Morning journal and courier., 1889-11-23

tulIty tuoushuu sOulb. ltS WoaltQ1er claeSee are people of very distinguished appearance. In dress, habit and manner I was much struck by their similarity to the Havanese. Immaculate linen, broad hats, extraordinary politeness, the omnipresent cigar and ciga- rette, universal stateliness and laziness, olive complexions, matchless teeth and liquid eyes, @ sort of chivalrous ogling by men and mischievous responsive firtations by women, instantly told the unyarying and universal story of iangorous southern life and charac- ter. In form and feature Azoreans are neith. CT so delicate nor classic as the Spanish. If Citizen Trains assertion that "Fat is DeathI' be true, then death turks in these sunny isles. Both men and women are short, plump and over fed in appearance, though glimpses now and then upon street or balco- ny of senhoritas of face and form divine may often be had. But the taller, lither, more willowy, Oriental and romantic types are oftener seen among the really handsome peasantry and the lowly classes in the cities.
 The latter, after all, furnish the most in teresting studies. They are the kindliest sand of them in Ponta Delgada no human could suffer insult or fear any known dan. ger. From the naked child playing in the gutter or by the fountains, past all manner of servitors in every calling, to the beggars who swarm every plazs, inn court or church door, to the most abandoned lout summing himself upon the quays or at wine shop en- trancees, there is naught but kindliness in act, word or look. And this look in the faces of the lowly is worth word. Make an inquiry, offer trifing aims, request ser vice, bestow greeting, and every soul here in the Azores will lift face of such radiant and sunny good nature, beaming with a smile of such extraordinary sweetness, that the strangers whole heart, if he have one, grows and glows in genial content and grati- tude. In this is one of the Iiveliest pleas- ures of visit to the Azores.
 The most characteristic street scenes owe their color wholly to the lowly. The fisher folk from whom we secure for New Bedford and Gloucester service our most valued fsk- ermen, are lnore picturesque than the pes- taeir broad hats, short jackets, short baggy trowsers, bare feet and tremendous whips o1 goads, are wonderful set of fellows, volu
 ble to distraction, full of mighty oaths
 harmless as kittens and honest beyond all
 belief. The city brings it's water from mountain lakes to innumerable fountains which spout, babble and sing day and night long. At every one of these old moss cov- cred jetties groups of barefooted men and women constantly gather. These are the water carriers of Ponta Delgada, and an ar- tist can at any time of the day find as pic- turesque models as the Riviera can anywhere furnish. What muscular swarthy fellows they are, and what graceful attitudes and posings they uneonsciously assume as they loiter bit for chatter and gossip before they shoulder the great wooden casks and trot gaily away with their mighty loads. with the air of mountaineer without an ounce of burden to cucumber his wiry imbs And see these Azorean girls-great dancing
 
 white teeth, their tongues eeaselessly rum ming in musical staccato, and their supple forms ever in irrepressibIe movement from the boundless life within them. Their short skirts disclose limbs and feet which outrival the Venus of Cos in delicate symmetry. Their smart bodicss vainly hide busts of marvellous roundness and amplitude, with full arching neck barred above, and crowning 1t such dainty and dimpled chin as evea Tuscany cannot match; while the line from tip of little finger up their brown round arms to beyond the dimpled elbow is mar- vslous study in nature's only perfect mobile bronze. But they have dallied and chatted long enough. With whisk little pad of rushes or cloth is slapped on their dainty shapely heads; in twinkling the huge, red sarthen jar, half as tall and quite as big as they, is resting on the pad; and with song pr roguish laugh they are away, tripping homeward as daintily and airily as in meas nres of the contradanza or waltz.
 But the wonderful in attire will be seen ou market days when the peasautry are upon the streets and plazas. Down at the high walled market place you will see them all; and here is an interesting spot in itself. City dealers with all manner of cheap inery are given booths against the walls. Between these and the great stone fountain at the center, underneath luxuriant trees, are the peasant farmers with their poultry and vege- tables. Near the great iron gates are stands of luscious fruits and corsetted officers, noi- sy but harmless. Scattered at will about the trees or in cosy corners are scores of groups of women, with butter, eggs and trifles in country hand work, every one chattering as though another opportunity would never again offer, and every one knitting with 8 Iwiftness and skill have never seen equaled save in the heathery mountains of wild Con- amara. If you could not hear their tongues, you would imagine you had come upon of hooded friars engaged in some nimble and outlandish diversion. Every one of these women wears the capote capello, of hood covering and cape, or ,an be boasted by the women of any other country. The huge hooded braideen of the peasant women of Conamara is the nearest approach to it of which have knowledge. The climate here warrants the lightest cloth ng, but the Azorean peasant woman never ravels from home, and would sooner expire nside her door sill than come to the city without her outlandish raiment. The capel- 10 is a great cloak of blue furzy material completely snveloping the body from neck ;o heels. This is surmounted by the oapote of the same material, stretched over bent big as an umbrella. projecting ,ver the face from two to three feet, in the pack of which the head is completely hidden ike white dot in the bottom of some huge funnel. To see half dozen of hese facing each other, bobbing back and orth in emphasis of their owners gossip, is indeed most curious and grotesque panto- mime. The dress of the male peasant aside rom his short jacket and wonderfully 'dorned waistcoat is particularly striking ,nly in his head covering, the carapuca. The crown is that of the ordinary hat. Be. lind long cape covers the neck and shoul. lers; while in front mammoth visor, near- y foot across, extends horizontally, the tides of which are sometimes curled into what seems at a distance like two up-turned lorns. But he always carries a staff like an Alpine stock. and never walks in other than . grave and digni6ed manner.
 The architecture of Ponta Delgada is quite 'imilar to that of Havana-two story stone houses; with much of the Doric in pillar, and roof; and with the same ,ndless whitewash, vsriegated with green, pink and blue. You will come upon many are old arches, and traces of the Byzantine order are found in churches and public edi- ices Shops are windowless. Signs are al- most unknown, emblems or devices usually indicating the character of wares to be found within. Wine shops are everywhere open; put there is no drunkenness. Streets are both wide and pleasant and narrow and full if quaint overhanging balconies; and, as In Ill cities in Spain, Portugal and Italy, the ,iding and retiracy of the women of the better classes give boundless zest and pi- f, on1