1830 OMAGH IRELAND Letter - GREAT CONTENT - Giant's Causeway Dunluce Castle

Description

4 pg. letter, approx. 8" x 10", dated at Omagh, County Tyrone, Ireland, October 3, 1830, from a British Officer quartered in the town, to his Mother.
This is a
partial letter
, being the first 4 pgs of a longer letter, but despite being a partial letter, there is
great content
in these first 4 pages, writing of his being quartered in Omagh, an "out of the way place", and the kind treatment the local gentry have given the military, with the Clergyman of the Parish giving two dinners for the men, and a Subscription Ball to be given. He writes of a sightseeing "jaunt" he went on with a "brother Officer", to see the Giant's Causeway, travelling in "a car/a kind of public conveyance peculiar to Ireland", calling on an Officer of Engineers who they had known in Ceylon", and of seeing the ruins of Dunluce Castle. Of special interest is his humorous account of 2 guides who volunteered their services, but they had already hired one, but the two insisted on running alongside of the car and giving a "running" commentary on the sights.
The letter includes:
"My Dear Mother,
The inclination for letter writing comes upon me by fits and starts; sometimes although I  may be quite idle, I would as soon think of flying in the air as of writing a letter. At other times I feel quite in the humour and would write to anybody about anything. So it is now. I have got plenty of work before, yet nothing will go down but writing, and I believe I have not sat down a moment too soon to indite an epistle to you, for if I mistake not, it is upwards of a month since I received a letter from you, which remains still unanswered...
You have of course heard of my weary pilgrimage to this out of the way place, which altho' it boasts the name & dignity of a County town, is in truth little more than a village. I am, however, perfectly content, far more so than if I was quartered in a large City. The Gentry, altho' small in number, are exceedingly hospitable & kind to the military & somewhat gay to them. We had not been many days here ere they all called on us. Next week, the Rev'd. Mr. Stack, the Clergyman of this parish, gives two dinners to which we are all invited, one half of us at one time, the remainder at the second. The week after next there is to be a Subscription Ball here, which we will all of course attend, so you perceive there is no lack of amusement, albeit it is a country quarter.
On Tuesday last, a Brother officer and I, the weather being fine, set off on a jaunt to the Giant's Causeway. We proceeded in a car/ a kind of public conveyance peculiar to Ireland, left 6 o'clock in the morning, through Newton-Stewart and Strabane to Londonderry, where we arrived about 12; sauntered about town looking at everything worth looking at, called upon an officer of Engineers whom we had formerly known in Ceylon, chatted an hour or two upon old occurrences and changes among our acquaintances since we had last met, got an invite to dine with him on our return from the Causeway, mounted the Mail about 6 o'clock for Coleraine, through the Newton-Limavady, & reached Coleraine about 11 at night, without any unusual occurrence. As we did not Breakfast till near one on that day, we did not feel hungry before starting, but I can assure you we found the ground of our stomachs long before we reached the end of our journey, and accordingly made a right good supper or rather Dinner & supper together; Devilish little profit the Inn Keeper had from that meal.
Next morning, after Breakfast, we hired a Jaunting car and proceeded to have a view first of Dunluce Castle, a very extensive old ruin, and then of the Giant's Causeway. About halfway we met two guides who volunteered their services, but as we had been recommended to a good guide, we would not accept of them. This, however, would not content them. They continued to run alongside of the Car, explaining every thing to us, trying to persuade us to employ them. It was quite ludicrous to see their maneuvers; no sooner did one begin to talk, than the other commenced jabbering at the same time, very often flatly contradicting one another, which of course roused the wrath of him who was contracted. They frequently came to high words & we every moment expected to see the quarrel terminate in blows - but no, they very soon became friends again until some fresh contradiction begat a fresh quarrel, and so on they went to the end of the journey. At first they asked a good deal of money, but opposition rapidly brought down their prices until they finally settled at one shilling, but all would not do, for we would have nothing to say to them. On our arrival at the Causeway, we found the Guide to whom we had been recommended, we told what these fellows had offered to take us for, & if he chose, we would rather employ him. He very willingly undertook the task, at the same time casting a savage look, or rather scowl upon those who had so far reduced the reward. After having seen every thing worth seeing, (which there is no use particularizing, since every part of it has been so often described before in books, much better, of course, than I could pretend to do. I moreover hate to write common place things which everybody knows before), we rewarded the Guide with double what we had promised him, he behaved so very civilly, besides we considered that quite little enough for the length of time he was with us, nearly three hours. We then remounted our Car & drove to Colerain, where we arrived about 6, just in time for an excellent dinner, which had been prepared for us, after which I enjoyed a right good sleep. You know I always was fond of a comfortable nap."
There are a few small partial fold splits, and a small stain along one fold. Fine.
COMBINED SHIPPING FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS.
[112]