The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-01-28


fCopvrieht. 1872. by Edgar l.. Wakeman.l
LISBON. Dec lG.-lt requires nearly 10 m
DAYS Of steamship travel from Souths o,,.
ton. England. 20 reach Lisbon. the ess.n
Allied city upon the broad lagus.
The FIRST land YOU will see is . ., crand
promontory Of Roca the last M, which
Columbus looked when near 400 Years
ago he sailed away from H. ss,n with his
three miserable little ships rd his f2Omen.
Like a white doves wing ,,ore,d upon an
emerald scarf. fair Gin =, cleans against
old Roca's sides. Sh <stlv your steamers
course is changed .hc east. Cascase is
passed You hav entered noble bay
which Is alone .vr.ied by that Of Naples
and the horn 81 whose southern crescent
terminates Or lofty and somber Cape Is
pichei. contains rise pictureSquey 10
the nor h md east behind this crescent,
purple and far and suggestive OF illimit-
able lands beyond, where the great river
m ks it's way through the heights from us
? n,,rces round about the Spanish capital;
emerald or puce where the sun, from ITS
p;onid bed in the west. lights the far forests
and flames the serried heights.
Quaint old outlying forts appcar-for-
,resses Of defense and salute Then the
on,or bav narro,gs to the Ria de Lisboa,
Iisbon's mouth. and narrow mouth and
tbroat they are: bristing with forts capa-
HE Of perfcct defense in these days without
"A fort nj all. and after a passage of perhaps
siv miles through this deep and narrow
channel vou haze entered an inner harbor
twenty miles long and from three to seven
IN width. where 2OO0O ships could ride at
anchor in water scarcely stirred by wave
or ripple the whole year long.
These harbor scenes of Lisbon are full Of
color and charm. Towers and castles,
churches and inconsistencies show from all
the surrounding heights. The city itself,
almost rs white and luminous as Algers,
rising sDotlesS from the SEA is fair TO look
rpon. Craft Of all nations are here. Up
ebrouoh the Ria de Lisboa the west wind
is sDeeding Il fleet Of fishing smacks ana
felrccas The latecn sails are Of every
color and tint in the yellow sunlight.
Ueaps Of silvery sardines flash and glitter
beneath the sails. Myriads of lowering
r,ulls bear the vast feet company, for their
wise instinct tells them the fishermen
never bcgrudge them a share OF their daily
harvest from the deep.
Every ulannerof the smaller craft known
10 Mediterranean waters are plying back
and forth Boats full Of customs officials
dart from vessel % vessel. now and then
converting toward 2 narrow archway at
the waters edge where the fruits OF the
chase are tithed and stored. Gentry ana
peasantry from the surrounding villas ana
farms are coming and going IN the out
landish craft. pointed like gondOlaS at both
ends. propelled by swarthy boatmen. with
breasts open and hairy 10 the waist. The
blue and white flag OF Portugal futters
from countless harbOr craft. There are
music and laughter on boat and on shore.
The sky above is the sky of italy. 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 balcony air and sky, sea and noun
tain street and garden, courts and foun-
tains. men and beasts, women and voices,
all sight and sound and seeming prompt
TO delicious siesta and enchant TO tender
repose.
Lisbon is neither so fair rs Florence, so
dazzling rs Palermo so brilliant RS Paris,
nor bv any means so impressive as ROmei
but its situation, its surroundings and It's
striking contrasts lend the city and enyi-
.rons n deep and lasting charm. Palace,
church. monastery, convent, public build
ing. home and shop are jumbled together
in picturesque confusion Its parks are
many and plcasant-sOmnOlent and rcsttui,
rather than brilliant and grand.
Down bv the waters edge is the fine
broad quadrangle, Praca do Commerce.,
s. or Black Horse square, as the English have
called it, This is bordered by the huge
stock exchange, the India house, the al
fandega" or custom house, the splendid
naval arsenal and the broad quay at the
shore of the Tagus. In the center ~
the hugest memorial in Lisbon, the he
roc statue Of King Jose l, whose his
toric reign was contemporary with our
Revolution. Forty tons Of bronze are IN
the statue alone, supported by marble
horse and elephant carved Of equal SIZE Tor
symmetry. Leading out Of this square TO
the north is magnificent triumphal arch,
and within the quadrangle, from river TO
arch. are pleasing studies of the great city's
commercial life in its relations 10 the trade
and Affairs of foreign nations while pic
turesuue groupings OF Lisbon boatmen,
mingled with Portuguese officials, officers
from foreign warships, dcbarking and en-
barking steamer passengers with all man
nerof strange sailors and mcn-oi-wars' men
in their various strange costumes cOntlh
ualy vary and enliven the scene.
To the east little distance along the
broad fine quay is the Pracad dos Romulares,
which leads into the Aterro, "a magnificent
seaside traffic thoroughiare OF perhaps two
miles in length. In the former are denser
crowds of boatmen and watersde folk, and
here is located the GAGS do SOdre where
strangers are usually landed. At all hours
IF dav and night it is an interesting local
,ty. The Lisbon boatmen have no other
homes but their boats. In them they cook
their meals and sleep. Until long after
midnight you can come upon little fleets OF
from a dozen To a score OF these, grouped
neighborly together their swarthy owners
eating drinking and singing in an utter
abandon OF cOntentment and good nature.
Three fine, wide streets extend north
from Praca DO Commerce., or Commercial
square Their names correspond IN Eng
iish TO Gold, Silver and Cloth streets, from
concentration of traders and trading IN
manufactured articles from these cOmmOd-
tiles. This section of the city was entirely
rebuilt since the great earthquake of lO5,
and forms with the great edihces about
Commercial souare what may he properly