Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-17

dOOut z, VUO miles east OF Pnlla0elpnla anu
New York. $50 miles west of Spain and Por-
tugal, and LOO miles to the west Of south
of England. Historically considered they
are almost devoid of interest, their relation
to the fabulous fancies OF oriental legends
rising far superior to the realism of their
actual discovery and colonization by the
portuguese about the middle of the 10Th
century. In the main the Azores have been
Veritable Isles of Peace. The wretched
struggles between Spain and Portugal
scarcely ever reached in i'll effect to these
enchanting shores; and the occasional belch-
Ing OF volcano or topping over OF noun
tain, with perhaps as infrequent dispute
with British men-of-war, or an Algerian
pirate, over the spolls of some petty, SOM
nolent port, have furnished the most trying
yexations these simple, sunny people have
known or owned.
On the morning of the seventh day out
from Nantes we sighted st. Michael. BY
noon we were abreast of its northwestern
craggy peaks and basaltic head lands; and,
after several hours of pleasant sailing almost
underneath the frowning battlements OF the
heights of the "Seven Cities, the Cande-
larla, and Pico de Vigario, werounded FONT
Delgada, and came to anchor within the
artificial harbor of the chief city and port OF
st. Michael, quaint and sleepy old Ponta
Delgada, the third city in size and import
ance in Portugal and the Azores. The har-
Dor itself is but slight indentation within
great semicircular arm of the sea, forever
exposed to fierce, though balmy, southwest
winds. The city straggles to the right and
left for more than a mile from the docks,
and creeps prettily out and up over pleasant
ways of verdure and early winter bloom to,
ward circling group Of high and serrated
outlying hills.
WARM RECEPTION.
The Government mail boat having
steamed out of the harbor with frantic DEM
onstrations of interest and regard on the
part of the thousands collected at the lower
plazas and along the quays, the customs
and health officers, tobacco boats, beggars'
boats, and hotel runners boats now swarmed
about our little brigantine, and we were
boarded, taken, examined, questioned, and
bullied not a little, after the unctuous
Portuguese manner; but all with an ampli-
tude of deferential politeness far exceeding
anything 1 have ever elsewhere seen:
The bowling, scraping, hat-dofing and
salaams between our captain and the
officers during the meagerly necessary for
malities of port entrance, were something
astounding. My captain was fully their
equal in these cordial gymnastics, but the
cold blood of a Northern cline coursing
through my own veins rendered my part in
these proceedings SO stiff and stately that
was instantly set upon as an undoubted es-
trangeroi who must be captured for prey;
whereupon more than a score OF apparently
half-mad boatmen and runners sang, palaV-
cred and howled in hideous chorus, "in
Gods name" to "Durma ma minha casa
esta noiter' that is to lodge with me this
nightP' But my good Breton captain bel
lowing at them all Observation-Disclosures
preserved me from these superlatively
polite Vultures; and, when evening
had come, took me in his own gig to the
landing, led me up the slippery stairs
and conducted me through plazas, courts
and beneath huge arches into a by-street,
clean and pleasant. but dark and silent, to
an ancient habitation where we halted.
Here after much knocking and bawling an
old man made his appearance. He and the
Captain fell upon each others necks and
kissed. Then sOlemnly proceeding through
a fower-flled patio. or court, we came to an
apartment where sat the old mans wife and
daughter. The former showered all manner
of greetings. The latter, an Azorean beauty
OF no immature years, sat silent and
blushed as the big Breton as blushingly
stammered his greeting to her. 1t was easy
to see had fallen upon a little romance at
the outset. But that could wait; and in few
all the wonderful verbal foriture of
had resulted in securing for me
a home while at Ponta Delgada for but one
"serrilha," or about 25 cents in American
money. per day. I knew the Captain would
tarry below, and, promising to visit him
aboard his brigantine on the morrow, bade
the group plain English "Good nightp to
which they all responded with an unctuous
"Deos permitar' when the aged Senior,
with light consisting of wick dimly flick
ering from basin of lard, showed me to
room, whose balcony overhung
the street below. In this, and upon bed of
cornhusks as clean and sweet as in my olden
American farm home ever. prompted to
pleasant boyhood dreams, passed my first
night in the balmy isles Of the Azores.
EDGAR L. WAKEMAN.