convenient points on the opposite coasts, from which tours may be made into the surrounding districts. In this way visitors to the Isle of Man can break their holiday in it by paying a flying visit. to some other desired locality — to the Wicklow Hills, or the Lakes of Killarney, or the wild western coasts, via Dublin; or to the Giants' Causeway, or the Donegal mountains, by way of Belfast or Greenore; or to the Scottish Highlands, by way of Glasgow, at a minimum of trouble and expense; or, by way of Garliestown, to the less known, but not less beautiful, country of Galloway and the Borders. So, again, by way of Whitehaven or Barrow, the Lake District may be reached after a pleasant sea voyage of, in the one case, 33 sea miles, and, in the other, of 5o miles. Or, sailing south, to Llandudno or Bangor, Snowdonia, with its mountains and glens, its pretty coast towns, and its interesting associations, are all brought within easy reach. For a bonne bouche, there is the coasting Sail Round the Island — a sail of close upon 100 miles, within a cable's length all the time of the land ; the bright, crystal-clear sea beneath ; the bright sunny air above; and an unequalled panorama of rocky coast, and green uplands, and peaked mountains; of surf-beaten cliffs, and giant headlands, and rocky coves, and broad sweeping bays, backed by wooded valleys and gently sloping hills. For reaching the show districts of Britain, or for enjoying sea voyages with a maximum of variety and a minimum of trouble, there is no place accessible to the ordinary British tourist at all comparable to the Isle of Man.

Particulars of the various routes open in the season, of the hours of sailing and fares, with every other item of information necessary, may be obtained on application from the offices of the Secretary of the Board of Advertising in Douglas, or in London.

ATTRACTIONS FOR THE CYCLIST.

It would be difficult to find better ground in the United Kingdom for a cyclist tour than the Isle of Man. With a few exceptions, the roads present no difficult work for the cyclist of ordinary powers and experience ; while, both in the south and in the north of the Island, there are, on the great plains, roads as level as a billiard table. And in this connection it may be added that the majority of the highways in the Island are, under the official and efficient Board of Highways, kept in excellent order. For the more experienced, powerful, and daring cyclist, the numerous roads through the mountains present charms of unequalled attraction. The roads best adapted for cycling are shown, coloured red, on map at beginning of book; there are, however, several others, branching off the main roads, which will be found equally suitable.

THE VOYAGE TO THE ISLAND.

One of the greatest attractions of a visit to the Isle of Man is the sea journey which must be undertaken to reach it. That voyage, at its longest, is a short one, only some eighty miles in steaming distance, and is at an end almost before we have realised that it has fairly begun ; but it is a real voyage, a sail over a real sea, and. for a time, out of sight of land ; and not a mere coasting trip in shallow water, with land always within hail. Of the delights of this short sea passage — of the glorious panorama of crowded river, and the miles of docks, with their forests of masts, and the long succession of buildings on either hand, we are leaving behind ; of the widening sea in front, towards which the trim, well-found steamboat is rushing at the rate of twenty-five miles an hour, and the picturesque coast behind, we have not space here to speak, nor yet of the amusement and interest to be found in the study of the curious varieties of mankind represented in the 1400 or 1500 of our fellow voyagers to Manxland.

NEARING THE ISLAND.

Upon nearing the Island, the minuter features of the glorious picture begin to show themselves — a long line of rugged coastline stretching away on either hand, broken at intervals by deep openings, upon whose shelving shores the fishing boats are drawn up, and in whose sheltered recesses are little groups of fishermen's cottages, cosily nestled among gardens and groves of leafy trees. Above the line of towering cliffs, the land slopes upward in a succession of cultivated fields, until it reaches a line where cultivation ends, and the country beyond is a wild, rocky moorland, overgrown with purple heath and golden gorse, out of which rise the giant heads of a long chain of mountains filling up the background of the picture. Right in front, if we approach the Island with Douglas as the port of entrance, is the greatest of these breaks in the coast-line — a great semicircle sweep of the land, shut in at either extremity by huge headlands, and backed by richly wooded heights, which gradually merge into the background of distant mountains. The nearer headland is crowned by a group of castellated buildings, and half way down its rugged front, on a rocky platform squared for the purpose, is the white tower of a lighthouse. The long line of the shore to the further headland, and the lower heights overlooking it, are covered with streets and terraces of handsome houses ; while in the nearer angle of the bay, under the shadow of the great headland, is the port, covered with shipping of all kinds. To the north of the port, the long sloping ridge, whose escarpment forms the picturesque cliffs bounding the bay, sinks rapidly to the harbour, and to the considerable river which flows into it, forming a narrow opening into the interior of the Island ; and through this opening is caught a lovely view of the rich, undulating country beyond.

DOUGLAS.

This is Douglas; and as we gaze with interest and delight upon the fairy scene, we begin to understand something of that feeling which has made the great reputation of this town as a holiday resort, and which brings back to its shores, year after year, those who have once come under its magic influence. We have called this view of Douglas from the sea a " fairy scene," and the phrase, strong as it is, is not one whit too strong. The strange combination of opposites which make up the picture ; the bold rugged coastline, worn into a thousand fantastic shapes by the storms of countless ages ; the bright, summer sea rippling softly against the blackened water-worn rocks ; the busy, bustling port, with its crowded piers, and the great steamers constantly coming and going ; the solemn stillness of the green uplands, and of the more distant mountains ; the busy streets of the town, and the myriad sounds of its surging life on land and sea-all go to make a picture of such strange and bewildering loveliness, that words fail us when we try to express our feelings. We can only gaze, and drink in its beauty in silent rapture. And as we gaze we cease to wonder that, like the fervid Neapolitan, the Manxman so proudly vaunts the beauty of his nobly-placed town. It is not a fac-simile of Naples, or of any other beautiful city, but it has its own beauties. Its mountains and hills are picturesque in form and colouring, its skies are bright, its seas are clear, and its streets of attractively-grouped buildings, which gleam so warmly in the sunlight, have the great advantage, from a modern point of view, of being as clean, as well-drained, and as free from disease as the most enthusiastic sanitarian could desire ; and he who, having once seen Douglas as we have seen it, does not long to return to it again and again, must be indeed strangely constituted.

AMUSEMENTS.

The provision of diverse and attractive amusements is a matter of the first necessity to a holiday resort; and Douglas has, in recent years, amply provided for its visitors in this respect. Few watering-places can offer so full, and, on the whole, so satisfactory a programme of entertainments as Douglas. It has one theatre — " The Grand," in Victoria-street, an elegantly fitted-up building, holding about 2,000 people. It has been under the management of Mr. A. Hemming for many years, and provides during the season a succession of the most popular novelties in drama, opera, and burlesque, in which the best London companies appear.

The distinguishing feature of Douglas in the season, however, is its great evening assemblies for dancing, with their accompanying variety entertainments — a form of amusement almost peculiar to Douglas among the British seaside resorts, though far from unknown on the Continent.

These evening assemblies are held in five enormous pavilions of light and airy construction, built expressly for the purpose ; four of them — The Palace, Falcon Cliff, Belle Vue, and Derby Castle — standing in their own ornamental grounds, and the Pavilion, occupying a convenient site on the Marina road, opposite the Harris Promenade. These assemblies are unquestionably the most attractive and popular form of amusement affected by visitors to Douglas, Indeed, so very popular are they, and so successful as business speculations, that Blackpool and other watering-places are beginning to provide them for their visitors in imitation of Douglas. In the extensive grounds of both Falcon Cliff and Belle Vue there are two of the best laid-out racing tracks in the kingdom ; and each season a series of athletic competitions are arranged, many valuable prizes being contested, by well-known competitors coming from all parts. The seasonal arrangements at these places of amusement are of the most elaborate character. First-class bands, of from 20 to 40 performers, of proved ability, are engaged under the leadership of conductors of established reputation, and the most popular artistes in their different lines appear in succession during the season. At each of these resorts, a concert or variety entertainment is given each afternoon, at a small charge ; and at The Palace, the Pavilion, and occasionally at the Grand Theatre, concerts of sacred music are given on Sunday evenings after the churches are closed. These great pavilions and their enclosing grounds, and their approaches, are lit up by the electric light, and their brilliant appearance, thus illuminated, is one of the most striking features of the view of Douglas by night.

