The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-02-26
Observation-Disclosures
Old INCIDENTS OF FOREIGN
TRAVRL AND OBsERVATICN-Ix.

TRAVEL AND OBJ SYSTEMATICALLY
The Poet-Treveler Sends From Over
the Sea some Graphic Notes on italy
and It's Lowly-Among the Carbon
sri of Mount observation-disclosures
tan Contrasts-Seracenic CIods and
Their Flocks and Herds Painted by
a Master Hsnd-Sicilian serfs.
(CoDwight)
LONDON, Feb. 13.-Oue Of the most de-
ughtful experiences Of my wanderinrs in
Italy was a night passed with the charcoal
burners in the mountains 70 the north of
Florence. At the villege Of Tosi 1 looked
m the mountain of Pratomsguo and saw
lines OF blue smoke in feathery pencilings
against the dark green of the massed mount
ain frs.
"ThOse are the carbonari. They never
leave the mountain, save on feast days.n
said a kindly carrettajo. when thew
come to Tosi for wine and oil they are so
black and dreadful our children run and
hide. But they do no harm" So with a
yagarous impulse Of adventure, I turned
aside from the paved mountain way, and.
with the cartman's son for a guide, skirted
the mountain, coming in O two hours tramp
through dense forests of beech, chestnut
and pine, with here and there a blaokened
opening where the trees had already been
burned, or sunny space, where sportsnen
and shepherds snare the mountain birds, |
came to the charcoal burners camp. and
was Hospitality received for the night.
These carbonari form distinct class in
the mountains Of Italy. They generally
live in the villages, the wife and daughters
engaging in the vineyards, gathering olives
or chestnuts, and often as shepherdesses
with small focks. The fathers and sons 90
from one forest to another as the owners
desire charcoal made. The landlord secures
the Telling and cutting OF the trees, and the
Carbonaro simply attends TO building the
pyres and watching day and night their
smoldering progress. In this laDor
the SOUS share, and regular
watches are taken. The logs are
stood on end in round piles of perhaps
eighteen feet IN diameter, covered and
ohinked with mo ssy earth and then fred in
a central hollow which has been flied 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 siuolder for five or six DAYS
When reduced to carbon or charcoal the
carbonRro delivers TO the owner, packed in
sacks, two sacks comprising donkey load
for which he re ceives about 10 cents, or
about 81 for each burning yielding forty
sacks. At this camp, en- unusually large
one, a score or more carbonari were at
work; and, as the burning was to be for an
extended period, some six or eight OF the
carb mari had built temporary huts and
removed their entire families to the for
ests
This gave life and picturesquensss 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 colorlngs TO the motley
groups of women with dazzling teeth and
eyes. and men grimy and swarth beyond
an description. 1 could not repress the
feeling that l was at my old wanderings
with my gypsy friends again; and as the
the night gathered over the majestic forest
trees above, and one by one some strange
instrument Of music was produced from the
shadowY huts, while melody and dancing
added their fascination Co the wild, strange
scene, a thousand recollections of days with
the ROmany swept back on Pratomagno's
darkened nights
Deeper still grew th is feeling as / was
shown to a couch of fir branches for sleep.
1t came not for hours; for in the gentle
soughing of the frs, the calls Of the watch
ers to each other, and here and there
through the camp, suppressed tones Of
neIDQY as GQOSe VINO WaLCDGu To-
Rether and reassurringly sang low and soft
the stor1letIi Of Italy. / was with my vaga-
bond friends by their witching camp
fires in my own loved land. When the
morning came, after a breakfast Of pan
unto, or Tread fried III olive oil, and
many o kindly "addio!n and ''valem from
my grimy hosts, l found my own
way back to the friendly villagers Of Tosi
The traveller in Italy will remember Of
Nanlas rtEelf that II
predominating place. thing or character
istic of surprising interest This might
perhaps be modified by saying 1t was a city
of wonderful contrasts-of the tremendous
rich end wofully poor; of the Oldest and
best Italian nobility and the most wretched
of titled adventures; of dazzling
beauty and most hideous hag-
gishness in women; Of most learned
savants and the most sodden ignorance; Of
the highest virtue and the most disgusting
lewdness, 50 shamefaced that ev male
devils eccost one every where with printed
tariffs for licentiousness; Of the latest modes
in dress, and garb among the lowly as
ancient as the time OF Tiberius; of frightful
activity and tropical siestR; of deaf
enins din and solemn hush, of the
shrillest and most ceassless shrek
ings day and night and meanwhile the
most sibiIant and melodious Of tender volc-
ings; Of content and dispair; cruelty and
klndheartedness; loyalty and treachery {;
aDd-juss as all Italy physically seems to be
in a flower-embowered heaven smiling over
a threatening volcanic hell-of laughing
eyed humans with hearts In which the
worst of human passions forever brood =,
ready at an instants kindling for ssdition,
rapine or murder.
In every part of Southern Italy you will
come upon broad, grass-grown highway.
1t Is called the "trsturo." For twenty
centuries it has served the same purpose.
On this "tratu 70" occurs the yearly spring
exodus from the lower valleys and coast
wise moors and marshes to the Apulian
mountain summer pastures. In the au~
tumn, hundreds OF thousands return along
these ancient ways. During the winter
the herdsmen aud shepherds live in town
novels, or in hu!s near the towns and
villages. The herds and hooks are then
driven out to and returned from daily
gazing. But in the summer time on the
mountain sides is the real out door life of
the guardian Of the focks and herds.
Whether he be herdsman, goatherd or
shepherd, he is usually given charge of q
flock or herd Of from 50 to 100 animals.
These folk rarely intermarry with other
classes. When they do. they instantly de-
part from the tlocks, are absorbed IN lower
orders of the cities, or become the most des-
perately hopeless of the human cattle that
labor in the fields. The pride OF their own
descent in the exclusiveness of their
class, In the long line OF shepherd
ancestry thew can trace, amounts almost
TO q DassiOn II il practically the