Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-21
FAYAL'S METROPOLIS.
HOrta, That Quaint City of the Best
Known AzOrean Island.
ITS VERY QUEER THOROUGHFAREs,
Shifting Scenes From a Decidedly Rare
Rural Civilization,
AND ITS HIGH CRATER, STILL SMOKING

America. 10 one hrst coming 10 land,
tropic life and semi-oriental customs in this
beautiful harbor, there would be much to
interest and charm. The island Of Fayal,
50 called from the taya, a small tree, or
large shrub, indigenous to this one of the
Azorean group, has an area Of only about
40 square miles, and a population of per-
haps $4,000 souls. In some respects it is
looked upon as chief in Importance, always
BY the Fsyalese, and principally So by
people of our own country and England,
because we know, at home, more Of the
Azores through Fayal fishermen and other
Fayal immigrants, than from wanderers
from all the other Western Islands COM
bined. So, too, AzOrean commerce with
the outside world, and all the inklings of
the trifing activities within these little
speeks upon the sea, have their place OF de-
parture at Horta, whose roadstead as you
enter, at once recalls the lesser harbors of
the Mediterranean.
The roadstead and the city lie along
Fayal's southern shore, protected from the
fierce northwest gales. Pico, but four
miles away, stands squarely in front at the
south, barrier 5000 feet high against
southern winds The islands of Graeiosa,
st. George and Terceira, break the force of
the sea from the northeast and east And
here, like checkered ribbon of white, pink
and russet, the struggling shore-side city
nestles at the feet of mountainous hills,
crescent of oriental moquetry, forever kissed
BY azure waves aud forever facing the
safrony rays of langUorous tropic sur.
A NoBLER HEADLAND.
Opposite, the tip of the eastern horn is
formed by a still nobler headland, the
Espalamaca. Barks and barkantines, brigs
and brigantines, schooners and now and
then full-rigged ship, ride at anchor upon
the gently undulating roadstead. The
long, struggling, circling ciIy, Quaint
and olden in architecture, hugs the
shore from headland to headland, feathery
line OF spume breaking against its huge sea
walls and along its glistening brown
beaches. Like rich fringe TO q mottled
scarf, rising behind the town and gradually
fraying out into cultivated fields and lesser
gardens, are quintas aud villas innumera-
BILE, delicate flashes of gray or white in wall,
or russet red in roof, showing prettily from
masses of embedded shrubbery. Then come
tier tier of upland ridges with misty
hollows, gradually narrowing and fading
into the sottened outline of Faval's greatest
heights not 4 600 feet above the sea level
where the clouds play and hide and dis
close, in mimic portraiture, the grander
shifting scenes forever being set for the be-
holder where Pico's ghostly cone overtops
and sentinels all.
Between Pico's base, where, across the
lovely channel, lowly Madelena and strag-
Cling peasant hamlets peep from the dark
aud rugged rocks, and the cleaning band of
spray at HOrta's eireling front, every man
ner of the smaller of sailing craft known to
adj 1rfr hoo nd
5orth; bearing the gentry and peasantry of
the islands, and conveying in that pictur-
esquely cumbersome way all labor is here
performed the various produce and merchan-
disc of Azorean ports. The blue and white
flag of Portugal fuiters from countless craft
There are music and laughter on boat and
on shore. The sky above is the sky of Italy.
The sea has that tint of azure which hints
of bloom. And when one is landed and at
rest upon some pretty balcony, air and sky,
sea and mountain, street and garden, men
and beasts, women and voices, all sight and
sound and seeming, prompt to delicious
siesta and enchant to tender repose.
VERY QUAINT THoRoUGHFARE.
San Francisco. 1t extends the whole length
of the city in a struggling, genial sort Of
way, inviting fellowship from all manner
OF lazy waterslde folk and scenes beneath
alongshore, and from the far prettier and
more interesting thoroughfares which strag-
gle down from the mountains past lovely
quinta and garden-embowered town house,
or through the far more picturesque quarters
of the petty mercados At intervals it
widens into pleasant squares and tiny parks.
In some are wells where the water carriers
loiter. In all are beggars and Aeas The
shops are quaint collection of windowIess |
efn 1e h,,Sl
tremendous DOORS barred at night as If for |
siege, where clerks and keepers stand and |
ogle the passing senhoraS and senhoritas. |
leaving their wares in inextricable confusion |
within. This ogling is not meant or taken |
Extensively. 1t is the daily compliment |
trade pays to beauty, and the fair women OF
Fayal would reckon themselves a sorry lot |
without it.
Architecturally the city is vastly more in
teresting than beautiful Street hacades pre-
sent the queerest of styles and studies. Here
is shadowy shop OF one story where griInv
men grope about among gritty piles of char
coal. The next building may be a three or
fve-story structure which houses the richest
OF wares, whose upper stories are faneifully
decorated in gorgeous paints and gifts. Next
to this. on one side of dark den, dirty cob
biers beat ceaseless staccatos, a cutler grinds
and hammers on the other, and away in there
q stream of light shows exquisite stairs lead
ing to some inclosed court where home of
opulence is imbedded in vines and roses.
Everywhere are ponderous base and arch.
huge column and tremendous entablature.
supporting buildings whose insignifcance is
ludicrously startling. In the churches and
a few of the more prominent public build
ings the architecture is Moorish, and the
facades invariably fanked by immense
square towers and the dreary Saracenic
dnmes. Most of she side streets are narrow,
and so shade trees viii not grow.
ONLY TWO LIKE AMERICAN STREETS.
There are but two streets, or short
stretches of streets, like some of our Amer
Jean 'iplaces, which are widened and beau
tilted bY trees. The general plan of sliop
and abode in the thickly settled parts of the
city is the shop below, and the home above;
or the lower story is used as sort OF entrada
TO walled-in home structures in the rear. or
the habitation above. In the latter case
these entradas are temporary shops for itin-
Grant c0bblers, cutters, saddlers and the like
or lounging-places for beggars, donkeys and
goats But however unsavory NAV seem
The ground floor Of, or the street entrance to.
auY structure, the upper stories OF the same |
Or the pretty home-nests behind afford
abundant compensation in pieturesoue
and scenes. Balconies In ibe
Azores are as universal as in Havana, Lis
BON or Madrid. All are latticed, and in
are odd little slides and
gates. From these, as you pass, you will
catch glances from fair eyes, and often see
smiles and coquetting looks from lovely.
-oguish faces The Fayal maidens must |
lot look upon you in the street; but social
,ustom gives them the blessed right to hirt
rith YOU desperately from the lofty and
ale outpostsof their balconied aleobas.