AQUATIC SPORTS.

But these are not the only amusements which Douglas so profusely provides for its patrons. In the bay and along the surrounding coasts there is abundant provision for rowing, yachting, and fishing. Douglas possesses a large fleet of rowing boats and of sailing yachts ; and for those fond of aquatic sports, we cannot conceive a pleasanter way of spending a health-giving holiday than these yachts and rowing boats supply.

GOLF, CRICKET, TENNIS, AND BOWLING.

With regard to these games, too, Douglas is amply provided — It possesses two magnificent golf links, one at Port-e-Chee, about a mile from Douglas, on the Peel-road, with charming surroundings in one of the most picturesque localities in the Island ; and the other on the Howstrake estate, at the end of the bay, overlooking the sea. The Howstrake links were laid out under the supervision of those well-known professionals, Tom Morris, of St. Andrews, and George Lowe, of St. Anne's. The views from the whole of this elevated position are very beautiful, and the links themselves are pronounced, by the most competent authorities, to be of a very superior character and not to be beaten by any in the British Isles. Cars run every few minutes from the foot of the Victoria Pier to the very entrance gate of the links. Cricketers are provided for at Pulrose Park, close to the town ; and tennis players will find excellent accommodation at the Tennis Gardens, Alexander Drive, about ten minutes' walk from the shore ; while " trundlers " are equally well provided for at the Bowling Green Hotel, Derby-road (where there are two splendid greens, and at the Finch-hill Bowling Green.

BATHING.

In addition to the unrivalled bathing grounds on the shore of the North Bay, there is Port Skillion, a secluded creek on the inner side of Douglas Head, which has been fitted up as a gentlemen's bathing-place, by Mr. R. Archer, of Douglas. The creek itself, which is shut in by high cliffs, has been carefully divided by concrete walls into enclosures of different depths, from shallow pools in which the most unskilled bather need fear no accident, to others so deep that a lofty " header" may be taken into them, followed by a vigorous swim out into the bay. Comfortable dressing rooms are provided, with bath towels, &c., at a small charge, to defray the cost of maintaining the establishment. Port Jack, on the north side of the bay, a short distance beyond the Douglas Bay Hotel, is also a beautiful secluded bathing-creek. There are also the Victoria Baths, in the Grand Buildings, at the bottom of Victoria-street, and a private bathing establishment in Castle-street, behind the Masonic Hall, where baths, both hot and cold, can be had at any time. For good swimmers of vigorous constitution, there are numerous secluded creeks along the adjoining coast, where an invigorating plunge may be got ; or it may be obtained out of a boat, under suitable conditions, in the open bay.

ACCOMMODATION FOR VISITORS.

The amount of the accommodation for visitors provided by Douglas has been steadily growing for many years ; and since 1887 has been largely in excess of the requirements. Bank Holidays in August are the busiest and most crowded part of the whole season; but even at that, its busiest time, there is unoccupied room in the town for many additional thousands of visitors. At the present time, there is accommodation in Douglas for at least 50,000 to 60,000 visitors — an amount largely in excess of any existing requirements.

Almost the whole of this immense amount of residential accommodation has been provided expressly with the one object of entertaining visitors and making their stay in town pleasant and agreeable. The streets are open and airy, the houses are arranged specially for accommodational purposes, and are fitted with every modern requirement and convenience. They are lavishly furnished. and amply supplied with music and other amusements. The catering and cooking are, as a rule, exceptional, good cooks and experienced attendants being regularly employed in the season ; and so long as the supply continues so greatly in excess of the actual requirements, the competition, thus emphasised, must maintain these establishments at their highest point of efficiency.

COST OF ACCOMMODATION.

This is an important point with the majority of visitors to seaside resorts, and in Douglas it is more satisfactorily met than in any other watering-place of equal reputation in the kingdom. Lodgings merely — that is, a comfortable bedroom, and the use of the general sitting-room when required, with cooking and attendance — can be had in the busiest parts of the season at from 2s. per day, and, during the less busy times, at an even lower figure ; while full board can be obtained, in the best hotels in the town, at from about 7s. 6d. per day, and in the palatial boarding-houses along " the front," at from 5s. 6d. per day. Private apartments, with or without board, can be obtained at equally low terms ; while in the less crowded months of May and June, when both town and country are at their best, this accommodation can be obtained at even lower rates than these.

DOUGLAS AS A HOLIDAY RESORT.

To attempt to describe the attractions of Douglas as a holiday resort, is almost like attempting to gild refined gold. There is not a seaside resort in the kingdom which can show anything like the advantages and the attractions which Douglas can show. Its central situation — so conveniently placed with regard to the means of access that a railway journey of moderate length, and a short sea-voyage over an interesting inland sea, during which the sight of land is hardly ever lost, will bring the visitor to it ; the arrangements made by both railway companies and steampacket companies by which visitors can reach it both cheaply and expeditiously; the extraordinary cheapness of living in it, as compared to the cost of living in other resorts of equal name, are inducements which no prudent person can safely ignore.

In the matter of attractions, again, Douglas is far in advance of its many competitors. Its season is a short one ; but while it lasts, it is peculiarly brilliant and enjoyable. The occupations it offers to its visitors are so varied and agreeable, the amusements it has provided are so many and so popular, the social life of the town during the season is so genial and cheerful, so free from that social exclusiveness which ordinarily shuts in class from class, that life in Douglas in the bright summer days is one long dream of pleasurable excitement. Time never hangs heavy upon one's hands — the days never drag. They are all too short for the engagements crowding them ; and visitors, especially the young and vigorous, are too much tempted to lengthen them by drawing upon the hours of the night. Even the rainy days, which occasionally intrude among the sunny months of summer, are not so disagreeable and wearisome as in other holiday resorts. There is always something going on to fill them up pleasantly — concerts in the pavilions of the great pleasure resorts, amusing entertainments in the town, strolls on the shore, or the pier, or in the town, in the intervals of the rain ; and, at the worst, there is always plenty of agreeable company in one's temporary home, with abundance of pleasant gossip, and good music, or an exciting game to pass the time. It is, indeed, hardly possible to feel ennuyé in Douglas when the season is in full swing. The attractions it offers to its visitors are almost countless. For those who delight in the sea — and what landsman is there who does not enjoy a sail over the bright summer sea, or an active scramble along the beetling cliffs of a rockbound coast ! — for these, Douglas has a sea unequalled in the purity of its waters, and in the picturesque character of its coastline. For those who "go in for taking things easy," nothing can exceed the delight of a sail in the Bay, or under the shadow of the lofty coast, skirting the white surf, peering into the dim recesses of the sea-caves, and listening to the yarns of the boatmen about the old smugglers who used to run their cargoes under the very noses of the English preventive officers, and of the foolish sea-maidens who came to grief in their intercourse with unconscientious young sailors, or gazing over the side of the boat at the forests of waving sea-plants, and at the many hued fishes darting to and fro among them.

Of fishing, there is abundance in the bay, and along the coast ; and one of the pleasantest ways of spending a few hours on a blazing summer's day, is to ship in one of the many yachts plying for hire, and cruise along the coast. A long string of mackerel, with a satisfactory admixture of cod and other " strange fishes," is a sure result — in addition to a thoroughly tanned complexion, and a vast increase of health and cheerfulness. The bathing, on the shore, at Port Skillion, in one of the numerous creeks " round the Head," or even out of a boat, in the bay itself, is unexcelled anywhere; and after such "dip" the visitor returns to his temporary home " like a giant refreshed," and with an appetite which would alarm his people at home.

RAMBLES NEAR DOUGLAS.

Among the many suburban walks in the neighbourhood of Douglas, the most popular and most attractive are those through the Nunnery Grounds to the Old Parish Church of Kirk Braddan, returning by the Peel-road; to Tromode and Castleward, by the valley of the Glas ; to Douglas Head, with its unrivalled views of Douglas and the north of the Island ; and, in clear weather, on to the mountains in North Wales and to the mountains of Cumberland; to Onchan Head, with its noble outlook, its splendid golf links (among the finest in the kingdom, and its extensive park; to Groudle and Garwick, or Port Soderick, with its rock caves, by the Electric Tramways, and the Crogga Valley, by the Marine Drive.

