Douglastown

Douglas (town), a town on the east coast of the Isle of Man, and the capital of the island, derives its name from Dhoo (black) and Glas (grey), the names of two small rivers that fall into the sea there. It is a pretty town, lying in a beautiful bay. The approach to Douglas upon a fine summer's day, when the green amphitheatre of the hills opens to view behind the blue waters of the bay, is said to be equalled only by that of Naples. The charms of the island, added to its nearness to the English coast - 75 miles from Liverpool, 46 from Barrow - and its bathing facilities, have made it one of the favourite holiday resorts. There is a landing stage, together with a new pier and breakwater, and a new street and promenade have been lately constructed. The new Douglas of hotels and lodging houseshas almost swallowed up the little old town. Castle Mona - once the abode of the Dukes of Athole, lords of Man - is now an imposing hotel, strikingly situated upon the cliff and surrounded by fine grounds. A striking feature in the bay is the Tower of Refuge, built upon a dangerous rock ' in the bay by Sir William Hillary, founder of the, National Lifeboat Institution, and intended to be a refuge for shipwrecked sailors. There is a daily service of steamers to Douglas in the summer, and there are many pleasant excursions to be made in the neighbourhood - to Laxey, with its huge waterwheel, across the island to Peel, to Kirk Braddan churchyard, with its old Runic tombstones and the monuments of the Dukes of Athole, to the ruins of St. Bridget's convent; while a bay a little to the north abounds in beautiful sea anemones.