The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1895-10-24
Restores Health

Restores Health
walls IS so trying to the eyes that men, as
well as women, carry un-umbrellas
The market place, square, paved en-
closure with well in the center, has a few
trees around the edges, and is always
crowded with brown, pleasant faced peo-
ple-elderly, sun burned women, with
white or red handkerchiefs on their heads
and on top of the handkerchief a round
straw hat; capote- hidden women, a few
pegs higher in the social scale; city ser
clinking OF wooden shoes; grim men from
the fartherest upland wilds Of Pico, tall,
lank, grave and austere, their sack like
garments hanging limp to the prim knee
breeches, which lead to stockings of won
derful colors and feet covered with raw
hide sandals to which the hair still clings
thongs, precisely Ike the pampootas, the
earliest foot covering known to man;
wasp wasted military attaches, in green
trimmed, brown buff and blue uniforms,
and little caps set janntily on the back Of
their heads; solemn bay windowed padres;
beggars with smiling faces, as cheerful
the Oriental that You can hardly believe
yourself only 1000 miles away from
America, while at least two centuries be
hind the progress of that country Here
comes a Fayal gardner with lis basket Of
eucumbers covered with fresh green ferns,
carried On the back Of his neck, supported
hy pole over the right shoulder. Behind
him trots a woman with d 1aring black
basket on her head piled high with red and
yellow aplicots. Another has a gigantic
wooden platter full Of fluffy White ducks,
their broad yellow bills resting on the
rim. Immense. melon-shaped squashes
are carefully poised on the heads Of Others
and on top of the squash is, perhaps, a
cabbage leaf containing pat of butter, Il
commodity Most Of these women are
bodiced, and all are short skirted, with
bare feet and legs. Thick. goitre- like
necks are universal among this class-due,
no doubt, to the constant habit of carry
ing heavy weights on the head. The
round hats that top the handkerchiefs
when there is no burden to be carried
are fastened under the wearers chin by
knotted cords; and when the hats do not
stay on securely by reason of sportive
breezes, the woman picks up a stone of
suitable size, places it upon the crown of
the hat and pursues her way with serene
content. Here comes the milkman, bear
ing crooked pole across his shoulders,
from which depend wooden buckets and
pottery measures. The poulterer also
has a pole on his shoulders from which
live fowls are suspended by the legs.
Meek eyed donkeys file by, singly or in
twos or tours, carrying between them
huge box or hogshead swinging from
great beams whose ends rest on their
backs, their slim legs twisting and turn
ing beneath them as they trot along
Other donkeys are SO completely hidden
under towering loads of furze, brushwood,
straw or cornstalks that only the tips of
their noses and the ends of their tails are
visible. ''Ander' ''Ande.' go along)
shout their drivers, prodding the patient
little creatures continually with a long,
iron-pointed spike.
There goes haciendado from the rural
districts, with his creaking cart drawn by
an OK anc COW yoked together; or maybe
it is an OK and mule, or a COW and pony.
But always the cart is Of the same Azorean
pattern, made of one piece of wood, with
wicker basket body and wheels Of solid
wood which revolve slowly on the heavy
axle with terrific groans and means, so
dear to the heart of the Fayalese peasant.
Observe group Of women at a public
WE'LL Their tall wooden casks, shaped
like old-fashioned churns and holding six
or seven gallons, stand on the stone curb.
One by one the women throw their bucket
down into the fern draped we'll, dip it in
to the water, then haul it up hand over
hand, full and dripping, and pour it into
their casks. When the vessels are all full,
each rolls up little pad and places it on
top of her head, and is assisted by her
neighbor to hoist her heavy cask upon it.
We wonder how the last woman is going
to manage her bucket. The problem is
soon solved; two companions, already
laden, stoop their bodies with heads held
stif1y erect and without splitting drop
from their own cask, dextrously lift the
last one to its place; and away they all
trot together, bright, cheerful and chat