TRIPS INTO THE INTERIOR.

Further afield, the whole Island lies open to the visitor who is making Douglas his headquarters. The Electric Tramway and Railway Companies give visitors every facility for seeing the most interesting and beautiful parts of the Island, whilst the short and pleasant trips possible by car or waggonette are almost too numerous to enumerate. In nearly every prominent part in Douglas are car stands, where traps or carriages, of all kinds, from the four-in-hand downwards, may be engaged at moderate rates fixed by the local authorities. Starting northwards, by car or electric tramway, there are Groudle and Garwick, a very few miles from Douglas, romantic glens in the high rocky coast, on the north side of Clay Head, opening on to a wild beach overhung by huge cliffs pierced with large caves; Ballabeg, six miles from Douglas, with its ancient burial mound, and its pleasant walk past the Parish Church to Glen Roy, a wooded mountain glen little known to visitors ; and Laxey, with its world-famed highland glens, its silver-lead mines, with their great pumping wheel, the Lady Isabella, its picturesque gardens, and, most attractive of all, its Electric Mountain Railway to the summit of Snaefell, the only electric mountain line in the kingdom. Three miles north of Laxey are the Dhoon Glens and Waterfalls. Groudle, Garwick, Laxey Glen Gardens, and the Dhoon Glens are carefully and artistically laid out for the accommodation of visitors, and refreshments of all kinds can be obtained at each.

Westward, by car or rail, there is the Central Valley to Peel — through the prettily situated village of Union Mills, so-called from the local woollen mills, once very prosperous, but now closed ; along the low, half-drained valley of the Dhoo (the Dark River), which for some miles still retains the old name of the Curragh Glas (the Grey Bog) ; past Glen Darragh, a beautiful wooded ravine opening into a mountain valley, on the upper slopes of which are two remarkable stone circles; to Crosby, a low-lying, sheltered hamlet, the point from which the mountains of the central group should be climbed ; by the rugged escarpment of Greeba, with its fir woods, and its castellated villas (one the Manx residence of Hall Caine, the famous novelist); to St. John's and the Tynwald Hill, where for many centuries the Insular Parliaments have been held, and the Insular laws promulgated in the hearing of the people. At this point, the visitor can go three miles northwards, along a lovely highland valley (Glen Moar — the Great Valley) to Glen Helen and the Rhenass Falls, or southward a similar distance to Glen Meay and its picturesque falls. Another excursion in this direction may be made to the Foxdale Lead Mines, and to the summit of South Barrule, with its Cyclopean earthworks (a prehistoric camp of refuge), and its magnificent prospects. The return journey may be made down the western side of the mountain into Glen Rushen, and round by Glen Meay Village to St. John's ; or along the southern side of the mountain to Colby, or Castletown. Beyond St. John's is Peel.

Southward from Douglas there are Port Grenaugh, with its wooded stream, and the prehistoric burial mound, Cronk-ny-Marroo (the Hill of the Dead), on the headland above its bay; the lower glen of the Santon River, with its rushing stream, and its water-worn arches ; Derbyhaven, with St. Michael's Isle and its Golf Links ; Langness, with its geological developments, and its sea caves; and Ballasalla, with its ruined Abbey, its limestone quarries, and its beautiful scenery.

One of the most popular drives from Douglas is to Ramsey, by the "mountain road," via Snaefell and Sulby Glen. By this route some of the most picturesque scenery on the Island is viewed, and on reaching Ramsey conveyances can return to Douglas either by the " long road," via Ballaugh, Michael, Glen Helen, and St. John's, or by the " short road," by way of the Dhoon and Laxey. This drive is rather longer than any of the others before mentioned, but will well repay a day spent in undertaking the journey.

These are only a few of the best-known points of interest, open to visitors from Douglas; but others lie along the routes indicated, on either hand, and others again are being added to the list, by the improvement of the existing roads, or the formation of new ones. No visitor, fond of wandering amid beautiful scenery, need fear that the supply of picturesque scenery or objects of interest will fail, however long he may stay in the Island, or however often he may revisit it.

RAMSEY AND THE NORTH.

Passing to the other towns of the Isle of Man, the first to claim our attention, on account of its population, its trade, its political importance, and the peculiar beauty and diversity of its surroundings, is Ramsey, the metropolis of the Northern District, and the second of the Manx towns in point of energy and enterprise. It is advantageously placed on the estuary of the Sulby, the largest of the Manx rivers; and it occupies the southern portion of the extensive indentation of the north-eastern coast to which it gives its name. Politically, it is mainly in the sheading, or shire, of Garff, the greater part of the town being in the ecclesiastical parish of Maughold, but an increasing part of it is in the parish of Lezayre. It is distant from Douglas 16 miles, and about the same distance from Peel; and it is about 25 miles from Castletown, the ancient southern metropolis. The population of Ramsey is a little over 5,000.

HOW TO GET TO RAMSEY

Those who wish to proceed to Ramsey from England have ample facilities for so doing. In the summer there is direct steam communication from Liverpool to Ramsey on certain days of the week ; and on the intervening days the visitor can book direct to Ramsey via Douglas. The latter is a longer route by a few miles, but the little extra time occupied in the voyage is amply compensated for by the pleasure of the short sail across Douglas Bay and along the magnificent cliffs from Clay Head to Maughold Head (the southern horn of Ramsey Bay). There is also communication from Fleetwood to Ramsey, via Douglas; between Ramsey and Glasgow; between Whitehaven and Ramsey; and between Belfast and Douglas. Full details as to all these services will be supplied on application at the offices of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, Limited, at Douglas and Ramsey; at the agents of the Company in various parts of the kingdom ; or at the office of the Official Board of Advertising, Athol-street, Douglas.

MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. — RAILWAYS.

Ramsey is connected with Douglas and the southern division of the Island by a well-constructed and well-managed narrow-gauge railway, which runs westward along the foot of the mountains, through Sulby, Ballaugh, and Michael, to St. John's, where it meets the railway between Douglas and Peel, and also the extension of the main line into the southern mountains to the mining village of Foxdale. The distance to Douglas by this route is about 26 miles. The views along it are of the most varied and attractive character; the romantic mountain scenery, on the one hand, and the low, undulating Curraghs, and, beyond it, the wild, rocky coastline, on the other, are singularly beautiful, and make a journey along this line wonderfully interesting. By the east coast the railway, or rather tramway, communication between Ramsey and Douglas is as yet incomplete; though steps are being taken to fill up the existing gap. As we have seen, an electric tramway exists between Douglas and Laxey, and a branch line of the same character has been carried to the summit of Snaefell. For those who are not afraid of a brisk walk of half-a-dozen miles, almost all of it down hill, and through a beautiful highland country, no finer or more exhilarating excursion can be found in the entire Island than that from the Snaefell station (on the mountain line) to Ramsey through Glen Auldyn. The second portion of the eastern line, from Laxey to Ramsey, is being actively prepared, and will probably be ready for the summer of 1898. The distance by this route will be about 17½ miles. The scenery along this route is as picturesque and diversified as by the western line, the high rocky coastline being rarely out of sight, while exquisite views are afforded of the mountainous interior. The new mountain road, via Snaefell, to Douglas, now completed, opens out one of the most charmingly picturesque drives, with easy gradients, on the Island.

ROADS.

Besides these lines of railway, Ramsey and the northern district are joined to the rest of the Island by two main roads, and a complete network of secondary roads. Generally speaking, the main roads take the same routes as the railways. The western and longer of them skirts the foot of the northern mountains, as far as St. John's, where it crosses the highroad from Douglas to Peel, and proceeds southward to Castletown. The eastern and shorter road keeps close to the eastern coast, passing through the romantic village of Laxey. In addition to the by-roads branching off the first part of the western road to the western parts of Ballaugh and Jurby, the northern district communicates with its metropolis and outlet by a complete network of by-roads, which open up every part of the country from the mountains to the Point of Ayre, and afford the tourist ample opportunities for exploring this interesting district. Nor is the mountainous interior, which forms so picturesque a background to Ramsey, closed to visitors. Notwithstanding the height of the mountains themselves, which include a number of peaks between 1,800 and 2,000 feet in height, they are traversed by several good roads, one traversing the eastern range, while others, passing up the different glens, cross the range at other points — the result being that, to a fairly good pedestrian, the highlands of the district are as accessible as the low plains of the north or the cliffs of the coastline.

