The record-union., 1894-04-14

therefore required. Bob and Hetty, Miss
Camper, Mrs. Drugget, though not with
out serious protest, and MIR. Cllngsly
could make the journey in the saddle,
but Mr.. Cogleigh could not, and Mrs.
Clingsly would not.
The situation seemed serious one, but
good old Manoel had softly-swung
back door of escape out OF every AZorean
eXigency, and cavalcade of sixteen
donkeys, a few for bearing the luggage
packs, accompanied by two mischievous,
| curly headed, barefooted donkey boys.
Mateito and Jose, bearing iron-pointed
goads as large and long as hoehandles,
stood awaiting the pleasure of the trav-
elers within the verdure-hung inn court,
on the morning settled for their depart
ure,
Four of the animals, in pairs, were GU
rlously accoutred. A stout stick fastened
between each two of the donkeys' heads,
kept them few feet apart, while holding
them firmly together. A sort of broad
double saddle extended the entire length
Of their short backs. At the front and
rear of these contrivanceS, which resem-
bled broad, fiat crutchtops, the ends of
two strong timbers, reaching from the
back of one donkey to another, was
securely, and depending from these tim
berS by stout ropes was broad ham
| mock-iike, open, rush-woven sack.
1t is in such primitive conveyances as
! these that the AZorean country folk, re-
quiring hospital treatment, are brought
TO ida Misericordia' at Ponta Delgada.
and it was in them that Slipson Cogleigh
and the ponderous and rebellious Mrs.
Clingsly were comfortably and safely
conveyed from their city inn to the baths
of Furnas.
To happy-hearted folk, like Bob and
Hetty, Manoel, AIateito and Jose. the
journey could give but endlessly recur-
ring pleasure and delight. The echoes
of the last ''Boa viagemi-boa viagemp'
Good voyage!-good voyage!) had hardly
died away behind them in the shadowy
city street, before Manoel began descant-
ing upon the flora of the island, its fields,
its homes, its peasant folk and its birds,
and this kindly discourse was interest
ingly varied by curious sights and scenes
along the pleasant way.
Here was procession of donkeys rid
den by peasant women, each cloaked
and cowled, on their way to market, all
manner Of produce swaying from the
wooden saddle yokes. Now and then a
lone donkey laden with water casks
plodded along companionless with pitt
1ul look of responsibility on his gray old
face. Piles of corn leaves were heaped so
high on other donkeys backs that it
seemed the country stacks were waltzing
into the city upon invisible legs.
d
the fodder. Barefooted country boys
prodded the lazily moving mysteries
Viciously. A score Of donkeys, laden
with wheat and corn and fruit, In casks,
panniers and boxes, came tripping and
mincing along with but one driver for the
entire cavalcade. And whenever donkey
or human was met, professional zeal
upon the part of Mateito and Jose always
found such vigorous expression in sum
HrU
dings of the Cogleigh cattle that the ladies
often lost their dignity and sittings, and
filled the rocky canyons with shrieks OF
laughter or OF fear, until Manoel, stern
and grave, would cry "Bastante!-bas-
tantep' to the disturbing imps behind,
and then descend and gently larrup them
back along the stony way, from which
sorties they ever returned with faces full
of happy, rogulsh smiles.
Two nights were passed at strange old
roadside inns, and early on the morning
of the third day they reached the edge OF
the mountain plateau from which the
broad lava road descended into the famous
Vale das Furnas.
Here they halted and dismounted to
view the glorious scene. They saw three
thousand feet below the extinct crater OF
some olden and lnconceivably vast vol
cano gradually retrieved by kindly ma
ture through the ages from desolation to
the fairest and most luxurious vale in
habited by man, and in it's very center
the tiny clouds and puffings OF steam
where the pentup limitless cauldron be-
low was still Kissing and muttering of its
latent presence and power.
The serrated edges of the surrounding
mountains, the olden crater's jagged rim,
were broken here and there by lesser
valleys of wondrous symmetry, by nat
ural cuttings in the lava through which
wound estradas rivaling the Roman
roads of old, by precipitous gorges and
canyons flecked by misty cascades and
by pockets and hollows in which they
could catch glimpses of the cleaning
surfaces of silent lakes and shadowy
tarns.
The nights were purple with heather,
blending into masses OF green where the
frs stood thickly, merging into darker
green over banks OF bays, and shading
into blue, or gold, or puce. as the lights
or shadows played upon the matted Itch
ems of the wilder ana sleeper sides, While
innumerable streams, like sinuous lines
of pearls, blended, crossed, separated and
wound in fanciful ways within and
through the lower levels.
Half a hundred peasant cabins could be
counted from where they stood. Twice
that number of goatherd paths, like deli
cate ribbons of pink, and lanes with blue
or gray old walls half hidden behind
masses of vines, interlaced the valley and
mountain sides, and away down, down
below, they saw the white walls, the red
roofs, the single church dome, the long,
struggling streets, and the baths with
their plume-like vapors issuing from
rumbling and pulsing caldeiras of the
quaintest old village in all the fair
| Azores.
Everywhere on the mountain sides
were tiny herds of milk-white goats. TO
each animal was tied a bell or different
tone The flocks were being driven To
their daily milking in the village. Bare
| footed goatherdS sounded their musical
pipes as they followed behind. From
| copse and hedge black birds and canaries,
as if fired by elated rivalry, gave forth
SURPRISING bursts of melody-hundreds
upon hundreds of silvery bells, scores
upon scores of joyous pipes, thousands
| upon thousands of voices of birds.
Until now the lovely vale had been
asleep. But they saw an instant response
to this marvellous matin song. Issuing
from the shadowy ways of the serene
! hamlet below, appeared scores upon
scores of Furnas maidens, vestal maids
| to do office before the priest of day. Each
chirped or chanted her own best loved
cantiga, and upon her shapely head was
a ever of brilliant red.
| Her skirts were blue, her bodice white,
or pink, or yellow. Her feet and arms
and head were bare. Her form was Hell
lenic The sun, which swept above
hoary Plea da Vara, never painted such
vermillion as tinged her cheeks, or such
crimson as parted from her flashing
teeth.
Thus singing back to the herds, the
birds and the morning, these witching
water carriers threaded the upward paths
to the fountains, while Manoel, Hetty,
Bob and Slipson Cogleigh stood with
| barred heads and eager eyes before the
enhancing scene, and the remainder
| of the party suffered twingeS of pain