The morning call., 1892-01-03
WAKEMAh'S
VANDBRINGS.'
A Tramp in Portugal and What Is to
Be Seen in That Country.
Lisbon's Charms ars Those of Diversity Rather
Than Magnifcence-S Spirited Harbor
Scenes-The Ancient City
special to THE SUNDAY CALL.

SoulEam pton, England. to reach Lisbon,
the seven-hilled city upon the broad Ia gus.
The first land you will see is the grand
promontory Of Roca, the last upon which
Columbus looked when, nearly 400 years
ago, he sailed away from Lisbon with his
three miserable little ships and his 100 men.
Like a white doves wings spread upon an
emerald scarf, fair Cintra CLEANS against
old Roea's sides. Shortly your steamers
course is changed to the east. Cascase is
passed. You have entered a noble bay
which is alone rivaled by that OF Naples,
and the horn OF whose southern crescent
terminates in lofty and somber Cape
Ispichell. Mountains rise picturesquely to
the north and east behind this crescent
purple and far and suggestive of illimitable
lands beyond, where the great river makes
its way through the heights from its sources
round about the Spanish capital; emerald
or puce where the sun, from its liquid bed
in the west, lights the far forests and flames
the serried heights.
Quaint old outlying forts appear; for
tresses of defense and salute. Then the
outer bay narr0ws to the Ria de Lisboa.
Lisbon's mouth, and narrow mouth and
throat they are bristling with forts, capa-
bic Of perfect defense IN these days without
fort at all and after a passage OF perhaps
six miles through this deep and narrow
channel you have entered an inner harbor,
twenty miles long and from three 10 seven
in width, where 10000 ships could ride at
anchor in water scarcely stirred by wave or
ripple the whole year long.
Lisbon is set upon the hills along the
northern shore. The entire estuary Is
edged with villages and villas Here
church, gray and Old, half shows from some
a \. -
checkered with white cottages and splatcheS
Of drying nets YOnder half-ruined mon
astery. with its little hamlet of houses creep
ing up to its walls like patient beggars for
protection and aims, tells It's story of sup
preston and conversion to workaday use.
Here and there are quaint and ancient
docks, reminders of where
TIE OLDEN GALLONS
Were built which bore the most intrepid of
all men TO conquest and discovery of utmost
lands. What wondrOuS change upon the
| whole worlds surface, what mighty reyOlu-
lions, what volumes of history, had their
humble origin here Not to Rome. nor En-
| gland. should Americans come, reverentially
| and with guide books. like prayer books in
| hand, as TO the cradie-spot of our race We
were born on the shores of lordly Tagus.
! We are Portuguese IN inception and eOncep-
| ton. Our babyhoOd was rocked in the
three old tubs which bore Columbus from
| Ria de LisbUa to far San Salvador.
The harDOr scenes Of Lisbon are full Of
| color and charm. Towers and castles,
| churches and mOnasteries, show from all
/ the surrounding heights. The city itself,
| almost as white and luminous as Algiers
/ rising from the sea, is fair to look upon.
! Craft Of all nations are here. Up through
J the Ria de LisbOa the west wind is speed
| ing a fleet of fshing-smacks and feluccas.
! The lateen sails are OF every color and tint
| in the yellow sunlight. Heaps OF slyery
"a 4 1tif N no oil
| Myriads Of lowering .gulls bear the vast
| fleet company, for their wise instinct tells
/ them the fishermen never begrudge them
/ share Of their daily harvest from the deep.
