The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-07-16
A Tour in the Baienric Islands.

| Tour in the BaIenric Islands.
There is scarcely corner in western
| Europe. from the Orl<neys 10 Algarve less visit
ed than the Bdlearic Islands. Although Port
MahOn and Palma may easily be reached by
| steam from the Span coast. the average tour
ist, VINO Is careful to do Sicily and has contrlved
| OF late years to secure GLIMPSE OF Crete, over
looks strange island world. whose salient fen
lures are llttlc altered since the era OF ts con.
quest from the Moors. Yet II is certain that
this interesting group may well mage the at.
| tention OF the student, havlnz llol ~ insixni1.
can't role In Crthagenian and Rom IN annals,
continuing under Saracenic ruler. powerful
| and Independent State. contribu inx In l,tcr
| times substantial strength 10 the composite
kingdom Of Araeon, and anaiv becoming the
theatre Of bitter conflict daring the French and
English wars OF the last century. Aside how
ever, from historical associations, tho delightful
climate, exquisite landscapes. and marvellous
luxursace Of vegetation, which distinguish
| parts of Mnorc, and MaJ,rca, should inves:
these island wit a potent charm. Indeed. the
only thing ne ,del 10 turn the stream 81 travel
| n that direction was n iphc oortr,yal Of nat
urI aspects and native types, and tins has at
| ieugth been furnished by u German tourist,
| Prof. hoRTz WILLKoMs, IN recently pub
| lished wor entitled Spfnien ind die Bdle1ren.
| Landing on the east coast OF Minorca, In tho
| hNWNtnie nuboT OF fOTt Ma0On, WtUkOmm
| drst depicts this the capital city OF the Island,
! which may number some twenty thousand souls
1t has tropical, yet by no means Spanish as
! meet. Rather does the character OF the archi.
| lecture, aud especially the complete absence 81
| balconies, M well a. the Windows barred with
| green shutters, remind You OF Gibraltar and
! there are nos wanting other tokens Of the fact
that for many dec AIDES this CITY wac In the pos.
session OF England. 1t Will be rene m cred that
! Ninorci was occupied by the British allies Of
the Archduke Charles In the war OF the
| Spanish succession, aud stssdfastly held by
| them until l7&. The result IL that very
| many Inhabitants. even small traders and ar.
| tisans, understood and speak English. while
| all educated persons are familiar with French,
| whereas, on the other hand. you rarely hear
| Castiiisn. the normal medium Of conversat on
| being the Minorean dialect. The natives of the
bsiearc isles as well a. Of the adjoining Pithyu-
san group have sprung from diverse stocKi bu,
| aly"x1iott a rooted antip1ihy to the Clsiilf-
ans, and are much more disposed 70 sympsthlz,
| with the inhabitants of Valencia an Ca'aloai1
Their speech indeed, Ike the q ITALIAN and va
| lencian. Is an OGshOot Of the great Proyenc, 4
tree. and has itself branchei into the three dia
lects spoken IN lvl,i, MlnorcA. and 8isjorca
Ihis language, which has generated u tolerlbiy
a1iuent and con picuously 20 site literature, CON
tlnues TO be employed In trade AMI soc i. com
morce, and It's use Is seduously in"ulcated In
schools and churches. or course, the Official
| tongue Is the Clstian.
The Mnhonese and the Minorcans generally
| are a kindly, courteous race. distinguished for
amiahilty and probity. IL never occurs to an
one To lock his doors at night, for the crime Of
theft r. extrem ey rare. Another pleasant char
acteristic If Port Mahon, and indeed Of the
| whole island, is the universal cleanliness and
| II
The meancst hut OF the poorest day aborer is,
on the outside, fully whitew shed, While
| the Interior is kept trim and spotless Two
| things not alwnys combined arc encountered
everywhere In hiuorce-strenuous industry and
| unlimited hospitality. The salient fanlt Of the
| nation nj character is an intense aud obdurate
insularity. II Is not only that the Mnorrans
deem their institutions nanuerS and usagrs the
| best Ia the world but they refuse To regard
| themselves as Spaniards, and would willingly
sec their Island once more an independent state.
| hahon lies very unevenly on several bills.
forming the serrated slope OF the broad Interior
plateau. The houses OF least In the narrow
| streets Of the town proper, hav. for the most
part three or fuur stories, aud nat. hollow tiled
| roofs, often sup emented with lookout tower.
lew OF the streets are wide, and many are too
precptous to admit Of wagons. Here, in fact
you see more be.sts Of burden than yehiccs
although high roads main aimed In good repair
| radiate from TIE city throughout the Island
| There are likewise three handsome promenade.
whose alleys, shaded with nne trees and Dor
dered with flower beds LAID out In a somewhat
formal STYLE, offer on Sunday afternoons liyely
scene. Here the stranger meets the countless
pretty women and young girls Tor whom MaLon
| seems to bc justly famed, and who, II they be-
| long TO the ghor classes. usually wear the
| graceful SEan-h nantlla. The boYs, on the