The morning call., 1892-01-17
FAKBMAN'S
WANDERINGS.'
The Third Letter About a Tramp
Through Portugal.
Incidents on the Road Charming Pen Piot-
urss Of Solemn Professionals, Ancient
Iurs and Country Houses.
Special 10 Tbs SUNDAY CALL

most striking Roman remains in Portugal,
by rail- But l can never forget the look Of
anguish and cOmmiSeTation which came
over the face Of Dobrado. my good Gallegan
guide and servant rs l announced that
hencef0rth cur journey was TO be pursued
on foot The honest fellow finally wept so
Coplously that a compromise was effected
upon donkey as far as Beja, when should he
not wish TO accompany me on foot he was
to return TO Lisbon.
The genuine grief of Dobrado drew my
attention 10 two facts Of some Importance
10 travellers in Portugal. One is that such
finn suspicion Of the character Of any one
zr0veliug enough 10 travel on foot is so
fixed and prefxed in the Portuguese mind
that the sentimental tramp labors under the
greatest possible disadvantage. The hum
best farmer is attended by his still humber
four-footed servant, and there is not a
pe1santjn the entire kingdom 50 desperately
Impoverished as TO be without this patient
beast Of burden.
Tie other stubborn fact is the Portu-
guese donkey Itself. and the variety OF
uses TO which the little animal is put.
Thousands Of them can ne found in al tie
larger cities. doing ali manner OF labor and
service Every human being Ia the country
districts seems to possess from one TO a
score. In front Of every church. in every
pTaCa or square, and hCddied IN every
cruWblug RTChNay, are dozens and scores,
the most OF them accompanied by 4 bare
footed driver VITA an iTOn-pOnted g0ad as
long as a hOe-hand.P. the animal CapsTi-
sUue3 with q rope around its shaggy neck,
IN lieu Of halter or bride, and a huge
We, Gen saddle with Upturne1 wooden
Jokes at the front and back.
gU do not sit asa!de these little beasts.
OU ride them something as you do the wild
and yaulting Irish launung-caT, sitting side
ways with your legs dangling over the DON
keys right side, and, ~ moments Of peril,
with your Two hands violently clutchiDg the
front yoke. You viii make sad business o.
It If you undertake a rigid and stately
posture; but observing tie native P0TtU-
Euese doubled upon lis donkey into the
fern Of s printers reversed mark OF inter-
rorauOn, ana faithfully copying his riding,
which Is chiefly upon the under sides OF the
knee lnts, ycG may always do almost as
well as t0-Waik.
They are brought into reQuiStion for the
most trirIDE Journeys. The padre viii not
walk rood II his own or any other persons
donkey is within cali The gOatheTd on
tue mountains has him for an Inseparabe
companion. The bull-heTderS who care for
tie black bulls which are bred aud fur
Hi5a=d for bUtl-dshting AT Lisbon and
Opurto, which by The way, is not At al like
the --pllsIye Spanish butcheTy, bgt is YER
liable skill and sport combined, are always
found with more d0ukeys than bulls. II a
sheep hcrdeTs ground is shifted but half
@ mile, all tie
PREPARATIONS FOR A LONG JOURNEY
Are made and the shepherd rides in state 10
h,z Few station among The rocks. So If q
peasan, lab0;er Is engaged for q days SO =
vice on an adjoining farm. If he has occasion
10 g. from one field 10 another, or fsW0men
an lie country wish bit Of gossip at the
next cabin OF crossroads, eaCh SETS cut
win DOUndless preparation. arrives as from
o ten DAYS pilgrimage. and giving ihe
donkey kick OF a whRck IN admOuitiOu Of
Seit-SuppOrt, never recalls SO tTiHlug a mat
ter as lie beast unli, it Is wanted for the
TrtUrH trip. Then all any one has 10 get his
donkey Is 10 express wish for IL. A horde
Of lads, NhuOplHg and following, hunt h!m,
cal sure him. and rush HIM 10 his owner in
q perfect hurricane OF dust, gOaGS and
ford Portuguese maledictlOus. when his
duties are demUTeiy and faithfully resumed.
