The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1883-12-28
LISBON.
An Interesting Description of the Portu'
guese Capital.


Lisbon, rs seen from the bay on en-
tering the harbor, is a very beautiful
city. 1t is built upon the slopes of the
low hills that hem in the Tagus on the
north. These hills gradually flatten out
TO the sandy beach, which is the first
object deserted on entering the port.
There are but few trees on these hills,
scarcely more than are to be seen on
those of Contra Costa; but the fields are
green, there are plenty of buildings
scattered about on the hillsides and the
absence-of trees is not so noticeable as
on the shores of the bay of San Francis
co. You scarcely leave the sea to en-
ter the estuary of the Tagus before you
strike the famous castle of Belem, which
guards the entrance to the picturesque
harbor. Imagine that the uncouth
structure at Fort Point was almost
square in shape, three times as high as
it is and built of colored stone in mix
ed Morisco style, with lots of bizarre
balconies, porches, and queer little
windows, and you will have Belem cas-
lie. The next landmark is the Church
of San Geronimo, atall gothic structure,
whose middle tower fell down about
five years ago and killed forty-tive per-
sons, among them lot of too curious
tourists. Next, the whole city comes
into view, built like San Francisco, from
the waters edge to the tops of the hills
and beyond. AS you enter the Tagus
the city is on the left hand. In the dis
lance straight ahead are the hills of
Torres Vedras, made famous by Well
ington's operations during the peninsu-
In war. On the right hand are the
shores, the farms, and in the back
ground the hills of Portuguese Estrema-
dura. There are no wharves or docks
in Lisbon. The ships all lie at anchor
and load or discharge by means of
lighters. The river opposite the city is
several miles wide, and from a spacious
basin in which the navies of the world
might ride at anchor secure from storm
and swell. So much for the exterior
view. Now let us go ashore.
Imagine the waterfront of San Fran
cisco built of stone; the streets either
macadamized or paved with stone, and
kept perfectly clean; the sewerage well
arranged; the air pure; no sand, no
smoke, no fog; the public buildings of
stone; the private houses of brick and
stone and plaster; the hackmen civil;
the car conductors polite; the cars not
permitted to take any more passengers
than they can seat; no vacant lots; no
uncovered hills of yellow sand or dusty
stone; no rotting planks for sidewalks;
no forest of telegraph poles OF network
of wires to offend the vision-imagine
San Francisco thus metamorphosed,
and you will have Lisbon. The popu-
lation of the two cities is about the same
in numbers, but il is different as day
from night in customs and appearance.
In San Francisco there is movement,
hustle, directness of action. In Lisbon
quiet and inaction of decay prevail
everywhere. Water is mainly only
procurable at public fountains; hence
men with pals and women with jars on
their heads, filled with water, thrOng
the streets. Industry is inactive and
labor cheap, hence a bare-footcd wo-
man'carrying heavy trunk on her
head, or man with chest of drawers
or q sofa on his back, are by no means
uncommon sights. Poverty and paucity
of invention unite to perpetuate the
bullock cart of Pharaoh. of which num-
bers, drawn by oxen, rumble through
the stone streets and amidst the pro-
testing echoes. The people are hand
some, both men and women, and of
good build; strong, hearty, and cheer
ful looking. The records of the public
institutions tell us that these are the
survivors of u vast host who perish
every year because the land, rs ut pres
ent governed, can not support them. -
Cor. san Francisco Chronicle.