RAMSEY: ITS ATTRACTIVENESS,

Ramsey presents a peculiarly attractive appearance, and conveys to the spectator the idea of being a town of fine streets and handsome buildings, laid out in a more regular manner than is common in Manx or even in English towns But the great glory of Ramsey is its beautiful scenery and surroundings ; its broad, placid bay, with the weather-worn cliffs of Maughold Head and Slieu Lewaigue on the south, and the warmly-coloured sandy " broughs" of Bride, stretching away to the north, and its noble background of mountains, whose rocky sides, deeply scored with wild ravines and deep woodland glens, tower steeply up in the centre, grey crag and green hill in the near distance, with rocky peak and rounded head succeeding each other, until they culminate in the giant heads of Barrule and Snaefell. The tout ensemble is simply unique in the Isle of Man, and is not excelled by that of any town in the British Isles. Douglas, with its crescent-shaped bay, its magnificent marine promenades, its terraced cliffs, covered with splendid buildings from the water's edge to their summits, and its noble background of green hills and distant mountains, is unquestionably a beautiful picture, and richly deserves the reputation which it has achieved ; but it has not that wonderful mountain wall, rising abruptly behind it, which is the distinguishing feature of every view of Ramsey, and which offers to those who make the town their holiday quarters such splendid practice in hill climbing, such romantic wanderings into the sylvan glens and wild recesses of the mysterious country which lies beyond.

The appearance of this much-favoured town is almost equally striking from whatever point it is seen. Approaching from the south, and looking down upon it from the hillside above Ballure, the prospect is very beautiful, the thickly wooded hillside sinking steeply into the great northern plain on the right, and rising, on the left, in green craggy masses, until it merges into the rugged mountains of the interior; the prettily laid-out town clustering between the mountain foot and the brown, sandy shore, with its long-stretched-out piers; the low-lying country of the Ayre beyond, spreading away to the north and west, dotted with pleasant villas and tree-embosomed farmsteads; and the bright, summer sea, shimmering and flashing in the sun, with the blue, cloud-like mountains of Cumberland and Galloway on its farther shores. Taking our stand, again, upon a projecting point of the northern "broughs," and looking southward, the view is equally fine — the new town on the Mooragh, with its lake and its ornamental grounds; the old town of Ramsey beyond the harbour, with its modern suburbs along the lower slopes of the mountains; the sheltering mountains themselves, with Lhergy-Frissel and its picturesque tower standing like an advanced guard above the town; the broad, sail-flecked bay on the left; and, in the distant south, the giant bulk of grim Maughold Head — a fitting background to a noble picture.

In short, for beauty of situation, and, for opportunities of enjoyment, whether on land or sea — in mountaineering among little-trod and less known peaks, or in exploring the recesses of fairy-haunted glens, hidden deep amid rugged mountains, or in climbing the beetling crags of a wild and rocky coast in search of sea birds' eggs or of rare cliff haunting plants, or in sailing over the clear waters of the bay, or in wandering up the woodland glens whipping the river pools for speckled trout or silvery salmon — Ramsey has few equals within the wide circuit of the British Isles; and he who could not spend a pleasant holiday in it, and at its close go back to his labours stronger in body and healthier in mind, must be singularly destitute of that love of the beautiful in nature which is the last and best of all good gifts.

ACCOMMODATION IN RAMSEY.

Like the other Manx towns, Ramsey consists of two distinct parts ; the Old Town, occupying the level ground in the neighbourhood of the harbour; and showing, by the character and arrangement of its buildings, its intimate connection with the smuggling times of the last century ; and the suburbs, or modern quarters, which have sprung up in recent years.

For those who prefer private houses as their temporary homes during their stay in Ramsey, there is an abundant supply of first-class accommodation, both for boarders and lodgers, in the new and imposing boarding houses erected on the Mooragh Promenade ; in the various terraces overlooking the Bay, along the South Promenade as far south as the entrance to Ballure Glen ; upon the higher grounds, by Brook Hill road, and May Hill, round by the lower spurs of the mountains to the low-grounds, by the Lezayre road — no difficulty can be experienced in selecting suitable lodgings, in which the outlook shall be pleasant and cheerful, the accommodation of unexceptionable quality, and the terms of so moderate a character that no complaint could be raised on that score by the most economically minded.

THE SHORE. — SEA BATHING.

Ramsey has extraordinary facilities for sea-bathing and for boating. The shore is composed of beautifully fine sand, with a narrow margin of small gravel. This gives a firm and easy footing to the bather, while the great shallowness of the water makes bathing both pleasant and safe. The superficial waters are warmed by the bright sunshine, and there are neither dangerous " holes " in the shore, into which the unwary bather may sink, nor treacherous eddies to carry him out to sea ; so that the Ramsey shore is equally pleasant as a lounging place for the elders of a holiday party or as a playground for the juniors, when the tide is out, and as a delightfully invigorating bathing ground when the tide is in. Accidents from bathing or boating are almost unknown.

BOATING AND FISHING.

Ramsey Bay offers unrivalled facilities both for boating and fishing. Indeed, for boating, with sail or oar, few places within reach of the British tourist present such numerous and varied opportunities of enjoying this healthy and interesting amusement as Ramsey. — For those people who prefer the small row boat, there is the broad expanse of the bay itself, with a wide choice of scenery and fishing ground to choose from. North, there are the shallow waters and the steep sandy " broughs " of Lezayre and Bride ; and on the south, there are the rugged slaty cliffs of the Maughold coast. Fish are plentiful everywhere, and are easily taken. Whiting, gurnet, mackerel, plaice, blocken, and other choice fish, are found within a short distance from the shore ; but, farther away, especially off Maughold Head, or further still, off the Bahama Bank, the fish are more varied and plentiful, and the sport more exciting. In addition to the smaller fish which may be caught nearer the shore, large conger eels, cod, ray, fluke, &c., are largely taken ; and it is quite an ordinary occurrence to return, with a well laden boat, after a few hours' pleasant sport. If the fishing ground selected is sufficiently near the land, there are many charming creeks along this lofty coast where the party may land, and enjoy their day's spoils in pic-nic fashion. At the proper season, and especially after rains, salmon are numerous in the lower reaches of the Sulby River, and in the harbour and bay. Small row-boats may be used for inshore boating and fishing ; but for excursions further afield — to the grounds off Maughold Head, or the Bahama Bank — sailing boats should be taken. There are always well-built sailing boats, manned, by experienced men well acquainted with the bay and adjoining coasts, waiting to be engaged ; and the charges are moderate. To meet the requirements of timorous or young persons, a lake of sea water (12 acres in extent) has been provided on the Mooragh, and is suitable for either sailing or rowing boats.

GOLF AT RAMSEY.

At the beautiful spot known as " Milntown," which is only a few minutes' walk from Ramsey, a fine Golf Links has been formed, and every facility is offered for playing this increasingly popular game. The links were laid out under the supervision of the veteran Tom Morris, of St. Andrew's, and are said to be equal to any to be found across the water.

RAMSEY AS A HOLIDAY RESORT.

As a holiday resort of a quieter and more exclusive character, Ramsey is without a rival in the Isle of Man: and few places in the British Isles can show so goodly a list of attractions to its visitors.

Convenience to adjoining countries ; ready and expeditious access from all parts ; abundant accommodation, of an exceptional character, for its visitors ; low tariffs, such as cannot be matched in any English or Scottish resort of anything like equal claims ; a pretty town, with its drains and buildings constructed on modern scientific principles ; a splendid climate, and healthy surroundings ; pleasant occupation for the day, with a sufficiency of music and other amusements to vary the day's engagements; boating, fishing, cliff climbing, mountaineering, and exploring some of the loveliest scenery in the British Isles ; with agreeable society, and pleasant gossip, for those so inclined — all these Ramsey offers to its visitors, and if providing unstinted comfort, and healthy enjoyment for its patrons, can make a seaside town attractive and popular, then Ramsey is certainly one of the pleasantest, and should be one of the most popular, holiday resorts in the British Islands.

RAMSEY AS A HEALTH RESORT.

