Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-24

s-@-s~s..Sc sightseeing expedition
sksSs develops things new
and strange. This
| morning we went out to Marco da Legua, five
miles distant, to- visit the wells which furnish
the clty's drinking water. A popularity of
Para Is that in cODfains not one artificial foun-
tain whereas every other South American town
has a surplus of them. The group of wells
| above mentioned and some springs in the
eastern suburbs the only water supply
for more than hundred thousand peo-
pie. eked out of the chocolate-col-
ored current Of the river, by the less fastid-
| lous, for lavatory purposes. You go to the
wells by tramwav, along the aristocratic resi-
i dence street called the Rua de Nazareth. which
for the first three miles is lined on both sides
with pretty ca as built after the Portuguese
| IA hon. some with walls OF tinted stucco,
others coated with blue and yellow tiles and ali
fronted by splendid palm trees whose feathery
tops are in perpetual commotion. apparently
nodding and whispering to one another, while
their tall column-hke trunks remain unmoved
in the fiercest storms. They is heavy with
| the fragrance of orange gro~ in interior gar
dens and in the middle of every house
the trees of the patio--strange trees. known
only in the tropics-lift their heads above the
messy roofs. About midway is the beautiful
IlaZa de Nazareth, circular in form. named
from its church, which is especially devoted to
the worship of Our Lady of Nazareth.
CONFUSION AT THE WELLS.
At the wells we find a scene of indescribable
confusion, deafening babel of voices a crowd
of negro lavenders (washwomen) and Portu-
guese water carriers, all jabbering and gesticu-
hitting like mad" that one momentarilv
expects to see knives drawn and blood she'd.
But 1t IL not riot. nor incipient revolution,
iTnnpiDp-ODly In
cheerfuness OF the native lower classes. whose
customary department, when two or three
are gathered together. is more like that Of
iunatics than of sane human beings.
In Para the water carriers are called gaegos,
a term Of contempt. which was first applied by
the Portuguese to the Spanish emigrants from
Galicia, who took to the business of CARRYING
water when arrived in this country as uni
versallv as the emiSrants from some provinces
turn to fishing, from others TO farming and so
| or. BY and by the Brozlans adopted the
| word galegos and applied it to the few Portu-
guese who were engaged in the same business,
so that row everybody who carries water is a
gallego. as in Mexico all Englis h-speahing peo-
pie from either side of the ocean gringoes
Until within few wears drinking water was
peddled about the streets of Para on horse
back, each horse staggering under four euor-
nous jars strapped to bis back. but lately some
benevolent wanderer from the land of Bergh
anu humane societies. pltylng the overworked
equine skeletons, introduced carts. each to be
drawn by an OK or mule But nobody thinks
OF ameliorating the condition of the human
beasts OF harden. and though several hundred
water carts constantly going the rounds OF the
city one meets many more negroes and Indians,
male and female. bowed under the weight of
water jars poised upon the head, each of which
| looks heavy enough to crush an ordinary skull.
NAZARETH PLAZA.
On the way back to town stopped at Naza-
reth plaza to take peep al the votive offe rings
which are hung upon the walls Of its famous
chap e, for Our Lady of Nazareth-so say the
| BrazilIans- has wrought more miracles than all
the other virgins and saints on record. Her
festival occurs in October and draws great
numbers of people to Para from all the Anna
conan provinces. 1t continues fortnight or
more. and during all that time the square j.,
literally packed, hundreds OF families having
brought their household goods and encampeti
or the spot. The trusting faith of the pious
Brazilian. As well as the efficacy of
prayer and the power OF Our Lady, is
eXempllfied by the great number and variety
of these offerings. There are thousand, of busts
and arms and legs and hands and faces, either
nodded in wax or carved in wood each bearing
IL more or less life-like representation of the
particular disease or ntirmity with which it had
been afflicted. As. for instance, CHASTITY carca-
! lures OF wounds. ulcers, tumors, protruding
| bones. &c. There are breasts nearly eaten
| away by cancer. necks with enormous golfers,
/ and other horrors too many to enumerate.
| There are paintings photographic counterfeit.
| presentments of ships at sea about to be
! dashed upon beeting crags and the Virgin
/ flying down hastily to the rescue when APP
! peaied TO; pictures of men and women on beds
of sickness. and the same obliging lady coming
through the ceiling with bottle
of medicine One Of them shows
an invalid sitting in an arm chair
! and the legend below sets forth how the good
man had not been able to walk step tor
! twenty years. until. following some directions
he received i'll a dream. he became well the
very next day. There are n good MANY large
churches in Para. but though several are much
handsomer. there is none 80 interesting as thi.
| of Oar Lady of Nazareth. The cathedral is ar
enormous editice, which boasts Of the creates
variety of marbles from all parts of the world
! that were ever collected under one roof The
great high altar contains no fewer than fifteen
different kinds and the floors and walls and
galleries are mosaic Of countless varieties OF
| the same beautiful material.
BIG OPERA HOUSE.
Everybody has heard of Paras great opers
house, the largest on the South American con
tinent and one of the largest IN the world. L
Is situated at one end of a plaza and is built OF
brick and stucco. three sides Of it having deer
alcoves supported by massive marble pillar,
with huted shafts and Corinthan capitals. Be
hind the pillars extensive marble-pavet
porticoes. in which people may promenad,
between the acts find shelter from
the rains which fall every day dur
ing nine months of the year. Squatting al
along the pavement in front of the main en-
trance are always scores OF greasy negresse.
doing n fourishing business in the sale Of
sweetmeats and bonbons. Just inside the door
is n large bar room, which the audience visit
| frequently during the evening, gentlemen tax
| ing out their ladies for sweet drinks. beer anf
champagne. The interior is very handsomel,
decorated in crimson, white and gold. Their,
are five tiers Of boxes and each box has a littl,
ante-room, where the occupants receive nnt
entertain their friends both between and dur
ing the acts, for here. as elsewhere in Spanish
America, people come to the theater APPARENT,
FOR anything except to listen to the perform
ance. Ii there are no callers the ladies' ant
gentlemen promenade the corridors and eve,
take an occasional turn at waltzing in the larg,
ball room that fills the front Of the building
There are no proscenium boxes, but in the cente
Of the middle tier is gorgeously ornamentet
stall reserved for the president, the governs
and the bishop. The galleries are remark.
able in that none Of them are held by pillars
but are supported on slender iron brackets. Al
in European opera houses, one-half the parouett,
has seats which are sold ut reasonable price
and the other half for double and tribe tina
sum-a distinction without difference excep
n ayv.r~ mt <Ew u