The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-05-28

with volley of confines. All along the
way are scattered old Saracen towers many
have been plastered over, and converted
into dwellings; some stand far out in the
tide, where the sea has encroached upon the
shore, and others are fast crumbling to
atoms. On the cliffs, which seem to pierce
the clouds frown the old unrelenting Roman
forts, built by the Caesars, which Will yet de-
fly the touch of wasting fingers OF future CEN
turtles.
MENToNE.
We dined at Mentone, which, like all these
settlements, resemble the Hermes sculptures,
presenting two distinct faces. The old din
gy town built on the edge of an oyerhanging
cliff has a very tossed up and tumbled down
look, but is decidedly more artistic than COM
Portable, while the new squares OF marble
fronts, clean payements and landscape gar
dens can furnish you with fried fish and clean
beds, from which you do not long to flea
away, as you most assuredly would in the
picturesque parts of the town. Our first
days drive landed us at Bordighera.
BoRDIGHERA.
Here we passed the night in hotel situat-
ed in a park of oranges, lemons, palms, dates
and cacti. The gardens here were a tan
gled wildwood of vines and shrubs, from
whose thickets of green stretched on high
the gaunt and ungainly palms, whose leaves
were all tied into compact bundles from stem
to tip. We wondered at this inane method
of culture until our cocchiere enlightened us
on the subject. The raising of palms for the
decoration of churches is one of the indus
tries OF this locality. Large tracts of them
are planted, and each year, when the trees
are strong enough to bear the process, the
foliage is bound together for four or five
months to bleach These will soon be gar
nered and sprinkled throughout Catholic
Europe for Palm Sunday.
Early in the morning as we drew near San
Reno we met funeral procession. This
band of mourners made beautiful picture,
gliding noselessly beneath the gray walls,
overlwhich hung the almond trees dourishing
with blossoms like fall of feathery snow
flakes. A goodly number of priests led the
way with downcast faces, and clad in
flowing vestments of bright blue, while
they held before their breasts sill
yer crosses, cleaning in the morn
ing sunlight; then came the hearse, dec
GRATED with gigantic white plumes, at whose
corners walked the sisters as pail bearers
these were followed by an open carriage, in
which sat cardinal clad in red and silken
robes; beside him was brother priest
dressed in white. Possibly the deceased was
the mother or sister of the cardinal, or some
pious nun, soon to be enrolled in the list of
saints, for whom either filial affection or rev.
erence had moved this ecclesiastical dignita-
ry to stoop and perform the last sad rites in
person, thus doing homage to the beloved
dead.
We dined this day at Oneglia, a queer NOR
sy italian town, where, for the first time, ma
tive cooks prepared us a dinner of macaro-
nj dressed with tomato sauce and .trilli a
fish the size of sardines, and covered with
pink and silvery scales, altogether too pretty
looking to.eat. They were fried in olive oil
and tasted good after riding fifteen miles in
an open carriage. At any hour of the day,
the open piazzas in these towns look like
country muster. Here we find medley of
all sorts of grotesque vehicles, every mama
BILE domestic animal and member of the
feathered tribe; jugglers exhibiting penny
shows, peddlers hawking their tinselled
wares, half dozen wine carts and host of
idlers, whom no man could number as they
buzzed in and out of the scene like flies on
the ceiling of down east tavern. AS we en-
tered this crowd a half dozen jockeys collect |
ed around to discuss the merits of our |
horses. and as many attendants to assist us |
to alight and do the bidding of the signors.
While we were at dinner we realized we |
were fairly in the home of the hurdy gurdy, |
for no sooner were we seated than burly |
fellow wheeled his mammoth machine under |
our window and zealously ground out his |
jangling tunes. Singing men and women, |
braying donkeys, and all the cats and dogs |
and parrots in the town joined the chorus to |
give us musical ovation. Gould we only |
have used italian with fiuency we might |
have prevailed upon them to desist They
were well rooted in the good old doctrine of |
the perseverance of saints, for they tainted |
not nor were weary one moment, but wed |
with each other in raising their Ebenezers
until they should melt our hearts and reach
our purses. In these towns the houses are
bound together by strong arches reaching
over the paved roads, to fortify them against
earthquake shocks. The alleys are SO mar
tow that neighbors could clasp hands across
The streets. Here where the sun can only
shine at midday the peonle 1.-Two in little re-
,rsses, and the arches are utilized for car
1enters, wheelwrights and various artisans.
Part of the drive was over rough mountain
,oads, but occasionally we crossed level
peaches, where children played in the sand,
ishermen were hauling in their nets, while
'ther tanned and sturdy sailors were bid
ling goodbye to the women and children, as
hey launched their boats upon the placid
tut treacherous sea. This little chapter of
ur travels we were sorry to close at Alassio,
ust as the sun went down. Here we await
d the evening train, which brought our
Quincy to Genoa at midnight.
M.C.P.B.