New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-04

tbe nieasantest of COMPANIONS for a summer after
noon. 1t is a bit OF summer itself. full OF color
brightness and sparkle. In a sailing-ship. MISS
Baker and her friends went their slow and lazy way
10 the islands whence Sir Richard Grcnville took
his stout ship to her death. With "Flores In the
Azores" came the travellers first glimpse OF green
cry after fourteen days of sea for that is the
time spent by a bark between Boston aud the Is
lands. Thirty-six hours later they driftcd into
IIorta the chief harbor of Fayal and stepped ashore
among a chattering crowd of men and women IN
wooden shoes and fantastic clothing. The most oe-
loved article OF the Fayal womans wardrobe Is an
extraordinary hooded cloak of dark blue otoau'
cloth which costs from $50 to $780, lie hood Is
stiffened with buckram and whalebone to preserve
its shape and looks like 0dfashioned chaise Top
The round cloak part extends 10 the ankles anu h
that one can of the wearer OF this femal hapio
garment are the hands and pair OF eyes giisten'ne
as 1t were from the bottom OF coai-hod. No'h'ns'
Miss Baker declares could he funnier than the side
view of two capotes gossippnG on the street. Hotei
life in Faya is comfortable enough. The beds are
hard but they are clean, the bare floors are fire.
quently washed, the food is varied and good; and
the cost is only 81 20 day, with tribe extra ior
wine. All the tropical fruits and flowers grow
luxuriantly in the Fayal gardens The houses OF
tie Azores towns built of IgneOus stone covered
with plaster ana whitewashed in the villages they
are one story, in the cities two stories high. Inc
first floors are either given up TO shops or used as
court-yards, and have no glass, the shops being
without windows. The streets are clean, there are
few shade trees, and men as well rs women carry
suu-umbreIIas The market-women and street
yeuders of all sorts carry their burdens ON their
heads, the farmer coming in from the country
with his cart drawn by an OK and COW yoked TO-
cether This cart is made from one piece of WOOD
with wicker body. Its solid wheels and heavy
axle slowly revolve together with terrific creak
dear to the heart of the Fayalese peasant. There
was formerly law that the axlcs must be soaped
before entering the city. revolution occurring as
TO the basis of taxation some Azorean Dahton
demanded redress of grievances "Down with the
income tax" he cried give us tithes t" Iitnes."
echoed the MOB, and liberty to squeak our carts
through the streeisw Tie wicker cart of the
Azores is like the Roman plaustrum, with Its tympana
or solid orbed wheels, to which Virgil often al
ludes and to which he constantly applies the al
jectves geneHtia and stridenhd. donSey-rlde Is
the chief pleasure of the islandlfe and jog
comfortably for two hours for the moderate sum
of twenty four cents, the driver included. II the
donkey goes too fast the driver SEXES the animals
tail and pulls him back with all has strength and
this novel brake is always efficient
Peasant life in Fayal recalls the time of Homer.
The methods aud the tools are those described in
the Odyssey. There is not wheelbarrow, spade
or shovel in all the Azores; and the bare soles OF
the laborers are caoused that they often scratch
matches on them in lighting their cigarettes The
grain is taken from the ear on threshlng-noor
like those of the ancient Hebrews, and 1t is ground
in mill such as the Romans knew. The PEASANTS
hut has no chimney. The fireplace is merely
broad stone shelf built out from the wall and in this
is fire of furze and fagots.
The binding smokes escapes as best it may
through roof and open door. For cooking utensils,
there are an iron pot and trlyets, and one or TWO
red pottery jars and saucers
Meat is a rare article of food with the peasant.
Coarse corn-cake, baked trlvet over the Goals,
hard, sour, heavy, and smoky,-thls VIII a bit or
cheese, fish, or pepper. and cup o1 coid water Is
bis principal food.
There is little furniture in the room,-a bed, so
high as almost to require steps 10 get into IT, with
bright worsted coverlet of domestic manufacture
like those OF our colonial gfand mothers; table;
hand-lOom IN corner; and a few seriptula
prints on the walls. In some cottages one hnds the
same modification OF the old Roman lamp, used by
our forefathers in NewEngland,-a small triangular
pan to hold grease, and floating wick. There are
one or two chairs these, however are seldom used
by the women, who squat upon ihe noor, ana sew or
spin and card their flax and wool.
Most OF the clothing and household stufs are spun
and woven by the women, who also perform much
field labor, weave baskets, braid hats, knit and
embroder beau fully and make exquisite faces
from the split fibre OF the aloe. Both sexes are
poorly paid for their labor. Mems wages in Horta
The best drcssmakers get twelve. The llco women
20 up to the clouds on the mountain, and milk. Tor
public wells for two cents bucket The old
spinner who sat for our artist earned but two cents
day and spun by moonlight, not being able to
afford lamp.
The people are sensitive. Jealous, superstitious,
credulous and lacking in courage They are also
industrious and polite. The donkey-men address
each other as Senior the child kisses her hand in
md fha lpr'o
stable-bills are made out to the " Illustrissima
Excellentissima SenhOra." The Fayalese. all of
whom speak Portuguese, ex ceedingly hospitable
All travellers in the Azores must visit the craters
which many volcanic upheavals have created in
the islands. This is the chief outlet there for
tourist curiosity The bills assembled on dom
keys or in hammocks carried by two men, the
latter mode of progression seeming delightful at
first but growing intOlerable at the end of half
hour. The commerce of Fayal is carried on with
America. while that of st. Michael, the largest of
the islands, is with England. The oranges of ST.
Michael arc the finest IN the world and great guam
Titles are annually sent to English ports The
orange season lasts from November to March. 1t
often happens that some of the Tangierina oranges
which are grown in st. Michael, do not come to
maturity during the season. These dry up OH the
tees but do not drop of and the next year attain
their full size, and ripen in early summer. Miss
Baker gathered delicious Tangiennas from the trees
in August that were relics of the crop of the pre-
v1ous year.
Fayal is the rendezvous of the whslers from the
neighboring whaling grounds, and the author ex-
presses hearty admiration for the shrewd. modest
and brave fellows who command them.
Cant c. and his wife are much looked up to by
the rest He is a sunburnt fellow, sober. silent and
retiring like all the rest the usual shore clothes
OF the sailor blue broadcloth suit and white waist
coat His wife is fine specimen OF a smart Yankee
woman. In her shiny alpaca gown, and stif lace
ruie at her throat, she as tr.g as her own brig:
Her husband very proud of her, but is himself
of centler mien. Each defers pleasantly to the
other and neither Is self-asserting.