Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-24


man, and fondly show his birthplace.
They may have him IL they wish and
keep him.
The walls, ruin upon ruin, are intense
ly interesting; Carthaginian, Moorish,
Roman. They tell the story OF three or
four races, perhaps half dozen. |
pleased myself by believing that some
captive giant negroes, hungry and des-
pairing, lifted these first stones into
place. They look as IL they might be
the first burden the white man laid on
those long-suiferiug shoulders. The
drive about Tarragona, looking over
these Roman towers, to the Mediterran-
can, is superb. Tho cathedral, of n rich, Z,
yellow, Sienna-looliug marble, is one
OF the most interesting in Spain, and
Its cloisters, with their priestly garden
full of flowers and trees, are museum
of antiquity and spot OF unearthly per-
fection and beauty. The rounded arched
double doorway, the capitals marvel
lously sculptured, the elegance OF these
Moorish arches and delicate shafts OF
marble, make walk around this sweet
spot an enchanting pleasure. l have
soon no osuch cloisters, Those in Rome,
OF st. Paul's, without the walls, come
nearer to this delightful, this fabulous
wealth OF tracery and intricate carving
than any other.
Here we met the Tarragonese people
mothers with picturesque babies look
ing like little Murillos, beggars in the
proverbial cloak, young gallants and
pretty girls with handkerchiefs around
their heads. Tho black Spanish eye, in
all its phenomenal loveliness and sad
ness, is seen here. The women all lool,
sad-perhaps it is only q variety of
beauty, however.
We drove to the public square to hear
some fine music. The soldiers were all
out, and, as the band struck up gay
waltz, q few senors and senoritas danced
off, in most Fanny Ellsler manner,
with wild grace which was enchant-
ing. Many of the women wear the
mantilla. They are all picturesque,
from the shepherd in the fields, who
wears his striped plaid as if he were
her balcony.
REMINDERS OF THE PAST.
1t being Sunday and feast day, we
saw the famous old tapestries, of which
the Cathedral at Tarragona is famous.
These are chiefly Flemish, and are
said to have belonged before the Refor-
nation to st. Paul's, London. How
they got here, nobody knows. An Eng
lishman offered the bishop 10000
guineas for them, an offer Indignantly
refused.
Remains OF the Roman aqueduct, the
ever-wonderful arches, the towers, all
remain to testify to this city of the
Scipios. 1t is citadel surrounded by
vineyards. These old Romans loved
the wine, which rivalled the Falernian,
and which still goes up to France to
redden and enrich the clarets and Bur-
gundies. Augustus raised this city to
be the capital after the Cantabrian cam
paigns, and from this place. 26 b. c., he
issued his decree closing the Temple OF
Janus forever. 1t was ali imperial
town. Conveniently situated for com
munication with Rome, this stronghold
was the winter residence of the praetor.
We can imagine the gay, hardy Rom
ans sailing across the Mediterranean to
this their winter city. But it was taken
by the Goths, and the Moors later made
of it a heap of ruins, and these ruins re-
mained undisturbed for four centuries.
Now to the antiquarian it is sort of
Pompeii. The wine business makes IL
o prosperous town. Its harbor is full of
coasting vessels. The wine is like
sherry, to my taste not agreeable. The
lighter vintages are sent to Bordeaux
to fortify the claret, while the full
bodied varieties, known as Spanish
reds" are shipped to England and
America under the name of port.
Our ride 10 Valencia was a long one.
For some distance out of Tarragona the
scenery is dull, stony and most uninter-
esting. The Mediterranean seemed in
nocent of a single sail, though always
blue and beautiful. Here and there at
a fishing village the scene was pretty,
as the fishermen carry the nets on their
heads in a peculiar manner, but we
began to believe that Spain could be the
dry, arid, blasted heath which we had
been prepared to believe it.
But as the afternoon wore on, we came
into land where every breeze brought
us the delightful perfume of orange
blossoms-groves upon groves and acre
upon acre of orange trees in full bloom,
palm trees and flowers mingled with the
white locust, which fell in clusters on
the road. Now we knew we had reached
the carefully irrigated fields of the
Moors, as we saw the trickiing strea ms
of water percolating through the
meadows. Spain began to smile again,
and responds with fruit and flowers to
the care and wisdom of her banished
children, those intelligent Moors.
We reached Valencia at 8 o'clock,
fatigued. Worn out with the creeping
Spanish railway ,and a crowd of beggars
about the station, we were glad to get
to our hotel. The famous city of the
Cid has an air of solid nobility. Its
arched colonnades, narrow streets, fine
plaza, open arcades, arc thoroughly
Spanish. But must give another let
ter to this treasure-house OF Moorish
architecture. There is enough to sec
in every city to allow of a volume of de-
scription. 1t is the country OF perpetual
surprises.