The Republican journal., 1895-12-26
are infinitely more beneficial than either,


and travellers find far more luxurious APP
pointments in this strange corner of crea-
ton. An English physician who resides
at Furnas says that his somewhat wide ex-
perience with mineral waters leads him to
believe that the therapeutic virtue Of
these springs depends more upon the way
in which nature has mixed the chemical
elements than upon the elements them
selves; and the most provoking thing
about it is that while men Of science may
have fair understanding of the elements,
they can know nothing whatever about
the manner of the mixing. OF course |
have no interest in advertising these
springs, or any others, but for the benefit
of ailing friends at home who are seeking
help from afar, l may say just this:
The Fulnas waters are particularly cele-
brated for the cure of rheumatism; chron-
ic cases. even those of the rhematoid
arthritic type, being always speedily re-
ieved and what is most remarkable about
it is the invariable permanency of the
cure, as attcstcd by the careful records Of
IA years. without single exception.
Next on the list comes Bright's disease,
diabetes, and other kidney troubles; next
paralysis, especially where rheumatic dia-
thesis is present. Next scrofuous, blood
and skin diseases Of every sort, nervous
complaints, neuralgia and general debil-
Try; and lastly, but by no means least,
they are AN untailing remedy for dypep-
STA and all intestinal troubles. The Por-
tuguese is forever complaining OF his di
gestion- thanks IL vile tobacco and the
villainous messes he eats at unreasonable
hours-and thinks he could not exist
without an annual pilgrimage to this
Bethesda. How much OF it is ''faith
mony Of reliable American friend is a
happy one. After long period of ncr-
vous suffering following la grippe, he
came to the Azores a complete physical
wreck. reaching the Furnas valley, Jan.
l, 1891. In just 80 days he had gained
"a pounds, and on Jan. Both, walked II
miles without discomfort.
But word Of caution must be added.
People with weak lhroats and lungs,
should not come here, and invalids of all
classes, should 50 time their visit as to
avoid the variable winds of winter A
resident physician wisely puts it in this
way $40 not send a patient alone to the
his OVID enjoyment. After the novelty of
the strange country has worn off, there is
nothing to interest one in the Furnas val
ley beyond beautiful scenery and the
lovely walks and drives. Nature has
decked these islands with lavish hand,
giving them a climate in which every
grown. But there is little to interest one
who is not a lover Of nature. 1t is no place
for the inebriate, or for one who Graves
society and excitement A Respondent
patient, in this lonesome valley without i
friend, would commit suicide in a
week
Besides the thousands of Portuguese
| who fiock here every year you meet inva-
lids from the remotel parts of Europe and
America, North and South. even few
from the far Orient and Pacific islands.
Enormous quantities OF the water are bot
IL Il and sent to Lisbon and ether parts of
Europe, and yearly Increasing quantities
~ lhe United States. During the Summer
the Azorean Saratoga is alive with excite
ment The creme dc la cfeame ii island
society, augmented by lie fashionables Of
llolta and other cities of the archipelago,
throw off the restraints and conventional
tiles which fetter them at home and give
themselves up to greater freedom of So
cial intercourse 1t is more like camp
life than the severe court etiquette that
prevails among the upper ten Of Angra
and Ponta del Gada. Kettle drums.
mountain excursions, picnics and dane
ing parties are the order Of every day,
and ladies have even been known to APP
pear on the public boulevard accompanied
by a gentlemen not their nearest Of kin,
an indiscretion which if INDUCED in at
home would ostracise them forever from
Portuguese "po!ite society,"
Among the numerous points of interest
in the Furnas valley is a vast cavern in a
hillside, known as Boca de inferno. Mouth
Of He'll, from whose horrid portals
streams Of blueish mud. boiling hot, pour
out uninterruptedly, with a deafening
noise like the walls Of imprisoned fiends
or the dashing of breakers on a rocky
shore. 1t is impossible to give name to
the strange combinations Of sounds heard
here, like the rumbling of distant thunder.
the gurgling Of dense volumes of water
through an underground vault, the beat
ing Of bass drums, all mingled together:
and the semi-liquid clay pumped out is
the etficacious salve for rheumatic Joints.
The ground on every side is permeated
with mineral springs of all sizes and de-
grees of temperature. We saw one that
looked like a burnt-out chimney with a
boiling pot in the bottom, in which a pic
mic marty Upra cnokipu aarS of o,,,.,,