Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-02-28
BALEARIC ISLANDS.
Scenes in MJorca's Palm
Studded Capital.
W AKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
Grave, Sweet Water Carriers and Their
Tragic History-IsIand Sights and
Scenes--A Land of Plenty
and Content.
copyright. 1892, by Edgar L. Wakeman-1
PALMA, MAJoRICA. Feb. 2. 1892

copyright. 1922, by Edgar L. Wakeman1
PALMA. MAJoRICA. Feb. 2. 1882.
The three principal islands of the Ba-
learic group are, in size and impor lance, re-
| spectively. Majorca, Manorca ana Iviza.
The first is but sixty miles from east to
| west and fifty miles from north to south.
Cabrera and other lesser islets belong to
the group, but these are trifing in size al
most uninhabited and of little general in
| terest. The population Of the islands now
| exceeds 100000 souls. Malorca is by far
the most beautiful of all the islands. and as
one at once falls in love with her capital
city, Palma. and all her sunny-hearted
folk, few who first land in Palmais sunlit
bay will care to seek adventure here beyond
Maiorca's glowing shores.
One of my first entertainments here was
by the water-carriers of Palma They are
| not so naive as those of the Azores, so bold
| as those of Italian cities, so voluptuous as
| those of Lisbon, nor so languorous-eye Jed and
| petite as those of Granada and Seville
But l could nothelp thinking that here an
artist would find hundreds of perfect mod
| els for a Rachel at the Well. Tall, 1.-the
slender but shapely maidens are these, and
their dress, carriage, features and ways
constantly increase ones admiration and
| interest Had they been simply animal in
their saucy beauty, one study of one group
At one fountain would have answered even
a sentimental traveller.
But for days found myself, against all
| apparent reason, drawn to this fountain
and that, and making all manner of mental
| excuse for what my own Judgment scourged
me with as an accusation of impro-
| priety. Attempt as l might to study all
| other lowly, become interested in the ma
| jestic cathedral, or essay trampS into the
| interior, back came to the fountains to
contemplate these fair maidens and en-
| deavor to unravel the strange spell they
1...1 l., L..
| never saw but one woman whose unrlvaled
art gave her the perfect carriage these
lswomen unconsciously own as natures
| kheritage. That woman was Sara Bern
Ehardt Added to this was conscious dig
nifty and not coyish but superb and
stately modesty which lent positive radi-
| ance to every movement, gesture or look
Their attire added rare charm to all
| else Their tiny feet were encased in
| dainty slippers. A skirt of loosely woven
dark stuff fell in close and graceful folds
about their long and shapely limbs. Over
| this lay short napkin-like apron, spot
lessly white. A dark bodice low at the
| neck displayed exquisite shoulders and
breast, and its sleeves stopping at the
| elbow where an edgipg of white was seen,
showed the lower half of beautifully
moulded arms. The head is bare, covered
by wealth of hair coiled low and heavily
IN fhe neck, giving in the sunlight the tlue
back luster of the grape. The forehead is
strangely wide for the Latin type; and the
eyebrows, which almost meet, have the
low wide arch.
The eyes are large, luminous, melting,
sad; and never were seen eyelashes of such
lenght and blackness on other women.
The nose is finely chiseled and the nostrils
are thin and have a perceptible tremor.
An oval chin, dazzling teeth, a mouth that
suggests the hot blood of the south, chaS-
tened nv endless raDraSSiOn with Inns Of
crimson, complete face of Madonna-like
depth and feeling. This face looks out of
filmy white kerchief drawn close beneath
the chin, with points fastened with rose
Or trifie of jewelry to the hair at either
SIDE of the head; while its longest point
covers the neck and breast to the girdled
waist below
In professions of dozen to a score vend-
ing their way to and from, or when loiter-
ing beside the fountains they form group
ings against the quaint old walls beneath
the lonely palms, fit for Tadema's master
hand. Their burdens are never carried
upon their heads. The bottom of the empty
or filed ever always rests upon the right
hip, the handle against the carriers breast
and her half barred white arm is flung care
lessly around the vessel just below its
mouth.
All inquiries regarding these beautiful
water carriers of Palma brought from the
with contemptuous smile and the sheer
ins words,
LA Chueta!'
That meant ga little long-eared owl" 1
could not understand why these radiant
maidens could have so offensive name. 1
followed some of them about the city and
then to their homes. 1t brought me to
strange quarter where strange people
with kindly, yet sad and smileless faces,
wrought in all labor with that patience and
diligence which characterize but one race
of men. This was in the 'FChueta" quarter
of Palma, and this is the story of the folk
that live within it:
death to the Jews" was the brutal cry
of all good Christians in Southern Europe
towards the end of the fourteenth century.
In Palma they were prosecuted with relent-
less fury, beaten with crosses of wood they
had been compelled to kiss, and their houses
looted and sacked. During Passion Week
of 1875 they were so desperately baited that
some Jews attached a slave whom they
named Jesus" to a cross and Knocked HIM
in secret revenge. Four of the Jews con-
cerned in the affair were condemned 20 be
burned TO death. Their sentences were
then committed to death by hanging, on
condition of becoming Christians.
AS the fury of the Christians seemed to
promise the murder of all the Jews in
Palma, not only did the four condemned
men embrace Christianity, but within two
days time more than two hundred were
baptised and eventually the entire Jewish
population followed their example The
descendants of these are the folk of the
sChueta quarter. They profess Christian
ity, though living wholly apart from the
Maiorcans of Palma. Many are rich, most
are artisans, such as silversmiths, weavers
of embroidereS and the like; all are honest,
clearly and industrious. But their bearded,
solemn men and these faces by the fount-
aims, betray, if but family, the memory of
those olden tragedies which can never be
effaced from their inner lives and hearts.
In Palma and throughout the fair Ba-
learic isles studies of the deepest interest
are among the people themselves; and then
among the lowliest of these. The city has
few great lions for sightseers who are al
ready familiar with Southern cities of Eu-
rope. If one has friends, or can secure
them, it is true that there are no mora
beautiful and exquisite examples Of the
MoreSque-SDanish interiors than can be
found in Palma's homes. Indeed l have
never seen in art, as representative OF the
patio or court of the Italian, Spanish or
Moslem home anything equalling the
beauty of these open courts. The stone
Hsork, while never on so grand q scale,
rivals in delicacy of texture, and richness
of ornamentation anything to be found
within the walls of the Alhambra
The scenery of the bay, though not so
noble as that of Naples, is far more win
some and enchanting. Then there is the
ancient fortress, the castle of Deliver rising