Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-02-09


live Shetlander, desert every other voca-
ton, even to wedding, to Join in the
drive" A rush is made by the men for
the bouts. while women and children
wildly collect guns, ammunition, har-
poems, scythes, lances, knives and even
bags of stone, indeed anything portable
which may assist in the hoped-tor destruc-
ton.
The whalers make NIL haste and Splendid
cunning in getting between the whales and
the open sea. Their fleet of all manner of
craft then gradually closes in upon the
pack" or drove" directing by the SPLEEN
did manmGyres of the different boats the
course of the whales to a shallow bay. So
expert are these Shetland whalers in driv-
ing that Il shoal of whales is seldom lost
if time il given for forming the drive
well outside the drove" If the whales
once enter the chosen bay, their pnrsuers
come to close quarters, and then the con-
tiict begins.
Finding the water becoming shallow the
terrified whales endeaver to make for the
open sen, but are met at every point by i
perfect wall of boats, altogether filled
with hundreds and sometimes thousands
Of men seemingly desperate in their
efforts mt capture and the bowling,
shouting. screaming, lashhg Of the water
disGharging of firearms, stone throwing.
and rushing to and fro Of the equally
desperate wales, form as exciting a scene
rs one ever witnessed outside genuine
field OF battle. Occasionally u few break
through the line and escape. AS rule
the school is doomed. Once driven into
shDal water where they can only founder
N mighty struggles or high and dry on
land, where they often toss themselves III
their mad efforts TO escape, their butchery,
which is always a savage and sickentng
sight. proceeds with wonderful dispatch.
In their bloody work the hardy and
powerful Shetland women take u gleeful
and almost frenEed part.
The dripping thing they call river, the
Manzanares, at Madrid, Spain. comes down
from the cold. gray heights to the north,
and winds half way around the city from
the northwest to the southeast. What
water flows through it, breaks i'll sandy
shadows, forming innumerable islands,
and curiously bounded strips of land all
accessible at most seasons by any barefoot
boy or girl; and it is an odd fact that
though there are two vast ana pretentious
bridges across it, the Puente de SegOvia,
nearly 700 feet long with nine arches, de-
signed by the architect Herrera, and the
Puente de Toledo, nearly 400 feet in length.
crowned by the statues of San lsidro and
his holy wife its sole use to the city of
Madrid is that of an endlessly used and
hllHsuIuClFll WASH -tuD.
Ten thousand women soak and splash
and soust and beat the linen of Madrid
within its sCant waters every day. Not an
article OF clothing is elsewhere washed.
No other than these Manzanares lavande-
ras are permitted to labor as laundresses;
and for three miles up and down the
stream. from opposite the infantry and
artillery barracks upon the heights of
Montana del Principe, past the windows OF
l,n ~, Al
royal palace, and circling around away
beyond Toledo Gate, the moving dots OF
red and blue, yellow and gray, comprise
this great army of AmazOns with arms
and legs on them like tree trunks; with
voluptiuus breasts and shapely necks
hard.musced and bronzed as Turks, the
most arduous tOiiers, the wickedest black
guards, and withal the sunniest tempered
souls i'll spain.
There are three grades in this labor
They are the mistresses, or amas, the over
seers or ayudantus, and the layanderas
themselves. All are women. The first are
the agents who receive the work from the
hotels, greet HOUSES and the city agencias,
i'll huge lots, and are responsible for its
safe return. The ayudantas or oyerseers
are really the forewOmen OF from dozen
to q score of layanderas each; and they are
responsible for work placed in their hands
by the amas. At in the morning, winter
| and summer, the lavanderas will be seen,
many of them with children truudlng be-
side them, creeping along from the barrios
abajos or lower quarters of the city towards
| the Manzanares.
Near the river is an asilo or asylum, a
refuge for their children. Here the laYan.
derl first deposits her charges where they
have food, care and training free, until
she returns for the little ones at night.
Then she saunters to n yenta delavanderas,
| or cheap WasherwOman inn and takes
her copeta OF brandy, or cup of coffee, and
at once repairs to her own baEca, or little
washing box or station, provided for each
washer. BY o'clock you might count
from 5000 to 5000 of these strange
| creatures at work
The entire sloping, sandy banks are GOV.
cred with driving poles, At this time of
| the year the water from the mountains is
| is of icy temperature. But il seems to
| make no difference with their labors.
| Here and there are huge cauldrous of boil
| ing water. From time to tine trile of
this is poured in the little hollow where
! each one tolls in the sand and water; but
| this seems to be done more from habit
| than necessity Each lavandera brings
| her own huge roll of bread, perhaps bit
| Of cheese clasp-knife to prevent undue
| liberties from the struggling soldery near,
| rs we'll as to use III cutting bread; and, Just
before noon, they breakfast in huge
wooden sheds Oh salt fish, potatoes and
| coffee with measure Of red wine provided
by the anna, duplicating this meal us din
her, at four in the afternoon.
They eat like animals, and the moment
| their food is disposed OF, the tlnkle of the
guitar is heard, and you or any kindly dis,
4 posed passer may dance with them, as
did, until the 30 minutes allowed them for
food and refresco have expired. On these
occasions, every one dances, girls OF Is and
women of so, and the scenes along Man.
zanares are very picturesque and interest.
| ing. But when tell you that one of these
iron-framed wenches must wash and dry
ready for the 'starChing," which is done
by the criadas in the city, pieces of linen
equaling the cleansing Of 70 sheets. III
order to earn . cents day. the poetical
sense in it all is with the interested on,
locker, rather than with the drudging Law.
anderas Of the Manzanares.
EDGAR l.. WAKEMAH.
HEfTF IIIEIl,ITI