As a health resort, Ramsey, though as yet but little known, and only in the beginning of its career, possesses advantages, natural and acquired, which unquestionably fit it to take a high place among the recognised sanitoria of the world. Its situation is everything which could be desired for persons of delicate or consumptive tendencies. Placed on the sea-margin of an extensive low-lying district, on a warm sandy formation, and sheltered, by the highlands of Maughold and Lezayre, from the prevalent winds of the winter, its climate is singularly mild and genial ; essentially insular in its general character, but dried and sharpened by its easterly aspect. The temperature is exceptionally high, its rainfall is considerably less than that of the neighbouring mountain region ; with its clear skies and warm subsoil, the district is one of the healthiest in the British Islands. The town itself, too, especially in its more modern suburbs, has been carefully laid out according to the most approved sanitary principles, by Mr. Mansergh, the eminent authority on drainage. Its drainage system is in perfect order ; and its pleasant life, and its beautiful surroundings, give that amount of agreeable occupation, and that cheerfulness of tone, so essential to the success of any medical regimen.

RAMBLES ABOUT RAMSEY.

The scenery about the northern district, of which Ramsey is the natural centre and outlet, is in striking contrast to that of other parts of the Island. Standing at the junction of two widely separated rock formations, the appearance of the country north and south of the town is curiously unlike. Looking southward and westward, the sub-rock is a clay slate of the Lower Silurian Age, and forms a high mountain range which ends in the bold promontory of Maughold Head. From this point, the range rolls inland in a long succession of rocky peaks, through Barrule, Clagh Ouyre, Snaefell, and others, to the western coast, forming one of the grandest mountain landscapes in Britain. This mountainous background is broken by a series of beautiful sylvan glens — Ballure, Cornah, Glen Mona, Ballaglass, Elfin Glen, Glen Auldyn, Sulby Glen, Ravensdale, and others less known ; which add greatly to the beauty of the district, and provide an inexhaustible supply of picturesque localities for pic-nic parties from the town and for wandering pedestrians. Looking northward, the outlook is strangely changed. The sub-rock is now a series of glacial and post-glacial deposits, chiefly of loose, unconsolidated sands and gravels ; the mountains sink down abruptly into a low, fertile plain, through which the Sulby River sluggishly finds its way to the sea ; and, beyond this low plain, the country rises, in a series of sandhills, brown of hue and warm of colouring.

Elfin Glen, immediately behind Ramsey, is an ideal spot for a pic-nic party. Six miles west of Ramsey, and about the centre of the northern face of the mountains, is Sulby Glen — the " Manx Switzerland ;" and two miles further still is Ballaugh Glen (or Ravensdale), both magnificent examples of Manx highland valleys. On account of their distance from town, they are best reached by rail, or by car.

The fisherman can find plenty of capital sport in the Sulby River, the finest stream for fish in the Island.

The roads in the north are especially good and suitable for cycling. A rider may select many routes without hills, and he can ride for miles upon fine level well-kept roads.

Ramsey is a favourite centre for the antiquary and the archeologist, for although the town shows no mark of its antiquity, the surrounding districts are fairly representative of its remote history. The antiquities still extant testify to such an abundance of pre-historic structures, &c., as to have justified the statement that " nowhere, in so limited an area, are there so many monuments of an unknown past."

The Manx Northern Railway is the best, cheapest, and easiest means of visiting most of the places of interest in the north of the Island. From Ramsey station, there are ten trains daily during the summer, which enable tourists to visit Sulby Glen, Glen Willyn, Peel, St. John's (for Glen Helen and Glen Maye); and passengers are allowed to break their journey at any station on the Manx Northern Railway.

The popularity of Ramsey is growing rapidly. The number of visitors to it during the summer approaches 20,000, and they are all of an excellent class. From the foregoing brief sketch it will be seen that there is plenty, in Ramsey and the immediate neighbourhood, to interest, amuse, and occupy the visitor. Of accommodational there is no lack; the climate is remarkably uniform; the boating, bathing, and fishing are of the best; the class of visitors who patronise Ramsey is quiet and select; there are many beautiful walks and drives to be had; and, altogether, it may be said, without exaggeration, that Ramsey is an ideal place for the tired worker and the family man to find rest, quietness, and health.

PEEL AND THE WEST.

In earlier times, Peel was a place of much greater importance than it is now, on account of the situation and character of its harbour, opposite to the Irish coast, where there were many powerful Norse settlements, and in the direct track taken by the Sea Kings in their raiding excursions. It was accordingly carefully fortified from at least the period of conquest' of the Island in the ninth century ; and these fortifications, improved as the military art developed, survive in the grand old ruins on St. Patrick's Isle.

COMMUNICATION.

Peel has during the season direct daily communication with Belfast; and is connected with Douglas and with the rest of the Island by the excellent railway system. Frequently late evening trains in the season between Peel and Douglas enable the visitor to enjoy the evening gaieties of the latter place, and then return to Peel.

PEEL CASTLE AND CATHEDRAL.

The venerable ruins on Peel Islet consist of a huge burial mound, probably of the later Stone Age, known as The Giant's Grave; of a roofless Round Tower, similar to those found in Ireland, possibly of the pre-Christian Age ; of the ruins of St. Patrick's Church, which unquestionably dates from the earliest times of Insular Christianity, and is one of the oldest Christian churches in the kingdom ; of the Cathedral of St. German, which, in the existing building, belongs mainly to the first half of the 13th century ; and of the Royal Castle, which is of different periods, the embattled wall having been built by Thomas, Earl of Derby, in 1500.

Peel Castle is not a " castle " in the ordinary meaning of the term, but a "fenced place " — a rocky islet, about five acres in extent, separated from the mainland by a channel of the sea, sixty yards across, but now connected with it by an extension of the South Quay of Peel harbour, and surrounded by an embattled wall, four feet thick, flanked at intervals by towers. Within this " fenced position," the military buildings comprised accommodation for a strong garrison, with necessary magazines and armouries, together with a suitable residence for the king, or lord, or for his representative, " The Lieutenant," and quarters for his personal attendants. These latter buildings have mostly disappeared, either by the ravages of time, or by the still more ruthless hand of man; and the only portion of this fortified residence which now remains in anything like its ancient condition is that part of the Castle buildings assigned to the soldiers on duty. These remains occupy the south-eastern part of the enclosed area, and are entered by a narrow, footworn gateway in the great square tower.

Adjoining the Castle, and occupying the eastern side of the islet facing the harbour and the town of Peel, is the ruined Cathedral of St. German. It is greatly wasted by time and ill-usage, and was fast falling into ruinous decay when its preservation was undertaken by the Insular Government. The present structure, which stands upon the site of an older building, in which John, Bishop of Man, was buried in 1151, was rebuilt in the middle of the 13th century, by Bishop Simon, who was interred in the chancel. His remains were found during the restoration, in 1871. The building is cruciform in shape, 110 feet long, and 70 feet broad, with a square tower, at the intersection of the two portions of the edifice, 68 feet in height, the belfry being 15 feet higher still. The battlemented character of the central tower presents a curious combination of the military and the ecclesiastical in the same building. The fine chancel window forms a conspicuous object in every view of the ruin. Beneath the chancel is the crypt, 30 feet by 16 feet. It is barrel-vaulted, the diagonal ribs springing from low pillars on either side. It is lighted by a small aperture in the wall below the chancel window. It was used as a prison, for state offenders, during the early reign of the Stanleys — Thomas, Earl of Warwick, being imprisoned in it in 1397, and the more famous Eleanor, Duchess of Gloster, in 1446 ; and later as an ecclesiastical prison, until 1780. This sea-girt rock, with its assemblage of venerable ruins, is one of the most interesting spots in the world. Nowhere else can there be found in the same space so many priceless antiquarian treasures, or so many historical associations.

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF PEEL.

The best and most characteristic view of Peel is from the sea — the little old town nestling under the shadow of the sheltering cliffs; the great headlands of Peel Hill, with the Castle Rock at its foot, and the dark red rocks of Creg Malin shutting it in on either hand; the long rocky coastline stretching away to the distant horizon, and rising, beyond Peel Hill, into huge mountainous cliffs, " green hills by the sea," whose summits, even in the bright summer days, are not infrequently shrouded in light fleecy mists; the blue sea shimmering in the sunlight, and, beyond the quaint little town and its sheltering cliffs, the green uplands and the dark-topped mountains of the interior. The town, as thus seen, is as fair a scene as the imagination can conceive, and many an artist has attempted to reproduce it. The view from Peel Hill is very fine.

