The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1870-11-04
BDDEFoRD, ME-, FRIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER q 1870.

.i-5.aso o. 7-ijs-' "a 91r aE fa.cir
suns rays were concentrated upon ON
devoted heads. "Calomel" prayed md
swore alternately, the bullocks gaspod fol
breath and we-perspired. The Purser.
. man Of few words but singularly OK.
pressive. remarked that tho partition be.
tween this place and the informal region,
was very thin and q remarkable conduct.
or Of heat. q have sacrificed the pungen.
cy Of that remark to propriety.) Ofoourse
We had to endure this until we arrived nj
Leon, about sunset, and such looking OBJ
jects rs we were you could hardly imag.
Inc. My nose, from the mornings boa,
ride, had acquired flesh (p) tint thai
would have satisfied the most ultra of the
Flemish school, and had only to close one
eye and look across II toward the setting
sun, to imagine myself with Bierstadt,
touching In" Vcsuvius. At last we were
ensconsed In tho Hotel de Europa, q moi
very imposing mansion In tho usual ac-
ceptanoe of the term, bu. quito cool and
comfortable. 1t was only one story In
height and enclosed court OF some twen-
ty yards square. It was kept by an Eng.
lish lady whose husband was formerly n
lieutenant in the English navy. Our
rooms were assigned to us and while pas
sing along corridor that led to mine, l
met a beauteous maiden with the bloom of
youth on her cheek, and those large lus-
trous eyes that kindle so fiercely in anger
or beam so tendcrly In love and that arc
alone possessed by the dusky maids Of the
South. I extended my hand-she took II :;
then I mustered all tho Spanish I could
and blandly asked her II she would grant
q kiss to an orphan for his mothers sake,
(this being the national custom) she gen.
tly rebukcd me with the palm of her
hand,--I can feol 1t now, and said In the
purest Anglo Saxon, that she "didn't al
low no sich foolin' from strangers, no
how" In vain begged her to consider
me rs her earliest aud best friend-it was
of no use. She came from Carter's juno
ton Vermont and said her name was
"Emily Meade" I asked her If she knew
friend of mine by the name of Smith
who owned wood pile in Carriers juno
ton, and she replied that she didn't know
no Smith nor me nuther."
I enjoyed refreshing sleep that night
and did not awake until the sun came
streaming through the window screens.
Then we had cup of coffee and some
toast served in the rooms. after which we
strolled down to the market where, in this
country, you can sec all castles OF society
from tho highest to tho lowest. The
market sales are conducted only in the
morning and In dry weather they arc
usually held on the Plaza, or what we
would call common" about two hun
dred yards square. ,
They havea very singular method OF
barter here; there Is no money coined in
this state, in lieu Of which they use bits OF
dried cheese, castor or sima beans and
various other convenient comestibles. A
man goes to market with dime or franc
or whatever he wishes to expend and for
instance, buys q piece of meat; he gets for
change several bits Of cheese, and with
these he purchases vegetables or fruit and
gets for change handful Of beans; with
the beans he gets something else and re-
ceives change of % diTeront denomination.
and so he progresses like tho man mcn-
toned in tho arithmetic who gave one
cont for the first nail In his horses shoe.
two for the second &c. The system Is a
little complex, but to me was great nov
city. Poultry. eggs and sun cured beef
formed the, principal articles for sale.
There was u tempting display OF fruit OF
the richest colors and flowers of rare fra
GRANGE. The natives possess great taste
In thu arrangement of goods Of this de-
scription to the best advantage for sale.
The principal feature of this city Is the
great cathedral of Saint Peter which Is
considered the largest and most expensive
one in the New World. 1t was built in
the sixteenth century ut cost OF five mil
lions of dollars; but how the money could
have been expended is moro than can
conjecture. The exterior Of this cdiiice Is
quito plain, smooth walls and u flat rool
relieved by four little domcs or bclfreys
where the chimes are placed. The whole
building covers nearly two acres of ground
and on its roof during fight with the In
dans of some ncighboring provinces. u
number of years ago, ten thousand troops
were stationed. and there are plenty
of bullet marks to attest tho fact.
Tho interior once, no doubt, was very
splendid. but all the jewels that once
aiorned the figures of the Vir-
gin and saints. have been removed and
their places supplied with glass limitations.
All around the body of the church were
confcssionals-solne twenty five or thirty,
and each one had % tenant. Tho padres
with one exception were of the unctuous
class, and this exception we ut once en-
gagged to show us round. He was u lean,
hungry looking fellow, always praying,
nevor perspiring. and with look Of in.
effable resignation on his face. We had
in short time seen every thing Of impor-
tance with the exception of u room mt the
door of which our conductor halted. This
was the Holy Of IIolies, here were relics
of the vestments of our Saviour, frag.
ments of the cross etc., etc, and, continued
the padre, paintings from tho old mas.
ters. f" This aroused our curiosity and
we resolved to enter. but our pio,is guide
had scruples In regard to admitting us, II
was not tho rule &c, &c, but a half dollar
softened him and we entered.
The paintings were the most hideous
caricatures ever saw; 1t was tho old sto-
~ exemplified of "Daniel In tho Lions
Don," only in this case "Daniel" had no
umbrella rs u distinguishing characteris-
tic. and one had to draw too heavily on
the Imagination. ....... ..'....
TIL" principal picture in this collection
was about twelve feet by ten and repre-
sented. as near rs could make ont, n
spiritual prize fight between Father An.
selmo. (the founder Of this church, and
Satan, in which Anselmo had Satan In
chancery and was fibbing away at him In
fine style, while some outsiders, regard
less Of the rules of the p. r., were tam
pcring with His Mnjesty's tall, ondeavor-
ing Herewith to drag him towards Q
yawning pit from whence flames and
smoke issued. or the other trash that
has SO long imposed upon the credulity of
an ignorant people will say nothing.
Hero We concluded to take leave Of our
pious friend. 80 we gave him dollar and
he closed his fingers upon 1t with for
vent bencdiction. He asked tho purser II
he thought that any of his ancestors were
still! in purgatory. and when he answered
that no should be pleased to learn that
their condition was 30 far amelorated,
the old fellow turned blue and crossed
himself. 81 .+, .-f --f..-g an I,u f,,,
NJ .-.u.t t,.oG - Sho koto1 ,,har.a go