Galic Antiquities

A POEM. 135
voice of the gale when its couife is part. Our eyes were turned
to the fea. On the diilant wave arofe a cloud. We knew the fkifF
of Innisfail. On its maftswc iaw the Cran-tara * hung. " Spread,"
faid Comhal, " the white wings of my fails. On the waves we fly
to help our friends."
Night met us, with its fliades, on the deep. Waves lifted before
us their white breads, and in our fails was the roar of winds.
" The night of dorms is dark ; but a defart ifle is nigh. It
fpreads its arms like my bow when bent, and its bofom, like the
bread of my love, is calm. There let us wait the light ; it is the
place where mariners dream of dangers that are over."
Our courfe is to the bay of Botha.
The bird of night howled
above us from its grey rock. A mournful voice welcomed its fullen
note from a cave. " It is the ghod of Dargo f," faid Comlial
" Dargo, whom we lod returning from Lochlin's wars."
Waves hfted their white heads among the clouds.
Blue moimtains
rofe between us and the fliore. Dargo climbed the mad to
look for Morven ; but Morven he faw no more. The thong broke
in his hand ; and the waves, with all their foam, leapt over his
red wandering hair. The fury of the blad drove our fails, and
we lod fight of the cliief. We raifed the fong of grief in his
praife,
* The Cran-tara means in general a fig- either the danger apprehended from the
nal of diftrefs. It was properly a piece invaders, or a threatening to fuch as did
of wood half-burnt, and dipt in blood,, not immediately repair to the chieftain's
which was conveyed with all poflible ex- flandard The cuflom feems to have
pedition from one hamlet to another in been common to other northern nations,
cafes of imminent danger. The Cran- See Ol. Mag. p. 146.
tara. fignifies the «< beam of gathering ;"
f Dargo, " red-haired ;"C