Every manner of the smaller craft known
! TO Mediterranean waters are plying back
| and forth. Boats full of customs officials
| dart from vessel TO vessel, now and then
| cOuverging toward a narrow archway at
the waters edge where the fruits of the
! chase are tithed aud stored. Gentry and
/ peasantry from the surrounding villas and
| farms are coming and going IN the 0utland-
! ish craft pointed like gOndOlas at both ends,
! propelled by swarthy bOatmen with breasts
| oDen ard hairy to the waist. The blue and
white flag Of Portugal futters from count
less haTbOr maSts. There are music and
laughter on boat and on shore. The waters
beneath have that tint of azure which hints
OF bloom. And when one has landed at
Lisbon and is at rest upon some pretty bal
cOny, air and sky, sea and mountain, street
anu EdlQcDt EUuAlS duu lOut4kdtAoS AiFI auu
beasts, women and voices, ali sight and
sound and seeming, prompt to delicious
siesta and enchant To tender Tepose.
ii sbOn is neither so fair as Florence, so
daZ ling rs PalmerO, so brilliant as Paris,
nor by any means so impressive as Rome.
But its situation, its surroundings and its
striking contrasts lend the city and enyiroDs
a deep and lasting charm. Palace, church.
monastery, convent, public building, home
and shop are jumbIed together in picturesque
confusion. Its parks are many and pleas ant,
SUmnUlent AID restful, rather than
BRILLIANT AND GRAND.
Down by tho waters edge is the fine broad
quadrangle. Parca de Commerce., or Black
Horse Square, as the English have called it.
This is bordeTed by the huge Stock EX-
change, the India House, the 'Aiiandega"
or Custom house, the splendid naval arsenal,
and the broad quay at the shore of the Tague.
In the center is the hughest memorial IN Lis
bon, the heroic statue OF King Jose l, whose
historic reign was contemporary with our
Revolution. Forty tons of brenZe are In
the statue alone. supported by a marble
horse and elephant carved of equal size
for symmetry. Leading out OF this square
TO the north is magnificent trlumphal
arch and within tie quadrangle, from river
to arcn, are pleasing studies OF the great
citv's commercial life IN its relation TO the
trade and affairs OF foreign nations, while
picturesque groupings OF Lisbon bOatmeH,
from foreign war-ships, debaTking and en-
| barking steamer passengers, with all man
meT Of strange sailors and men-o!-waTs' men
in their various strange costumes. contnu-
ally change and eniiyen the scene.
To the east. little distance along the
broad, fine quay, is tie Praca dos Romu-
laIes, which leads into the Aitero, a
magnificent seaside traffic thOroughfare Of
perhaps two miles IN length In the
former are rdenser crowds OF bOatInen and
/ DO h Il N..l
Caes do SodTe. where strangers are usually
/ landed All hours Of day and night
| it Is an Interesting locality. The Lisbon
bOatuien have no other homes than their
! boats. In them they cook their meals aud
sl-ep. Until long after midnight you can
come upon little fleets of from a dozen
! to a score Of these, grouped neighb0rly to-
! gether. their swaTthy owners eating, drink
/ ing and singing in an utter abandon of
/ cOntenlment and good nature. They are a
| wild and hairy lot, but the Lisbon police
/ tell me that they are wholly peaeeable and
/ are governed In all their dealings and rela-
/ tionS among themselves by ancient and I'M
] broken customs and laws. In this respect
| they are most sirkingiy like the fishermen
/ of Claddagh. at Galway, Ireland They
also bear strong physical and facial resem-
| bance TO the latter, which is not 10 be won
| dered at, since the latter, as well as many
| of the other Galway Irish folk of the pres
| ent day, are descended from Spanish and
| Portuguese parent stock.
Three fine wide streets extend north from
| Praca do Commerce. or Commercial SQUARE.
! Their names correspond in English to Gold,
! Silver and Cloth streets, from concentra-
| ton Of traders and trading in manufactured
| articles from these commodities This sec
| ton of the city was entirely rebuilt since
| the great earthquake of 1875. and forms,
with the great edifieeS around Commercial
| Square, what may be properly termed the
| business district of
LISBON.
The northern end of these business streets
| terminates in another praca, or park or
| square, the Praea do Roci0. In common par
| lance IL is known as Dom Pedro Square. 1t
| is a splendid quadrangle, curionsly paved
| with many-coloTed stones. The 1heafer de