Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-03-15
RUTLAND VT, THURSDAY MORNING, MARCH Is 1866

of Porto Bello and one large castle as
they were when the city was taken, l
will before close my journal, give In
brief manner some account Of the town
as we entered it.
There Is at the present time one long,
straight street we'll paved, but in place
of the nice stone buildings that once
were here are now rude bamboo huts.
with thatched roofs, minus floors. The
Alcalde resides In the only framed house
In or about the place. He is quite fiue
man, OF rather dark complexion, yet
| showing much of the old Castilian race
and grace of manners. On the upper
and right hand side of the street few
old stone buildings remain, which were
once used for warehouses; but at present
are occupied by the half.civilized ma
tives. The old tile roof has fallen in on
some OF them, but remains quite good
on Others, being mostly covered with
moss, grass and wild vines. The Gus
tom-house is yet standing, end was once
a beautiful, building, large and ro0my
but its heavy walls and massive arches
are now fast tumbling down, A short
distance from here, amid a grove of va
lions kinds Of trees and thick bushes,
ruins Of churcchhees and copvents could
be seen. In some places the old walls
stand like adamant, and some few fine
| arches yet remain but all about was
desolation. There is a grandeur and
| Subllmity about such ruins that COM
mands my love and admiration. This
was one of those scenes Of which Byron
has said
Each ivied arch and pillar lone,
Pleads haughtily for glories gone"
Attached to the ruined walls of once
large convent was what l took by its
| gothic form to be 8 chapel. The ivy
clings to the arch over the altar and
windows like an old and tried friend,
forming beautiful festoons, here and
there, until it reaches the old pavement
floor. The toad and lizard had sought
out hiding places under the crumbling
altar stones, while innumerable bats
were sleeping in the Crevces of the
mOuldering walls. Our attention was
now called to the castle on the left Of
the city, which was very extensive and
of great strength. We entered it over
the old draw bridge, and was soon in
the courtyard, which was protected on
both sides by heavy walls connecting
with the main castle, whose ConstTuC-
tion is much the same SIS the former one
mentioned.
The armament Of this place was i'm
mense, and much Of it yet remains.
Large cannon Of the best bronze in the
world yet line the battlements, bat none
are mounted, as the carriages are rOtted
away, and nothing OF them now re-
mains. The bomb-proof vaults were
| full OF shot and shell of various sizes.
| some of the guns were twelve feet long,
ranging frem IS up TO "a and d2 pound
ers. There was one large bronze mortar
| having q cylinder of twelve inches.
| Notwithstanding it had been exposed to
the weather some hundred years, it is
smooth as glass. There too the ivy
| clung to the old watchtowers with
firm grasp and forming in rich exube-
rant masses, hung dropping from the
old gray walls, even down to the waters
| edge.
Not wishing to return TO the ship just
| yet, few hurried steps brought us
across the old parade ground to the
walls Of the cemetery, which presented
a sad picture. All around were traces
of the destroyer. The gate had fallen
from its hinges, and we entered through
the open archway leading to the yard.
| And here indeed did the eye rest on a
sad picture. I thought at once Of the
vision of the prophet Ezekiel when car
ried by the spirit of the Lord and set
down In the midst of the valley of dry
bones. Tho yard was about 800 feet
long and 80 wide, and to the right and
left IS you enter the gateway are tombs,
one OF which only remains whole the
other five are mostly in ruins. AS the
reader may wish to know Of these tombs
which were built some two centuries ago,
| will give brief description of them.
They were in shape very much like q
large oven Of brick and stone, made
quite strong, standing from the main
wall, and projecting in towards the cen
ter Of the yard, with an opening large
enough to admit d coffin, which being
deposited, the mouth Of the tomb was
sealed up with brick aud cement; then
the tablet was fitted to its place, and the
work was done.
On the top of the tomb that was
standing were two human skulls set in
mortar. The object Of this rite | could
not learn. Many Others, were set about
in inches in the walls. We could see no
new graves. Many bones were scattered
about over which wild grass and plan
tain trees were growing. la the center
of the yard was shrine, and in
the center of the cup sat lamp, part
foil of oil, of long standing. All around
the grass grew rank. which told q sad
story Of glories that were, past and
gone. .....
Turning from the present scene to
wind our way back to the boat now
waiting us, the words of the prophet
Jeremiah, when speaking Of what shall
fall on the wicked, came to my mind
"There is none 10 plead thy cause, that
thou mayst be bound up; thou hast nc
healing medicines. All thy lovers have
forgotten thee; they seek thee not; fol
have wounded thee with the wound ol
an enemy, with the chastisement of q
| cruel one, for the multitude Of thine In.
/ iquity; because thy sins were increased