Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-14
TRAVELS IN BELGIUM.
INTERESTING ACCOUNT OF HABITS AND
CUSTOMS.
The City Of Mons-walks about Eamur-
The WALTON country-Methods
of Courtship-cheese-Et
rErnm Professor z. Kemen.l

try for a while we take southern course
and reach the city of Mons, close to the
French frontier. This is a fortress of some
importance. Everything looks French here
language, manners and dress. On the
public squares cafes abound, and IN the
afternoon, du ring summer time, large
number of officers in their gay uniforms
may be seen, sitting around tables on the
outside and sheltered by awnings, playing
dominos and idling away time The most
remarkable ediice in town is the st. Wan
dru church or cathedral, distinguished
through its elegance and boldness of style !;
the courthouse, the theater and exchange
deserve also special mention. Mons is
quite an industrial center, and large coal
mines are in operation in its neighborhood.
A great portion of those laces known as
valencienne are made here. Making a
short stay in Mons we take an easterly
course and passing Charleroi we reach Ma.
muir. Our road may be said to have been
literally through clouds of smoke the whole
way; for we had to pass through dense,
black smoke arising from hundreds of chin.
neys belonging to glass factories, iron.
works, foundries and machine-shops. Ma
muir is strongly fortified town and lies on
the banks of the river Meuse. It's popula-
tien is $4,000. Behind it extend the Ar
dennes, a chain of mountains separating
Belgium from France. A curious sight
meets our eyes in the streets of Namur ;
every third person we meet is either a
soldier, nun or a monk. If the garrison
of the fortress is represented by large
force of soldiers, it seems that the holy
orders are equally we'll represented by
legions of pious defenders of the Catholic
faith. There are indeed no less than
dozen converts, not counting the regular
clergy, which forms little army of itself.
We are now in the heart of
THE WALTON COUNTRY.
The patois or idiom, known by that name,
is a mixture of Neo- Latin, Spanish and
French words. Traces of the history of
that country can easily be found in its COM
position it shows the domination under
which it has been in past ages. A particu-
larity, however, is to be noticed. While
the Wallons have conserved number of
Spanish words, the Flemish and Dutch.
who were under Spanish rule at the same
time, did not incorporate any Spanish
words. The Wallons, as we have said,
are a gay people, free from care and ad.
dicted to pleasure. They delight in laugh
ing, singing. dancing and drinking. They
are very talkative, curious and inquisitive.
A stranger entering an estaminet or inn, in
a small town, is at once the object of pub
lie attention. The loudest and most ami.
mated conversation is husbed Immediately,
and everybody scrutinizes his exterior,
dress, etc. After awhile, if his appearance
is satisfactory to the assembly, the head
speaker goes up to him and invites him in
polite manner to join the company, and,
at the same time, he tries in an artful way to
draw out from him his business and purpose.
These people are extremely polite. None
of the assembled guests would commit the
breach of etiquette to forget to salute and
toast the company every time he imbibes,
if it were dozen times of an evening. 1t
is a continual toasting. Their curiosity.
in small places, is SO great that as soon as
a stranger walks through the streets every
window is opened to see him pass. The
customs Of the people are peculiar.
CoURTsHIP IS DONE IN THIS WAY:
Two days in the week are set apart for
Amors worship, Sundays and Thursdays.
A lover will not visit his sweetheart alone,
but will be accompanied by friends. A
number of young men meet and agree
upon the place to visit in the evening.
They generally number from four to six
Assembling at the house of the village
belle, refreshments are served to them,
after which a game is instituted in which
the old folks participate. Meanwhile things
are so arranged that one of the men has to
entertain the young girl in retired corner
or nook, which entertainment is called
hatee," to spark. But only limited
time is given to the happy youth, when he
has to give up his place to another. In this
manner they follow suit, the real lover
having 70 advantage, at least not with re-
gard to time. After awhile the old people
retire, leaving the field to the young, who
often remain till nearly dawn. Perhaps
some prudish or very sensitive person will
call this custom improper in its moral
bearing but it may be said in its defense
that these people are simple hearted and
follow an ancient custom left to them by
their forefathers. We leave Namur, and
in order to enjoy the scenery along the
river Meuse, we embark on miniature
steamer for Liege, distant forty miles.
These steamers are about fifty feet long
and twelve feet broad their chimney is
lowered every time they pass a bridge
these bridges are numerous and very low.
The banks of the river do not present grand
scenery, like those of the Rhine, vet they
are not without charm. They offer to the
eye green and fertile fields, interspersed
with prominent hills, which are clad with
vineyards; and now and then an elegant
castle or a fine residence makes it's ap.
pearance. About halfway the fortress of
Huy looms up on high rock, on the side
of which the houses of the city are clus-
tered
LIKE so MANY SWALLOW NESTs.
So far the sky has been bright and clear,
but as we approach Liege the dense smoke
from hundred factories hides it from our
view. Liege has 100, 900 inhabitants, and
is one of the most industrious cities in the
country. 1t has several scientific institu-
tions, benevolent societies and q large num-
DER VI CuuTCuSss 1uo principal euluces
are: The Episcopal palace, the Cathedral.
the Courthouse and the University. Many
bridges span the river Meuse, which has
become, through the addition of the river
Ourthe, of considerable size. As the prov.
ince and dukedom of Limburg are close at
hand, let us say few words about Lin.
burg cheese, so well.known through its
high favored quality. Limburg proper does
al he ~ e Al L
name, but the country south and east, ex.
tending through the WALTON territory as far
as Luxembourg, produces it. Most people
ignore the cause why this cheese is so
highly favored and remains soft in no mat.
ter what climate or temperature. 1 will
tell them the secret, with prayer not to d.
vulge it. 1t is because the gastric juice of
the calves is mixed with it at certain
stage of its manufacture, and also because
it has undergone numerous saline washes
after being rendered solid, Taking the