PEEL AS A HOLIDAY AND HEALTH RESORT.

Peel is admirably fitted to be a Holiday Resort of the quieter and more artistic sort. Its narrow, winding streets and ancient architecture are a constant delight to the visitors. Within easy reach of Douglas, the point of entry of nine-tenths of the visitors to the Island, and placed in the centre of a district of the most varied and interesting character, it is an ideal resting-place for the toil-worn worker from the hurrying outer world ; while its attractive scenery and the number and diversity of the objects of interest to be found within its borders, make it equally attractive to the wandering artist in search of subjects and to the æsthetic lover of the beautiful in nature. Its western aspect, too, its sheltered situation and genial climate, and the excellence of the accommodation it provides for its visitors, have given it a well-deserved and growing reputation as a Health Resort. For some years past Peel has laid itself out as a watering-place; and with such success that it easily holds its position as a Holiday Resort of the quieter and more artistic kind. Its ornamental promenade and silvery beach are a favourite lounging-place for adults, and play-ground for the children. Special attention also has been given by the authorities to the sanitary arrangements of the town; whilst the water supply, taken from the hills, is of the purest quality, and abundant in quantity.

PLACES OF INTEREST NEAR PEEL.

The coast line on both sides of Peel Bay is singularly wild and interesting. Creg Malin, the huge headland to the north of the bay, is an outlying fragment of the Old Red Sandstone, as interesting from its geological associations as it is picturesque in appearance. It, and the district to the north, are largely introduced by Hall Caine into his wild story of "The Deemster." The coast beyond the head is very rugged, and broken into a number of pretty little creeks, famous as bathing places, and noted for the beautifully mottled agates (locally called " Manx pebbles") found on their strands. The walk along the cliffs is delightful. Along the south of the bay, the walk along the coast from Peel Hill to Glenmaye is equally attractive. The views, north and south, are wild and romantic.

Inland, there is St. John's, with the Tynwald Hill and the pretty Church of St. John, and the precipitous Slieu Whallin, with its gruesome stories of witches and wizards. Skirting the base of Slieu Whallin we pass St. Patrick's Parish Church — to provide the material for which the " saintly Bishop Wilson," in the beginning of the last century, despoiled his cathedral on Peel Islet — and after a charming drive, reach the romantic Glenmaye, with its lovely waterfall and its rock scenery. — Above the fall is the mountain Glen Rushen, the last home of the Phynnoderee, from which the return may be made over Barrule by way of Foxdale. North from St. John's is Glen Helen, with the picturesque falls of Rhenass.

For those who delight in mountain rambles, and wish to gain renewed health and vigour from the free mountain air, the whole land, from the coastline to the high peaks of the central chain, is before them ; and a more interesting or attractive district it is impossible to find within the circuit of the British Isles.

In one of the most picturesque localities in the neighbourhood of Peel a very perfect golf links has recently been formed ; and the bay and the surrounding coast present every facility for fishing, for rowing, and for yachting. The town also contains a cricket and cycling club, the roads in the west of the Island being especially suitable for the latter exercise. Prominent mention must also be made of the swimming bath lately constructed by R. Archer, Esq., of Port Skillion fame. It is the largest open-air, and safest sea-water bath in the kingdom, and occupies a site in the famous Traie-fo-gog Creek, adjoining Peel shore.

CASTLETOWN AND THE SOUTH.

Castletown, the natural metropolis of the southern division of the Island, and the ancient seat of the Insular Government, derives its name from the grand old fortress which towers iii its centre. It stands on the margin of a rich agricultural district, of which it is the natural outlet ; and possesses a considerable trade in cattle and farm produce. Castletown occupies the north-western corner of an extensive inlet at the mouth of the Silverburn. Its population is about 2,500. It is only a short railway journey from Douglas.

THE CASTLE.

Castle Rushen, the ancient stronghold of the kings of Man, stands on a rocky eminence on the western bank of the Silverburn. The date of this noble relic of feudal times is not known, no record of its erection having been preserved; but, though tradition assigns it a much earlier origin, its character shows it to belong to the latter half of the 13th century. It is probable, however, that the existing structure occupies the site of a much older building. The main body of the Castle is a square keep, with massive towers on each of its four sides. The walls of the keep are 12 feet thick at their base, and seven feet thick at their summit. The north, or flagstaff tower, is 84 feet high, and the other three are each 70 feet. The ancient gate of the keep was placed about the middle of die south wall, and a lofty portcullis exists in its east side, between the north and south towers. Enclosing this central mass, at a distance of about 15 feet, is an embattled wall, 25 feet high 9 feet thick, defended by seven square towers placed at irregular intervals. There is a sally-port towards the harbour, and the appearance of others which opened into the ditch. Outside this wall was the ditch, or moat, now filled up. Beyond the moat is a glacis of irregular form, fortified with three round towers, or redoubts, now in ruins. In the central keep was the residence of the Kings of Man, and, later, of the Governors; and, in addition to numerous other rooms, a large banquetting hall and a chapel. Parliamentary assemblies — Tynwald Courts — were formerly held in Castle Rushen ; and Courts of justice, presided over by the Governor and the two Deemsters, were held within the Castle gateway, where three stone chairs were placed for their accommodation; but the Courts are now transferred to Douglas, as a more central point. Castle Rushen was also a State prison, and in it Bishop Wilson was confined until released by the King, on appeal. The Castle was used as the jail until 1890, when a new prison was erected near Douglas. The view from the top of the great tower will well repay the labour of climbing the hundred steps which lead to its summit.

GENERAL APPEARANCE OF CASTLETOWN.

Castletown is best seen from the opposite coast of Langness. The buildings of the grey old town clustering in medieval fashion — round the huge square bulk of the great fortress ; the low shelving coast stretching away on either hand, with the dark head of Scarlet Stack ending the line on one side, and the long low peninsula of Langness on the other ; the lake-like waters of the bay glittering in the foreground ; and, beyond, the richly-cultivated lowlands, gradually rising to meet the green hills and the dark peaked heads of Barrule and Cronk-ny-Irey Lhaa. The town itself is a pretty little place. Its older streets are narrow, and the houses irregularly built, as indeed were all Manx towns;. but its buildings are clean looking and comfortable, and its suburbs are more than attractive. The most striking peculiarity of Castletown, however, is its intense respectability — a characteristic which for long kept it back from joining in the modern industry of the Island, the Summer Season. It is now beginning to recognize its mistake, and is doing its utmost to fit itself to be a modern holiday resort of the better and quieter class. Its accommodation is good, its tariffs are moderate, and its surroundings are such as should make it a favourite resting-place with the better class of tourists. It is a Local Government District.

GOLF LINKS ON FORT ISLAND.

Castletown Golf Links are most charmingly situated on the isthmus between Castletown and Derbyhaven bay. The, course, which was laid out by Tom Morris, of St. Andrew's, is situate near the village of Derbyhaven, and about one mile from Castletown Railway Station, and almost adjoining King William's College cricket ground. There are 18 holes, and the course is about three miles in extent. The hazards consist of sand bunkers, sea-shore, and gorse bushes. The turf is exceptionally good, and even after torrents of rain is dry almost immediately. Visitors may have short term tickets by applying to the hon. secretary, Mr. Tom M. Dodd, who will be glad to give any information. The Links are within half-an-hour by rail from Port Erin and Port St. Mary ; and an hour from Douglas. There is a licensed hotel on the course, where golfers are catered for on reasonable terms. Sea Fishing, Bathing, and Boating. may be enjoyed, in addition to golf.

KING WILLIAM'S COLLEGE.

