The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-24
WAKBMAN"S
VANDERINGS.
SIGHTS witnessed While TFampilg
Through Portugal.
The Poet Traveller in the Homes Of the Portu-
guese easantry-Charming Studies
Among the Low!y.
special to THE SUNDAY CALL.

of our lettering sort of wauderings that,
on leaving Bija, had no difficulty in over
coming his scruples against travelling on
foot And so our way TO the southern sea-
coast of Portugal, perhaps 150 miles by the
windingS If the quaint Old thor0uGhfareS Of
the country, was made from Bija in this
delightful manner
In No strange land have I walked that dis
lance with such a continuous sense of Ella
ton Of interest. There ara early October
DAYS in cur own land which all these
days and nights recalled; days when the
'verduTe is still rich upon the trees; when
the aftermath has pushed above the
stubble OF the fields and spread an
emerald carpet above the after harvest
Sere; when skies are cloudless and Of won
drous depth Of blue; and when an aroma
that hints of fruit or of wine is in the
bracng air; evenings when the whole sky
is ablaza from the setting Of round red suns
that seem to wait huge and glorious before
plunging beneath the purple pillows of the
west; and nights when the cleaning OF
lights from farms and hamlets qulckens
the fuOtstep Of btlaled wanderers. and un-
consciously makes more eager all home
gatherings where freSldcs are already taking
on a Ia; Of the winter glow.
LIS - Ntt OLtf " al bCA CNLll4 al anI A'U-lfl-
ern Portugal know. There Is tender
citation in il. You unConsci0usly breathe
great drauChts If the eNAllaratlng air. Your
head Is erect and you walk in hne strong
strides. Then there are countless sights Of
scenes which charm and elthTall, Of cloud
capped sierra, OF hPath-COYered moor Of
bOund.ess forest of valley-iandScape, of
mouutan-Side hamlets strung together as
on a CANDY thread 10y strange professions;
Of huge Old WI1dpi'ls as in Holland, IF gi-
gaGtic Water-wheelo creakng and swinging
and oxen clTCIlHg about th-m In endless
tread, of wailed-in faTm-h0useS built rs If
to withstand siege; aud Of every form Of
peasant labor and pasume, always of deep
est interest because telling the story VI
everyday life ami living OF the humble folk
Of any land, upon whose labor and lives
after all. Tie entire social and governmental
SuptrstTucture OF any nation IS laid.
4 SUMMER land IN which 10 travel does not
exist. Hospitality is universal and intense.
Ii Is SO extraordinary characteristic among
ali classes that IL often becomes an imDadi-
mpGt 10 progress in travel. Between EyOra
and Iayira, about 30 miles by road, we
were literally compelled to enter more than
100 homes. In dozen Of these we were
CHARTERED fol the Il ght. and IN all the others
refreshments were offered and p3rtHken Of.
NJ st interesting OF all were the visits to
TuDOuS old m0naStcrles.
Ii often seemed that we must have been
espisd at a distance Of miles; for in many
instances
SOME AMBLING OLD sERyToR
Was sent TO meet Us, OF again kindly
faced friar halted MS al the roadside and
precisely as If the visit were prearranged
conducted us to his monastery, ofteD a little
and punched habitat9n where Tess than a
score Of the order seemed to be gaining q
livelihood. The welcome and benedictIon
at parting were always OF character TO
convey the idea that our coming had placed
our host under IneXpreSslOle Obligations;
while the eagerness of these mouutainSide
monks To gather the mPageTeSt knowledge
IT tie outer worlds affairs and activities
was often touching and pathetic in the ex-
IRENE.
Friar. farmer and peasant were alike in
puuclIuu> observance OF one pleasant Gus
tom. At our departure they always accom-
panied us some distance and frequently
for miles. on cur way. Then. standing by
the waysjde until We were quite cut Of
hearing AMI sight. they sent after us ell
manner of friendly benPdictiOus, inter
syersed with boa wagon. boa viagem"
Good voyage. good VOYAGE, until they
must have returned to monastery, VIllpCgis-
tuTa OF cabin hoarse from their kindly
called fareWells.
