Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-01-04
NO 1SJ
VALENCIA, SPAIN, ,
SATrRDAY, April Sth, tS11.l

CAIl EDAN, ApIu OH, lOtI.D
Dear ones at Home YESTERDAY we
were joined by a new and highly accept
able acquaintance, Reed, of London, and
our entire party, sauntercd out a western
gate of the city, took a two wheeled
jolting cab, and started for the Hermit
age of San Salvador, three miles away.
We passed a Gipsey village, with IFS
houses under ground and their flat roofs
on the surface. The Hermitage of San
Salvador must have been in early years
an isolated spot to have acquired a name
implying seclusion. 1t stands upon a
prominence of the lovely vega. low
mound surrounded by a wide spreading,
exceedingly fertile and densely popul-
ated valley. At the foot of the mound
we leave our cab, and ascending to the
Hermitage, we pass score of rudely
constructed diminutiys towers lining the
path, and come to San SalyadOr's church
which looks anything but a hermitage
Service is being held in the ediice and
before the miraculous image FL Crista
de Beyuet a great number Of peasant
women, dressed in homespun, are draw
ling unintelligible words Of alteration, in
a sing song mOnOtoncs, which it is i'm
possible to describe. A sensitive person
might feel a chill of horror attending
the dirge like chant of these lowly wo-
men, who seem deeply absorbed in their
devotions, and fearing to tresspass upon
their engaging service, we fOrego a sight
of that wonderful image which daily
converts Jews by the blood from its ooz-
ing wounds A storm from the far off
mountains threaten us, land gathering
clouds like meeting armies come on
apace." As we saunter toward our cab.
band of the peasant wOrshippers come
from the church, and passing us, at
rapid stride, they mutter lament which
if it be not real grief for the dead Savior
is an excellent counterfeit Of its mani
festation. They give no heed to our
presence, but with eyes cast to the
ground, each crosses and muttcrs with a
harmony of action and speech cvidenc-
ing long practice over this piece of ritual.
We trot back to the city in pelting
rain, but before we reach tire city gate
the sun is cheerily shining and the air is
much the more refreshing These peo-
pie of the Province of Valencia, outside
the city, speak language peculiarly
their own, as distinct and different OF
dialect from the Spanish as is Greek
from English. We went to the Cathed-
raj in the city, climbing 209 steps Heav-
onward, attained the summit of one OF
its towers. This is a historic spot In
A. ID. 1895, after the surrender of Val
encia to the Moors, here it was that Cid
brought his wife and daughters to ex-
hibit the glory of his conquest. The
view from the tower is very extended
and rather diversified of character. The
mountains on the horizonastand alone,
rugged, Of ragged outline and naked
The valley running to the mountain base
is densely populated with peasent huts
aud vegetable gardens. The city isol-
ated by great wall, and the sea in vast
expanse, holding uadisputed sway on
the eastern border Certainly If il MIC
ture of distinct part, but no mingnng Of
the rapturously grand and peacefully
lovely, but an isolation of detail quite
sss2sss,<.hless The mountains, the fruit
4 ~