Mounting the cliff, and crossing by a footpath through a small cultivated enclosure to the highroad leading to Derbyhaven, we find ourselves in front of a large imposing building in the mixed early English and Elizabethian character. This is King William's College. The origin of this institution may be traced to the great Earl of Derby, who, in a letter to his son, written in 1643, says : — " I had a design, and God may enable me to set up an University without much charge (as I have conceived it), which may much oblige the nations round about us. It may get friends into the country, and enrich this land. This would certainly please God and man." The confusion which prevailed in Manx affairs at this time, and his own violent death soon after, prevented his carrying out this noble design. The scheme remained in abeyance until the occupancy of the See of Man by Dr. Isaac Barrow (1663-1671), a man of large and liberal views. The first step was taken towards its accomplishment, and a sum of ,£600 was set aside out of certain funds collected by him in England to improve the condition of the poorer clergy, which he directed should be applied towards providing a master for the proposed academic institution. He also left by will a further sum of £20 per annum out of the rents of the estates of Ballagilley and Hango Hill, with the ultimate reversion of the estates themselves, towards the maintenance of three boys at this academic school, should it be established, or, in default of its establishment within twelve months after his decease, towards the maintenance of two youths at one of the universities. In 1728, the trustees came into full possession of these estates, and after the year 1808 the two funds were merged into one trust. The want of such an institution as that projected by the Earl of Derby, in 1643, being increasingly felt in the Island, and the funds in the hands of the Barrow Trustees having by the year 1830 accumulated to upwards of 2,000, it was resolved to raise additional funds, and to commence the erection of a suitable building for the projected college. Accordingly, public subscriptions to the amount of 2,700 were raised through the exertions of Bishop Ward ; and a further sum of £2,000 obtained by a mortgage upon the College estate, making, with the accumulated trust fund, a total of nearly £6,800 — an amount sufficient, it was thought, to enable the trustees to carry out their projected enterprise. The foundation-stone was laid April 23rd, 1830, by Lieutenant-Governor Smelt, and the building was first opened for the reception of students on August 1st, 1833, receiving its name, by special permission, from the reigning king, William IV. The length of the building is 210 feet, and of the transept in the centre, including the chapel and tower, 135 feet ; the height of the tower is 115 feet. The entire cost of this building was 6,573, and for numerous reasons its erection was marked in the Island ac a great national event. On the and January, 1844, during the rectorship of the Rev. R. Dixon, D.D., a fire, the origin of which was never ascertained, broke out, and, in spite of all efforts to subdue it, in a short time destroyed the entire building, chapel and tower included, with the exception of a portion of the vice-principal's residence, together with the extensive library and almost all the other property on the premises. Fortunately, no lives were lost. This disaster was a serious blow to the institution, burdened as it was with a heavy debt, and, unfortunately, only insured to the amount of £a,o00, scarcely halt the amount of the damage done to the building alone. But the trustees were equal to the occasion, and at once set to work to restore the building. A circular was issued stating the facts of the case, and subscriptions, including one from Bishop Short for £,300, were collected to the amount of nearly £2,000. This money, together with the amount of insurance, defrayed the cost of rebuilding, which amounted to £3,800, and so rapidly was the work of restoration pushed on that, on the 4th June in the same year — that is, within six months from the date of the fire — the work was so far advanced as to enable the annual distribution of prizes to take place in the large classroom. Through the exertions of Bishop Short, and other friends, the Library has been in great part restored, and now contains a large number of books, many of them of considerable value. The College has also largely benefited by the generosity of Mrs. Quilliam, who bequeathed to the trustees the farm of Orrysdale, in the parish of Malew. For the first ten years the College prospered under the able guidance of two successive Principals, the Rev. E. Wilson, M.A., and the Rev. A. Phillips, D.D. The Rev. R. Dixon, D.D., was Principal from 1841 to 1865, and the Rev. J. Hughes-Games, D.C.L., from 1865 to 1886, when he was appointed, by the Crown, Archdeacon of the Island. The present Principal, the Rev. Frank B. Walters, M.A., late Fellow of Queen's College, Cambridge, was appointed in 1886.

He is assisted by fourteen resident masters. The Institution is well endowed. There are twenty Scholarships tenable in the School, ranging in value from £10 to f,40. There are also six Exhibitions, of the value of £30 per annum, and one of £40, each to the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, or Dublin ; three of these are for classics, and three for mathematics ; two, one for classics and the other for mathematics, are given annually.

The College is beautifully situated near the sea, at a distance of about a mile from Castletown, and close to Hango Hill, the place where the unfortunate William Christian was executed — an event which will be familiar to every reader of Sir Walter Scott. The school buildings are excellent, and comprise numerous classrooms, chapel, chemical laboratory, library, sanatorium, gymnasium. A garpente is workshop, fives courts, steam laundry, and a large covered sea-water swimming bath (warmed in winter) have recently been added. The chemical and physical laboratories are worthy of notice for the completeness of their arrangements. In connection with the library there is a museum, which, besides many curiosities presented by old students, contains two first-rate geological collections, one a general collection by Mr. John E. Forbes, F. G. S., the other a most valuable and unique collection of fossils belonging to the Manx carboniferous rocks, formed by the late Rev. J. G. Cumming, M.A., a former Vice-Principal, and presented by him to the College. The visitor should also take care to see the entrance hall, on the oak panels of which are painted the names of distinguished students. The list is large, as, during the last ten years alone, about 60 university honours, scholarships and exhibitions, and entrances into Woolwich and Sandhurst, have been gained. The College itself provides accommodation for 100 boarders, at fees which are considerably more moderate than those of schools of a similar character and standing in England.

Boarders are also received by the Principal. There is a separate house for the junior boys. The governing body consists of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Island, the Attorney-General, the First Deemster, the Clerk of the Rolls, the Bishop, and the Archdeacon.

Particulars as to fees, &c., can be obtained on application to the Principal or Secretary.

There is also an excellent High School for Girls, of which Miss A. L. Taylor, of Girton College, Cambridge, is Head Mistress. The Chairman of the Council is Sir James Gell, her Majesty's First Deemster. The Principal of King William's College and Mrs. Walters take great interest in the management of the School. The School stands in its own grounds, consisting of a garden, paddock, and cricket field.

PORT ST. MARY.

The rising village of Port St. Mary, so called from the old Chapel of St. Mary, which formerly existed on the cliffs overlooking the village and bay, skirts the eastern foot of the Mull Hills. The old fishing village lies near the harbour ; but a large area of the low cliffs has been laid out as building ground, and numerous suitable houses have been erected to accommodate the increasing numbers of summer visitors. The harbour is a tidal one, with a small pier attached to it ; but an outer harbour accessible at all tides has been formed by the construction of the Alfred Pier, in 1882. Port St. Mary is the southern centre of the Manx fishing industry, and possesses a fleet of about 100 boats of the largest and most approved character. Of late years, Port St. Mary has become favourably known to the touring public, and an increasing number of visitors each year make it their headquarters. Its picturesque and unhackneyed scenery has especially made it a favourite resort of artists in search of subjects. Numerous walks exist into the adjacent Mull Hills, and along the rocky coast to the Chasms and Spanish Head ; and sails under the giant cliffs and to the Calf are full of health and interest.

This rising watering-place has been aptly styled " The Home of the Artist and Pleasure Seeker"; for here Nature is found in all the wealth of her beauty, and no attempt is made to destroy her charms. Here, indeed, is a vast field for the geologist and antiquary. The limestone rocks abound in countless numbers of fossils of varied description, and several Druidical circles and treen chapels are in the immediate neighbourhood. Here, also, may be found nooks, lofty cliffs (covered with sea-birds), caves, shingle, silvery sand, sea forests, and flowers. A fine fleet of fishing boats finds occupation for most of the adult male population, and no finer sight can be seen on a summer's evening than this red-sailed fishing fleet speeding its way to the distant fishing ground. To the amateur fisherman or angler there is every facility for enjoyment, as the coast around swarms with all kinds of fish.

The hotel and lodging-house accommodation is ample.

The sands on the semicircular bay, fringed with green and low lying rocks at each horn of the bay, form a delightful play-ground for children.

Port St. Mary is a splendid watering-place, and is strongly recommended by the medical faculty to persons suffering from rheumatic affections. Its sanitary arrangements are of a high order. The main sewers have their outlets away amongst the rocks, where the strong tidal currents carry their contents to sea. Great care has been taken to keep inviolate the bathing facilities.