OtheT extraordinary ways In which the
donkey is here employed were illustrated
OF oar way from Eyora to BtJa. The roads
seemed constantly filed with them. Here is
a procession ridden by peasant women on
their - az 10 EVOTa with all manner Of cOun-
Try produce sWaying from tho wooden sad
dlr-yCEes. A lone donkey laden with water
casks piOdS along without companion or
driver. sent from somewhere to somewhere
over bis Oft-traYeled way and with ptiful
lcOk Of responsibility IN lis gray old face
HeTe comes q beFy completely hidden by
piles Of corn leaves heaped so high that the
stBcks appear TO be TREMENDOUSLY Waiting
into Ey9ta on invisible legs. Bells langle
In mufied way beneath the fodder /;
and baret00ted lads prod tile b4bbing mys-
teT.es v.ci0usly. Again q score cUme trip
ping and miuciug along a slender pathway
beneath huge wall Of T0cE, laden with
rye and corr in casks ana painters. Two
are met sustaining a strong beam across
their backs and 10 this beam a tTee-tTunk,
ready for manufacture into lumber ia The
City. $ attached for conveyance in this out
lauuI,H way.
But the oldest burden of all was over
taken as We We're nearing BeJa-h2vilg
wcnled cur way past fountains where DON
keys. peasants and BateT-CaTTiar5 all lott
cred TO bray, bdLble and gossip, over
IIs, down valleys, nast roadside shriues,
and through a BALI dozen stragglI L z
sleepy villages 1t was a patient hayl z
met with some accident with which vii
LACE skill was unable to cope, being
transported - ''da MisericoTdia" at Bella
where q surgical operation must be per-
formed. Two timbeTS were fastened length
wise along the dOnkeys backs From the
ends Of these, other tlmberS extended
across from back 10 back. securely fastene d
with thongs, and from the latter ropes de-
pended, sustaining a rude hemlOCk of pine
slaves, which were covered with the stout
linen woven by the peasanJry. The SUI
1eTer,
SMOKING A CIGAR
With great relish aud consciousness Of his
temporary Importance, was thus being
quite comfortably borne 10 the hospital, ac-
cOmp8uied 10y large delegation OF neigh
bat. AND relatives, all upon dUnkeys and all
prompted by their sympathetic natures to
continually give expression to gTieY0us
meanings and lamentations.
tu the way many interesting experiences
and incidents illustrative of the customs Of
the country and the characteristics Of the
pc pie were enjoyed Near one little ham
Jet. named. I,thin6, Wanna. we met the pro-
cessIOn II "AossO Senior" as the Host or
last sacra ment TO the dying is called. We
disu0unted from cur donkeys and knelt
witt Tie peasants about Us as the solemn
procession went 10y. It was preceded by
villagers who scattered aromatic leaves in
the read before il. A whilP-lrOcked ac0lyte
was IN advance tOlliug strangely toned bell
in measured strokes. The priest clad in a
gorgeous chasuble, walking under a red silk
canopy h6ld 10 lis place By four supporting
youths, followed. lie bore in his hand a
silver vessel containing the sacred emblem
of consolation. at his side marched white
surpiced chOTisteTs and acOlytes carrying
censtr-; while following these were men,
bFTs Of some IHmandade la scarlet StOles.
each carrying long wax candle. All were
chanting at intervals dlrge-lke hymn.
The entire procession was out Of sound and
sight before We who kEeit IN the roadway
arose; and DobradO told me that a POrtu-
guese superstition rendered this kneeling
uni! the d0lefui thrVng had passed from
sight Of the diTest Importance. Else "Nosso
SENIOR would next be required at the bed
side Of him who should so fail in meet and
complete reverence.
spot full Of quaint little Portuguese
pictures Of their kind WAS an ancient inn Of
a still more ancient ard slumbeTous town
where We were compelled to pass the night
saw little but its huge archRay entrance
and the strong iron gates closing behind, as
we entered, for II was late and / went
directly 10 my little alcoba above. 1t had
once been an inn OF some Importance. and
the structure, v hch was already hundreds
If wears old. and had bpen in the bauds IF