The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-12-29
An Interesting Description of the Portu
guese Capital.

Lisbon, as seen from the bay on en-
tering thc harbor, is very beautiful
city 1t is built upon the slopes of the
low hills that hem in the Tagus on tn,
north, These hills gradually llatten on
to the sandy beach. which i, the frs
object deserted on entering the port
There are bat few trees on these hills
scarcely more than are to be seen OF
| those of Contra Costa; but the fields ar,
! green. there are plenty of buildings
scattered about on the hillsidcs and tn,
absence of trees is not so noticeable a.
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 Bclcm. which
guards the entrance 10 the picture ,qUo
| harbor Imagine that the uncOutl
| structure at Fort Point was almost
square in shape, three times a. high rs
il is and built of colorcd stone in mix
ed Morisco style, with lots of bizarre
balconies, porches, and queer little
windows, and you will have. Bclem cas-
tie. The next landmark is the Church
of San Geronimo, a tall gothic structure,
whose middle tower fell down about
five years ago and killed forty-fivc per-
sons, among them lot of too curious
tourists. Next, the whole city comes
into view, built like San Francisco. from
the water edge 10 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 Ncdras, made famous by Well
ingtcn's operations during the pcninsu-
Ia war, On the right hand are the
shores, the farms, and in the back
ground the hills OF Portuguese Estrema-
dura. There are no wharycs 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 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 mir pure; no sand, no
smoke, no fog; the public buildings OF
stone; the private houses of brick and
stone and plaster; the hackmcn 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 rottiug plankS for sidewalks;
no forest of telegraph poles or network
Of wires to offend the vision-imagin
San Francisco thus metamorphoscd.
and YOU will have Lisbon. The popu-
lation of the two cities is about the same
in numbers. but il is different rs day
from night in customs and appearance.
In San Francisco there is movement,
hustle, dircctncss 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, filed with water. throng
the streets. Industry is inactive and
labor cheap, hence barc-footcd wo-
man carrying a heavy trunk on herr
head, or man with chest of drawers
or 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
full looking. The records of the public
institutions tell us that these are the
survivors of Il vast host who perish
every year because The land, rs ut pres
ent governed, can not support them
Cor San Francisco ChrOnicic