The water for domestic purposes is carried from the top of the adjacent mountains, and is of the purest quality. The village is famous for its cleanliness and purity; so dear to all who travel in search of health and enjoyment. It is within easy distance of the famous Chasms, Sugar Loaf Rock, the Sound and Calf of Man, Bradda Head, Fleshwick Bay, and the primitive village of Cregneesh. Port St. Mary lies in the extreme south of the Island, and is 14 miles from Douglas, 4½ miles from Castletown, and 1½ from Port Erin. It has its postal telegraph office (with several mail deliveries daily), banks, and excellent business establishments.

The newly erected Alfred Pier (the foundation stone of which was laid by the Duke of Edinburgh) forms a protection from the inrolling of the sea, and affords safe boating for young and old.

A holiday spent here will be long remembered. The young people will enjoy the charms of this lovely seaside resort ; those more advanced in years will appreciate its seclusion and rest.

PORT ERIN.

Port Erin occupies the upper end of a beautiful little inlet, shut in between the Mull Hills on the south, and the Bradda Hills on the north. It was sought, some 30 years ago, by the Imperial Government, to convert this sheltered bay into a national harbour of refuge, and a sum of about £80,000, part English money and part Manx, was spent in making a huge breakwater across its entrance, with a deep-water landing pier inside it. But no provision was made for the maintenance of the work, and it is now almost completely destroyed. Port Erin, originally a small fishing village, is now a prosperous and growing watering-place ; a large number of handsome houses, together with several first-rate hotels, having been built to receive the increasing number of visitors. The surrounding district is unusually interesting. To the south are the Mull Hills, and on the north are the western highlands, with Cronk-ny-Irey-Lhaa (1,450 ft.),and Barrule (1,583 ft.), and the mountainous western coast ; while inland, the great Southern Plain, with its pleasant walks, and the sweet woodland glens opening on to it from the hill country. The rambles on the mountains to the north, and the views obtainable from theta, the fresh invigorating mountain air, and the fragrant smell of the heather-clad uplands make this an ideal resting-place for the weary denizen of the busy town. The sailing, and boating, and fishing off Port Erin are among its greatest advantages.

As a Holiday Resort of the quieter kind — a place where a busy man may take his family and rest himself, body and mind, amid beautiful and diversified scenery, with occupation of an interesting kind when inclined to exertion, and perfect quietude when that is most desirable — Port Erin is rapidly taking a foremost position among British watering places. Nor is this a matter of surprise when its comparative attractions and advantages are fairly considered.

Situated at the head of a deep inlet of the south-west coast of the Isle of Man, and sheltered by high land on all sides, except the sunny south and the mild south-west, its aspect is warm and genial, and its outlook singularly attractive. Its sub-soil, a most important point in the claims of a seaside resort, is a dry sand, resting upon loose gravel, with sufficient outward slope to ensure that thorough drainage of the district which is so essential to the success of a holiday or health resort. These natural advantages, of soil, of position, and of aspect, have been carefully utilised in the arrangement and construction of the houses built for the reception of visitors. They have been planned upon the most modern lines, and fitted with every modern requirement and convenience ; they have been placed in the most sheltered spots, and where they will command the most attractive views of the surrounding scenery ; their drainage is as perfect as modern science can make it ; and in position, in healthiness, and in general attractiveness, Port Erin will bear more than favourable comparison with the first watering places in the kingdom.

On the north are the Bradda Hills, with the giant headland (550 feet), crowned with its memorial tower, at the northern point of the bay. These hills are rich in lead and copper ores, and the sides of the Head are deeply scored with the marks of mining left behind by a long series of workers, from the days of the Stone Men, downward. Further to the north, but barely a mile from Port Erin Promenade, is Fleshwick — a deep cleft in a mountainous coast, with the cliffs rising above the narrow beach and glen to the height of 800 feet on the south, and of 1,500 feet on the north, where the mountains of the central range form the coastline, and descend in one sheer sweep from their misty summits to the sea. North and east of this magnificent coast are the highlands of the south — Ennyn Moar, Cronk-ny-Irey-Laa, Barrule, with their rocky slopes, and the deep glens which lie hidden amid their recesses — a romantic country, almost unknown to the outer world, in which still linger the quaint legends of elf and fairy which have died out in the districts more frequented by unbelieving strangers.

In the low, undulating plain to the east, which separates these two highland districts, there are many places and objects of interest and beauty : — The picturesque village of Bradda, nestling under the shadow of the steep Bradda Hills ; Bradda Moar, with its Neolithic remains ; the fortified burial mound known as the Fairy Hill ; the fishing village of Port St. Mary, at the north-east foot of the Mull Hills; and, further away, Colby, with its glen and its lead mines; and Ballasalla, with its ruined abbey, and the old Monk's bridge; and Castletown, with its noble old Castle; and Derbyhaven, with its fort, and its golf links. These are all within easy reach by foot, rail, or car ; and they offer to the visitors to Port Erin all the elements of many a pleasant excursion. Port Erin and its immediate neighbourhood are under the control of a Local Government Board, whose main efforts have been wisely directed to ensuring the health and comfort of visitors to this favoured resort ; and so successful have they been that Port Erin is now one of the best drained and healthiest summer resorts in the kingdom. Its sanitary arrangements are complete. Its death-rate is barely seven per l,000. Its water supply is abundant, and of the purest quality. Its sea-bathing, from vans on the shore, or in one of the secluded creeks on the north of the bay, is unsurpassed. Its sea-fishing is excellent, few places being so well placed for both coast and deep-sea fishing. This fact is shown conclusively by the Liverpool Marine Biological Committee having selected it as their Biological Station.

As a Health Resort, especially in cases of chest and throat diseases, the peculiar advantages of Port Erin are fast becoming known to the medical profession ; and patients suffering from these disorders are being sent to it by specialists in their treatment.

Altogether, there are few resorts in Europe, and certainly none in England, which can offer so many and so varied attractions as Port Erin ; and when to these we add its accessibility and its very moderate tariff of charges, we think that this favoured locality is more than justified in claiming for itself the name of "The Cannes of the Isle of Man "

Laxey, as a Seaside, Health, & Pleasure Resort.

Laxey Glen, being in the centre of the Manx mountain district, has special charms and advantages for the thousands of visitors to " Lovely Mona." Now that the Electric Railway is opened between Douglas and Laxey, it is easy of access from Douglas, and, as the line runs along the rocky east coast, it is one of the most romantic drives in " Ellan Vannin." Being only seven miles from Douglas, and the trams running every few minutes, visitors staying at Laxey are in immediate reach of Douglas and its many attractions, at any hour of the day. Coasting pleasure steamers, running twice daily between Douglas and Ramsey, call at Laxey, so that visitors staying there have all the advantages of the country and are still within easy reach of both Douglas and Ramsey, the two principal towns of the Island.

Laxey is not surpassed in Manxland for lovely well-wooded glens, picturesque waterfalls, charming sheltered walks, and there is no place in the Island where these "sylvan delights" can be seen to better advantage, or where the sea and mountain air is more invigorating, than in Laxey Glen and its immediate neighbourhood.

To those who are fond of mountain scenery, Laxey offers special advantages. The " Snaefell Mountain Electric Tramway " — 4¾ miles route — starts from Laxey, and by a charming picturesque ascent, winds its way along the Snaefell valley to the " Manx Giant's Foot," then circles the whole mountain, and lands its passengers at the top at a height of 2,034 feet above sea level. Here a good hotel and refreshment rooms have been built by the Company, where all necessary refreshments can be had at reasonable charges. On fairly clear days, from the summit of the " Manx Monarch," can be seen the distant mountains of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales; and finer and more extended views of sea and landscapes are not to be found in the kingdom.

Laxey bay and beach for boating, fishing, and bathing, are everything that can be desired. Then, here is the famous " Laxey Big Water Wheel," considered the largest — as is the passenger railway at its foot the smallest — in the world.

For families and children " Laxey Glen Gardens," with its delightful walks, croquet and lawn tennis grounds, bowling alleys, and greens, and boating lake, offer attractions unsurpassed on the Island, and is certainly " the place to spend a happy day."

A number of commodious boarding and lodging-houses, commanding extensive mountain, valley, and sea views, have recently been built, where visitors will find every requisite, and meet with every attention, at very reasonable charges.

Any further information regarding Laxey can be obtained on applying to Mr. T. K. Garrett, Isle of Man Banking Company's Offices, Laxey, Isle of Man.