The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-01-02
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS.
Tramp Across Portugal from Lis
bon to Ayamonte.
Lisbon's Charms are Those Of Diver
sIty Rather Than Magnfficence -
Spirited Harbor Scenes-The Streets,
Parks and Architecture of the An
Gent City.
LISBON, December Is, 1891

Especial Correspondence of REcoRD-UEIoN-
Copyright, Edgar L. Wakeman, 1921
LISBON, December 16, 1891.
1t requires nearly four days of steam
ship travel from Southampton, England,
to reach Lisbon, the seven-hilled city
upon the broad Tagus.
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 40
men. Like white doves wings spread
upon an emerald scarf, fair Cintra CLEANS
against old Roca's sides. Shortly your
steamers course is changed to the east.
Cascase is passed. You nave entered
noble bay which is alone rivaled by that
of Naples, and the horn of whose south
ern crescent terminates in lofty and SOM
Der Cape Ispichell. Mountains rise pict-
uresquely TO the north and east behind
this crescent, purple and far and suggest
i've of illimitable lands beyond, where the
great river makes its way through the
nights 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 ser
ried nights
Quaint old outlying forts appear-for-
tresseS of defense and salute. Then the
outer bay narrows to tire Ria de Lisboa,
Lisbon's mouth, and narrow mouth and
throat they are, bristling with forts ca
pable of perfect defense in these days
without fort at all, and after passage
of perhaps six miles through this deep
and narrow channel you have entered an
inner harbor, twenty miles long, and
from three to 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 a
church, gray and old, half shows from
some verdure-clad detle. There a fishing
town is checkered with white cottages
and splatches of drying nets. 4onder
half-ruined monastery, with its little
hamlet Of houses creeping up to its walls
like patient beggars for protection and
aims. tells its story OF suppression and
conversion TO workaday use. Here and
there are quaint and ancient docks, re-
minders of where the olden galleons 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 rev.
olutions in civilization, what volumes of
Not to Rome nor England should Amer
leans come, reverentially, and with guide
books, like prayerbooks in hand, as to
the cradle-spot of our race. We were
born on the shores of the lordly Tagus.
We are Portuguese in inception and con-
ception. Our babyhood was rocked in
the three old tubs which bore Column
bus from Ria de Lisboa to far San Saliva
dor.
The harbor scenes of Lisbon are full of
color and charm. Towers and castles,
churches and monasteries, show from all
the surrounding nights. The city itself,
almost as white and luminous as AlCiers
rising from the sea, is fair to look upon.
Craft of all nations are here. Up through
the Ria de LiSboa the west wind is speed
ing a fleet of, fishing smacks and feluccaS.
The lateen sails are of every color and
tint in the yellow sunlight. Heaps of sill
very sardines flash and glitter beneath
the sails. Myriads of lowering gulls bear
the vast fleet company, for their wise in
stinct tells them the fishermen never be-
grudge them share of their daily harvest
from the deep.
Every manner of the smaller craft
known to Mediterranean waters are ply
ing back and forth. Boats full of customs
officials dart from vessel to vessel, now
and then converging towards a narrow
archway at the waters edge, where the
fruits of the chase are tithed and stored.
Gentry and peasantry from the surround
ing villas and farms are coming and go
ing in the outlandiSh craft pointed like
gondolas at both ends, propelled by
Swarthy boatmen with breasts open and
hairy to the waist. The blue and white
flag of Portugal f1utters from countless
harbor masts. There are music and
laughter on boat and on shore. The sky
above is the sky of Italy. The waters be-
meath have that tint of azure which hints
bloom w ha 1a1 OF
Lisbon and is at rest upon some pretty
balcony, air and sky, sea and mountain,
street and garden, courts and fountains,
men and beasts, women and voices all
sight and sound and seeming, prompt to
delicious siesta and enchant TO tender re.
pose.
Lisbon is neither so fair as Florence. so
dazzling as Palermo, 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 enVi-
rons deep and lasting charm. Palace.
church, monastery, convent, public
building, home and shop are juinbled to-
gether in picturesque confusion. It's
parks are many and pleasant, somnolenb
and restJul, rather than brilliant and
grand.
Down by the waters edge is the fine,
broad quadrangle, Praca do Commerce.,
or Black Horse Square, as the English
have called it. This is bordered by the
huge Stock Exchange, the India House,
the "Altandega," or Custom-house, the
splendid naval arsenal, and the broad
quay at the shore of the Tagus. In the
center is the hugest memorial in Lisbon,
the heroic statue of King jose l., whose
historic 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 tri-
umphal arch, and within the quadrangle.
from river to arch, are pleasing studies OF
the great city's commercial life in its re-
lation to the trade and affairs of foreign
nations, while picturesque groupings of
lisbon boatmen, mingled with PortU-
guese officials, officers from foreign war
ships, debarking and embarking steamer
passengers, with all manner of strange
sailors and men-of-wars' men in their
various strange costumes, continually
change and enliven the scene.
To the east, little distance along the
broad, fine quay, is the Praca dos Romu-
lareS, which leads into the Attero. a mag
perhaps, two miles in length. In the for
mer are denSer crowds of boatmen and
waterside folk, and here is located the
Caes do Sodre, where strangers are usu-
ally landed. AT all hours of day and night
It Is an interesting locality. 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 dozen
to score of these, grouped neighborly
together, their swarthy owners eating,
drinking and singing in an utter abandon
of contentment and good nature. They
are wild and hairy lot, but the Lisbon
police tell me they are wholly peaceable,
and are governed in all their dealings and
relations among themselves by ancient
and unbroken customs and laws In this