Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-09-07

A Day on Shore No. 10.

there fioated out upon the breeze the
flags of nearly every nation. The glori-
Gus Stars and Stripes waved proudly be-
side the star and crescent on the blood
red pennant of the Turk; Russias blue
cross on a white ground fluttered in
close proximity to the tri-color OF
France; the red, white and green of
Italy with its cross and shield on the
white, was nearest neighbor to the
three castles of the Hamburger; thu
two red and three yellow stripes OF
Spain's merchant ships, the three broad
stripes, red, white and blue, of Holland,
Denmark's white cross on u red ground
and the cross of Saint George of Eng
land. of st. Andrew of Scotland and St
Patrick of Ireland, which make up the
crosses combined in the British flag,
with many private signals, union jacks,
,,ennants and telegraph code signals
made an imposing and interesting spec
tacle.
The clanking of chains the rattle of
rigging. the creal1ing of blocks, the ''yo
heave no. of the sailors and the monot-
onous ia ha la of the Lascar lighter
men, as they handled the bags of sugar
and rice, mingled with the shouts Of mel
from deck to truck repairing the dam
ages to spars and rigging, convinced us
at once of the Importance of the Isle of
France as a commercial centre.
on shore the evidence of business rush
and snap and push was everywhere
present An Arab merchant, white
| rohed and turbaned his red slippers
down at the heel and turned very much
up at the toes. sings forth his orders
l.;
slave shrink into his loin cloth. which
is his only covering. The logy English
tourist that Wanders to the landing t.
smoke his morning cigar, among the
hustle, hustle, tumult and confusion of
the opening day, remarking, Hits
bloody interesting, don cher know,
seems to have found a tonic in the hub
bub The stylishly dressed Frenchman.
with cant toward the dude wears his
gloves and cane with becoming grace
but charmingly accommodates the near
| ly naked Lascar when he salutes and
asks, "Donnez moi I'm peu de fue, sill
vous plat, Monsieur" OWN you Civ,
me a light, if you please, sir) To ex-
! plain. Everybody smokes and every
body is willing to give everybody a
| light. The finest gentleman of them al
passes his stub" to the naked Hindoo
with a smile and bow, or is not above
asking light Of anybody at any time.
Everybody talks French. only using
some other language when obliged to
do so.
The landing was at steps of species
of granite, solidly constructed: near by
the fountain where we filled our casks
with water; beyond the broad oper
square with its hacks trucks men ard
women waiting for a job: then the
nicely curbed walks. the paved streets
the buildings of stone some grey anC
frowning. others pillared. huted ana
niched in the most artistic manner two
stories, three four and even five. orna-
mented with balconies cupolas ard
curiously cut window trimmings and
caves; stores piled full of goods of
every description tobacco and cigar
shops. presided over by dark skinne
black eyed hours that threw in a smile
with every sale, shops where almond
eyed John Cinnamon sold lnburgel
cheese, crackers and bottled porter t.
those possessed of iron-clad stomachs
and all hustlinga asst life depended upor
them then and there
Water flowed from fountains at al
most every corner. from little nozZles
that protruded from the sides of build
ings, gushing in torrents from the
mouths of lions in bronze or granite
spouting from the nostrils of uniforms
alligatorS and unnamable beasts and
reptiles; the water nymphs in the
public garden unremittngly splashed
water in each others faces and the
life sized cupid choking the goose that
lay the golden egg, received the rush
of water from the open bill fair in his
handsome face.
At the bazaar, covering nearly two
| acres of ground. you could buy any
thing that the imagination might con
jure up. Seeds, fruit fish, flesh, fowl.
boots, shoes, clothes. silks. satins, print
or anything else. All the goods Wer.
removed at night and brought back in
the morning at o'clock. AT 9 every
thing was running at full blast the
anxious salesman often grasping you
by the collar and shouting in your ear,
Com yO cen 10 Meriken bye yo some
clos berry sheep likee helle amos.
whatee yo say" Here we find either
for business of pleasure, representa-
tives from all parts of the world
Americans and Arabs. English and
Ethiopans. Malabars. Lascars, NADIA
gascans, Chinese, Dutch. Spanish,
Irish and Scotch, the white r0bed
Prussian, the fez-capped Turk, La
Belle Creole with her carriage and
pair. men and women from the East
Indies, naked to the waist women
with a horse-load of clothes on their
heads to be Numbered, men that car
r;ed their cigars in q hole in their ear.
dozen of them; in the other ear a
| spool would be crowded to enlarge the
| hole SO that more might be carried,
women who ornamented themselves
with heavy rings, dozen around each
ankle and wrist that clanked when they
walked, a cheap breast pin stuck
through the side of the nostri. another
through the under lip. made altogether
an interesting day on shore.
Two regiments of soldiers are sta
toned here and if you meet one of
them out of ear shot of an officer he is
sure to ask you. VIII YOU give a chap
bloody stow" Not one of them but
what would run away if he had the
opportunity. The police force is COM
rosed of 500 men. They slope" at the