The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1895-11-14

That unpoetical employment is carried
on here in way that certainly cleanses
the garments, but proves destructive to
their texture. They are washed in sea-
water, among the Shiny rocks and never
boiled. Tubs are unknown, and con-
venient stone serves as a rubbing stone.
When spread on rocks or rubbish heaps
by the roadside, with stones placed on the
corners Of each garment to hold it flat.
and sprinkled two OF three times day
for several days, the sun does the rest.
Half way up the steep hillside overlook
ing this Meranti Ravine the ruins of a
once pretentious villa hangs like desert
ed birds nest. 1t belonged to an old
time Spanish Consul, Hidalgo of high
degree in his .'ain countree''-and must
nave been most fantastic structure with
its walls plastered with shells, Dutch tiles
and old china.
The Monte ola Quia must also be visited
the tall promontory at the southern
horn Of Horta's crescent shaped harbor.
Having clambered up the almost perpen-
dicnlal slioreward side of the hill, over
slippery stones and through fields of lu-
pine between cane hedges, You are re-
warded by a magnificent view If the
s'Western Ocean. There is a signal
station on top for telegraphing the arrival
Of vessels; and near it is a chapel dedcat-
ed to Our Lady of Quia, at whose annual
festivals the good people of IIorta turn
out as one man and climb the rocks, on
their knees as far as possible, to worship
at this lonely shrine.
What farming was in the days of David
and the prophets, OF Homer and Of Virgil
it is to day in the Azores. Tie yoke, the
cart, the pillow, the harrow. the threshing
floor and the winnowing are all precisely
as described in the Old Testament, the
Odyssey and the Georges. The grain is
cut with a sickle and the sheayes bound
by men, women and children, as id the
days of Ruth and Boaz. Every we'll to-do
Azorean peasant has near his hut an cira
Oatin area), or threshing floor-a regular
space Of hard trodden pumice Is to 20
feet in diameter, surrounded by a low
wall Of weather beaten stone. The UNI
bound sheaves are thrown upon the cira
floor, and over them cattle are driven. at
tached to wooden drag whose lower sur
face is studded with iron spikes or sharp
bits Of lava-the team guided by long
rope, tied to the right horn of the off OK.
and held in the drivers hand. You fire.
quently see children attending to the
threshing while the elders are doing the
heavier work in the fields. Any boy OF
gill can drive pair OF cattle Azorean
fashion, and they seem to enjoy the fun.
After scampering pell- nell over the cira a
few times, with shouts and laughter, the
straw must be turned over with wooden
pitchforSs, made of a single piece of
wood cleft into three prongs at one end,
much as Neptunes trident is pictured.
Then. i is thleshed and dragged again.
and afterwards the straw is drawn out
with cumhrous wooden rakes. the grain
swept up into windrow, and flag rails
ed 10 ascertain the direction OF the wind.
Then men with wooden shovels toss the
wheat TIP into the air, against the wind.
which winnows ii by blowing away the
chstf
Closa ly tbs cira is usually an arched
stone building. not unlike large Dutch
oven. plastered ana whitewashed like the
houses. Within this il cistern. spouts
lead from the tiled roofs into the oira.
and others from the cira into the cisteIns,
and thus the fainwater used for house
hold purposes is collected ia this stream
less country. Often close by the cisterns
are stationary washtubs, hewed out Of
the rocks. shallow at the front and slop-
ing deep at the back, SO that the stone
side may serve the purpose Of washing
board.
The com mill of Fayal is almost fac
smile Of the mola asinaria of the Romans.
The lower story of some of the houses is
tSC,i ds d hill. n GOV Is udIueSSeQ To a
crank, as the horse does duty in a New
England cider mill. Her eyes are cover
ed with tunnel shaped tin binders, and
she travels in a circle, turning one stone
upon another, thus grinding about
bushel Of corn in an hour. There are
few wind mills Of rude construction in
Fayal, but the cow-mill and the scriptural
corn grinding. FANNIE b. WARD.
What Do You Think OF Him?