The 'Heather Bell's' excursion to Guernsey

Jersey Express and Channel Islands Advertiser, Tuesday 10 September 1867. A visit to what is now Lukis House and to what forty years later became the Lukis Museum.

 

Yesterday, at 7.15 a.m., this dapper little steamer left the Albert Pier for Sarnia, our sister isle, with about 210 excursionists. The voyage out, enlivened by the strains of a German band, was all that could be desired for pleasure seekers; but about an hour and a half after our landing, the rain poured in torrents for about two hours, which deprived many of us of visiting those parts of the island with which we had feasted our fanciful imagination. On our arrival on board the Heather Bell we had the pleasure of meeting several friends, among whom was Mr. Thomas Godfray, the Gorey Agent for this vessel, who was, as usual, during the whole of the passage, most attentive to the wants and comforts of all the excursionists.

If Sark has her worthy representative in the person of the Rev. Mr. Collings, whose grounds are so beautifully laid out in the gorgeous display of fruits and flowers, Sarnia can boast also of possessing, in the person of F. C. Lukis, Esq, MD, the talented antiquarian, who, for his rich and varied archaeological and meteorological collection, is an honour to the land of his birth. This learned gentleman, to whose house we, with Doctor Krug, of Gorey, repaired on our landing, has laboured hard since the year 1815 in the noble cause of science, is the author of a work we read a few years ago, entitled: 'Observations on the Celtic Megaliths and the contents of Celtic Tombs, chiefly as they remain in the Channel Islands, communicated to the Society of Antiquarians by Frederick Collings Lukis, MD, in a letter addressed to the Viscount Mahon, President;' and one of his clever sons, the Rev. W. C. Lukis MA, and FSA, the type of his father, has produced another scientific work on Druidism, entitled: 'Danish Cromlechs and Burial Customs.'

Another of Doctor Lukis's sons is a Captain in the 64th Regiment. This gallant officer, who was present throughout the whole of the Indian Campaign, is likewise a good collector of antiquities; and he, like the Doctor's other children, Mrs Collings, the spouse of the feudal lord of Sark, Mrs. Astley Cooper, who has married the son of the late Dr. Sir Astley Cooper, and Miss Mary Ann Lukis, some of whose drawings, like those of her venerable father, are beautifully true to nature, is the youngest lady of this talented family of artists and antiquarians. We had the pleasure of remaining upwards of two hours at Grange House, the mansion of the antiquarian and author Doctor Lukis; and we shall never forget the few happy moments we passed there in contemplation of those varied druidic and other antiquities, which the savant and collector explained to us with his wonted knowledge of the different species which adorned this his private museum. This persevering and successful victory in the good work of art and science should serve as an incentive to some of our Jersey gentlemen, and more especially to the States of this island, to whom we say: 'Go and do likewise.' We put up at St Peter's Port, at Taylor's Hotel, Royal Arcade, where we met with the greatest attention and civility for our comfort; we steamed it homeward at 4 p.m., and arrived safe in Victoria Pier a few hours afterwards, without having had any rain during our passage; and we cannot conclude this account of our excursion without awarding our meed of praise to Mr. and Mrs. De Gruchy, the steward and stewardess of the Heather Bell, for their kind attention to the wants and comfort of the passengers during the whole of this excursion.