Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-03-02

up the mountain oil PratnmagrO and suW
lines of blue smoke in feathcry pencilings
against the dark green Of the masscd
mountain frs.
"Those are the carbonari They never
leave the mountain, save on feast days"
said kindly carrcttaio. "When they
come to IOsi for wine and oil, they are so
black and dreadful, our children run and
hide. But they do no harm" So with n
vagarous impulse of adventure turned
aside from the paved mountain way, and
with the Cartman's son for guide, skrted
the mountain, coming in two hours
tramp through dense forests Of beech,
chestnut and pine, with here and there 4
blackened opening where the trees had
already been burned. or sunny sracc,
where spOrtsmen and shepherds snare the
mountain birds, came to the charcoal.
burners camp, and was hospitably rc.
ceived for the night.
These carbonari form n distinct class in
the mountains of Italy. They generally
live in the villages, the wife aud daughters
engaging in the vineyards, gathering olives
or chestnuts, aud often as shepherdesses
with small ilocks, The fathers and sons 20
from one forest TO another as the owners
desire charcoal made. The landlord Sc
cures the telling and cutting of the trees
and the carbonaro simply attends to build.
ing the pyres and watching day and night
their smouldering progress In this labor
the SONS share, and regular watches are
taken. The logs are stood on end in round
piles of perhaps Is feet in diameter,
covered and chinked with messy earth
and then fired in central hollow which
has been filled with chips of dry timber,
fir cones, chips from the logs and dead
leaves and grass.
Once well ablaze, this flaming funnel is
covered with moss and earth, and the pile
is left to shoulder for live or six days
When reduced to carbone or charcoal, the
carbOnaro delivers it to the owner, packed
i'll sacks, two sacks comprising donkey
load, for which he receives about 10 cents
or about - for each burning yielding 40
sacks. AT this camp, an unusually large
one, q score or more carbunari were ut
work; and, rs the burning was to be for
an extended period, some six or eight of
the carbohari had built temporary huts
and removed their entire families to the
forest.
This gave life and picturesqueness to the
scene, especially at night. A few iron
cressets had been fastened to the tree
trunks, and the craCkle and Earrings Of
cones and knots lent weird colorings to
the motley groups of women with dazzling
teeth and eyes, and men grimy and swarth
beyond all description. | could not re-
press the feeling that | was at my old
wanderings With my gypsy friends again;
and rs the night gathered over the majestic
forcst-trees above, and one by one some
strange instrument OF music was produced
from tue shaduwy huts, while melody and
dancing added their fascination to the
wild, strange scene, thousand recollec-
tions of days with the Romany swept back
on PratomngnOs darkened heights.
Deeper Still grew this feeling as / was
shown to u couch of lir branches for sleep.
1t came not for hours; for in the gentle
soughing of the frs, the calls OF the
watchers 10 each other, and here and there
through the camp, suppressed tones of
melody as those who watched grouped to-
gether and reassuringly sang low and soft
the stornelli of Italy, was with my yaga-
bond friends by their witching camp fires
in my own loved land. When the morn
ing came, after breakfast of pan unto, or
bread fried in olive oil, and many a kindly
''addiom and "valen' from my grimy
hosts, found my own way back to the
friendly villagers Of losi.
The traveller i'll Italy will remember Of
Naples itself that 1t possesses no one grand
preuominating place, thing or character
istic of surprising interest. This might
perhaps be modified by saying it was a
city Of wonderful contrasts-of the tire.
mendonsly rich and wofully poor; of the
Oldest and best Italian nobility and the
most wretched of TITLED adventures; of
dazzling beauty and most hideOus haggish-
hess in women; of most learned sayants
aud the most sodden Ignorance; Of the
highest virtue and the most disgusting
lewdness, so shamefaced that even male
devils accost one everywhere with printed
tariffs for RIGHTEOUSNESS; of the latest
modes i'll dress, and garb among the lowly
as ancient as the time Of liberius Of
frightful activity and tropical siesta; of
deatening din and solemn hush; of the
shrillest and most ceaSeleSs shrekingS day
and night and meanwhile the most Sibiant
and melodiOus of tender vocngs; of con
tent and despair; cruelty and kindhearted-
ness; loyalty and trcachery; and-just as all
Italy physically seems to be in flower
empowered heaven smiling over Il
threatening volcanic heil-ot laughing
eyed humans with hearts in which the
worst of human passions forever brood,
ready at an inStanps kindling for sedition
Tapine or murder.
In every part of southern Italy you will
come upon broad, gTass.grown highway.
it is called the ''traturo," For ~ centuries
it has served the same purpose. On this
"traturo" occurs the yearly spring exodus
rom the lower valleys and coast. wise
nOors and marshes to the Apulan noun
Nin summer pastures. In the autumn,
hundreds Of thousands return along these
nclcnt ways, During, the winter the
lcrGsmen and shepherds live i'll town
noveis, or in Luts near the towns and vii
lagos. The herds and ilocks are then driven
out To and returned from daily grazing.
But in the summer time ON the mountain
sides is the real outdoor life of the guar
dian of the tlOcks and herds. Whether he
be herdsman, goat-hcrd or shepherd, he is
usually given charge OF Il flock or herd of
from SO 10 100 animals.
These folks rarely intormarry with other
classes. When they do, they instantly de
part from the locks are absorbed in
lower orders of the cities, or become the
most desperately hopeless of the human
cattle that labor in the fields. Tho pride
III theit own descent in the exClusiveuess
OF their class, in the long line of shepherd
ancestry they can trace, amounts almost
to "a passion 1t is practically the one pride
they possess. This isolation of blood ali 1
interest has preserved interesting traces i'll
physiognomy. They are wonderfully
Saracenic in their look. The tall, slender,
supple figure, the oval face and shining
skin, the neck, tiny at the throat spread
muscles. like u broad-butted tree, to the
shoulders, the yellowisll, blue tngn Of the
white of the eye, the distended noStrils,
and the dazzling teeth, all pronounce the
eastern origin ana retained physiological
alinltIes
straight as an arrow, this shepherd is
clad from heh 10 loot in unuli sod 5Eihs
a bIltrgatey arment VI un'I.r Ell hidrs
ia-lll ned a'i.5 The Pat'9ru ns f,'a NE 81
well NH@%u - AEu5tIaah gfees 'eslt
iG3es. tlFNua 70 aats VI NaIsgEuA. atI4 ogI.
cTs 1uuaaini IBa ,.t'er 49, ruuJ.H r.
siGCE pt.aw .hy Saeaa Uaiy@ A.agD,5Ts-
taldy hltt,l- prnoi. ,.t.It. 'h- HAes d
his hal. -gi.ltsF andre ed ska hpn,S. owe
his waislcOat IS luds, loose, armies
jacket oil hide. provided with numberIes
pockets, his rain-prOof stOrehuuse o
Ineagre treasures. A launty, briganuisf