Dobrado tells me this toundless hospi-
tally is a chaLgeless part OF the POrtu-
guese religion; that they have rs common
saving, Curses follow lily welcomed
travellers ," and that the belief is general
here that good fortune comes in degree to
the b0uutltul entertainment Of strangers
who may chance among them. ! have
found the same custom and belief prevail
ing in only one other place In Europe. That
is the west Of Ireland. among the poor but
Creat-hearted folk OF lone and rugged Con
uemaTa
But Of deeper interest than all else are
the lowly folk Of this fair land. ! have not
seen in town or city an instance Of what we
know as want and suffering. The lOwly in
Portland possess nothing; acquire nothing;
have burning ambitions for nothing y bit
Of corn meal OF rye bread washed down
with water is a TrpaNt Add TO the bread a
bit Of fish. a handful OF olives or a few
swallows Of wine, and it is feast
The singing ScOurge of necessity for
providence with which the rgors Of winter
lash our poor IS iucomprehensibe here. At
their backs are mountains and valleys green
TO the sun and sky the whole year through,
and never failing in their rich yield of fruit
and grains. At their feet are broad rivers
OF the almost encIrcing sea with
luscious food free for the taking. None
ever become rich. None ever arrive at our
idea OF 4 modest competency. None scarcely
know how TO think how RICHES can be de-
sIrable. The wonder with them Is that
any one should worry or strive; that any
human being should ever be in hurry. As
with the Cubans In their languOr-
cline whose 'Manana" To-mOrrowD IS
the key 10 their tOrp0T ana YassaiaGe,
"PACIENCIA" Or "PA1IENCEr
Tells the story here. Something is wrong
with That one who will hasten; and crime
surely turks beneath lsanuess aud vig0r.
The mountains and valleys Of Portugal
give home 10 a folk possessing all the win
some sunnlnes5 of the l0Wly OF towns with
out 1.-THE of their apathy and sluggard-
ness. gu may read all the pastoral poems
ever written and gain no more colOTful
picture Of pastoral lives In endless content
and pe2cefunPss than your eyes may be-
hold in an hours ride or walk anywhere in
the interior OF Portugal. Rest IS IN the sun
and sky, the earth and air. the home and
field. IN all men and in all nature.
| do not mean that no labor is performed
But all labor done has in it the seeming of
mere dalliance with toll. The senses are
not surfeited with OdOr, luxurious and al
most intoxicating profigacy Of nature as in
the tropics. Every active eXerti0n Of every
human does not betray, as there, a supera-
i've Incidence painfully effOrtful in the
bare process Of existence. Bat restful-
ness peryades these soft and kindly land
scaDes, which reveals citation instead Of
sOddenness joyOusness instead of sensuous-
ness; peace rather than passion and pain.
In and through 1t all there is, like the first
thrill Of wine, an uplifting and exultatiOn
blending the physical and mental sense
perfectly and glOTiUusly. | do not say
these Portuguese peasantTy know this as
you and are conscious of it. But to the
beh0lder's eyes these humble. happy hearted
people so touch and color the scene upon
which he looks that their presence is an in
sepsrabe element in its essential harmony.
The peasant tenant-Iarmers OF Portugal,
the land-caseros of the country, retain
their holding under life leases and pay
rentals to the morgadOs, the owners of the
estates, or the gentlemen farmers" as they
are here calisd. "in kind" 1t is sort of
titIe-system always amicably adjusted be-
tween owner and peasant. A grade below
these easeiros is a class corresponding to the
English, Scotch and Irish cottiers. These
choupanas live in the cabins OF the NOR
gad0s and caseiros at the will of the latter.
Aside from these are the sheep and cattle
herders and the goatherdS that are found in
more picturesque mountain localities: the