Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-13
PESCADE s. MATIFOU,
FRENCH GYMNASTs.

From physical point ofvIew and prob
men were as different enc from the other
as two human beings could be. They
were both natives of Provence, and it
was that fact alone that had brought
them together to fight the battle of life in
common.
Whence came their queer names? We're
they the two geographical points between
which curves the Bay OF Algiers? Yes!
And the names fitted them perfectly, as
that of Atlas does some giant wrestler
Cape Matifou is an enormous namelOn,
strong and unshakable, which rises at the
northeast end of the vast roRdstead of
4 lgiers as il TO defy the unclaimed Gle
ments and illustrate the celebrated line:
''Its mass indestructible wearIed out time"
And such was the athlete Matifou-an
Alcides, Porth0s, fortunate rival Of
the Ompdrailles, Of Nicholas Creset, and
other famous wrestlers VINO have shOne in
the arenas OF the south.
This giant was more than six feet in
height, with a VOlumlnOus head. shoulders
in proportion, chest like a smiths bellows,
and limbs like tree-trunks, with the
strength Of steel He was manly strength
in all its magnihcence, and had he known
his age, we should have found, not with
tered his twenty-secOnd year. Although
this giant was not gifted with striking
Intelligence, yet bis heart was
good. and bis character WAS
simple and gentle. He knew not
hate nor anger. lie would do no one an
injury. Seldom, indeed. would he shake
the hand that was offered him for fear he
should crush IL In his own. In mis- power
tul nature there WAS nothing OF the tiger,
al o B. -. .
sides at word, at sign even from his
companion, no would obey, as if he had
been the gigantic son Of that little slip Of
a man.
As a contrast, at the western extremity
OF the Bay of Algiers, Point Pescade, Op-
pOsite Cape Matlfou, Is a thin, spare, mar
row, rocky tongue running out into the
sea. From IL the name OF Pescade was
given 10 this fellow OF twenty, who was
small, slender, skinny, and Of not half the
weight OF his friend, but supple, active,
qulck-witted. Of ineXhaustible good
humor through good and evil fortune, a
philosopher In his way, inventive and
practical--a regular monkey without the
mischief-an indissolubly linked by fate
to the enormous paehyderm whom he led
through all the phases OF mountebank's
life.
Both were acrobats by profession and
travelled from fair 20 fair. MauiOu-Or
Cape Matifou as he was also called
wrestled IN the ring, giving all sorts OF
displays OF strength, bending iron bars
on his bicops, lifting the heaviest Of his
audience at arms length, and juggling
with his young companion a. If he were q
tennis ball. Pescade--or Point PescRde,
as he WAS commonly calied-gesticulated,
sang, played the fool, amused the public
10y his cl0wnirh wit, astonished them ~
his ieats H3 an equilbrist, AT which he
was yery clever aud mystiled them with
his couiuring tricks.
But why on this occasion on the quay
AZ GraYOBa are these two poor fellows left
out ia the cold, while the people crowd
10 the other booth " Why have they taken
80 little when they want IL 80 muchy II Ia
difficult 10 say.
Their language, an agreeable mixture
OF Proy0ncal and Italian, was more than
enough for them 70 make themselves un-
dersto0d. Since their departure from
Proyenoe, where they had known no rela-
ives and seemed 10 have been produced
by spontaneous generation, they had
wandered about from markets 20 fairs,
living III rather than well, but still living
and If not dining every day, al least hav-
ing something for supper every night: aud
that was good enough for them, for. as
Point Pescade remarked, "Wo need not
ask for the impossible"
But II the worthy fellow did not ask for
Il on this occasion, be tried at it none the
less In his endeayor 10 get together a
dozen spectators before his platform In
the nope that they would pay visit 70