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  Ballacooil Dalby Isle of Man My Dear Walt Whitman—

We (i.e. my wife, my brother a [illegible] friend & I) have been here since Friday last (July 31st) & up to now we have had a good time. A splendid passage across from Fleetwood brought us to Douglas—the favourite Isle of Man resort but now too noisy & rowdy for my liking—whence we travelled 10 miles by tram & 5 by carriage to Ballacooil wh. is a large farmhouse upon the sea coast   looking directly across the Irish Sea & from wh. the Mountains of Mourne & the Mull of Galloway are visible—it is the centre of some most beautiful scenery both inland & coast—the latter being an especial feature somewhat resembling that of the West Coast of Scotland tho' on a smaller scale.

We have been favoured with splendid weather & have spent our time in rambling about over   the rocks & along by the seashore watching the waves & the sea birds & drinking in all the delights of the sea & sky.

Today we have had a glorious scramble over the rocks to visit the caves which are the haunts of seagulls & cormorants & we discovered a cormorants' nest with a young bird peering out from his lofty & inaccessible cave

I am writing this at sunset (830pm) sitting on a heap of stones in a field along which two long   lines of ducks & geese are slowly waddling their way homeward. The cattle are quietly grazing, the sea is beautifully calm & silvered with the waning light from the just-gone sun wh. a few minutes a ago gilded the sky with its sunset glory. The only sound that breaks the solemn hush is the cry of of a corncrake & the continuous roll of the sea over the rocks of the Niarbyle—a promontory of rock jutting far out to sea

 

The corn now 3 feet high is in full ear the fields are all bordered with wildflowers—yellow & white marguerites, foxgloves bluebelles & buttercups. The hills are clad with the beautiful yellow gorse & the purple heather. (I send you a sprig of the latter & a seagull's feather—)

Aug 3rd 1pm.

A dull hazy morning wh. cleared up by 11am & resulted in a splendid sunny day. Five of us have just had a glorious bathe in the Sea & enjoyed it thoroughly. We have since had a game at "cock-shie" & a climb up the cliffs & are now patiently waiting for dinner—for wh. we are quite ready

 

I am often wondering how you are getting along these days. Better I hope—& geting out into the open air now & then & at all events keeping your usual good heart

God bless you my dear good old friend is the heartfelt wish of yours affectionately

J Johnston   see note Aug 14 1891