The herald., 1897-04-25

brella borLe by squire, and surrounded
by the foreign ambassadors and the
papal nuncio, while his drawn sword is
carried by patrician recently destined
for some government of land or sea and
soon to depart upon his mission. In the
rear came a throng of personages-the
grand captain of the city, the Judges.
the three chiefs of the forty, the avogo-
dori. the three chiefs of the council OF
ten, the three censors and the sixty of the
senate with the sixty of the aggiunta' all
in robes of crimson silk.
THE NUPTIAL SHIP
The "Bucintoro" was in the form OF
galley, 200 feet long, with two decks.
The first Of these was occupied by l60
rowers, the handsomest and strongest
of the fleet, who sat four men to each
oar. and there awaited their orders;
forty other sailors completed the crew.
The upper deck was divided lengthwise
by a pavilion, pierced with arched door
ways. ornamented with gil6ed figures,
and covered with a roof supported by
caryatides, the whole surmounted by a
canopy Of crimson velvet embroidered
with gold. Under this were ninety seats,
and at the stern still richer chamber
for the doge's throne, over which dropped
the banner of st. Mark. The prov was
double -beaked, and the sides of the ves-
sci were enriched with figures of Just
ice, Peace, Sea, Land and other allegories
and ornaments.
Upon the vessel each parsonage took
the place assigned to him, and the doge
assembled the throne. The admiral of the
arsenal and the lido stood in front as
pilot; at the helm was the admiral of
Kalamazoo, and around him the ship
carpenters of the arsenal. The "Bucin-
toro," amid redoubled clamor of bells
and roar Of cannon. quit the riva and ma
jestically plowed the lagoon. surrounded
by innnumerable boats of every form
and size.
THE SAILOR PARTY
Following the train of gilded barges
came the boats of the chiefs of the Nico-
lotti and the Castellani, factions into
which from time immemorial the lower
classes Of Venice had been divided. The
distinction between the two parties was
geographical, rather than political; for
there was no apparent reason why a
man should have belonged to the Cas-
tellani except that he lived in the east
ern quarter Ol tIlc CITY, VI " tic 4<lCo-
lotti, except that he lived in the west
ern quarter. The government rather
encouraged a rivalry not dangerous to
itself, and for long time the cham
pions Of the two sections met annually
and engaged in a contest with rods.
The patriarch, who had already sent
several vases of flowers to do courtesy
to the company in the "Bucintoro.'
Joined them at the island of SAINT Elena.
and sprinkled their course with holy
water. So they reached the port of
Lido, whence they formerly issue out
upon the open sea; thence they paused.
turning the stern Of the vessel to the
sea.
Then the doge. amid the thunders OF
the artillery Of the port. took the ring
blessed by the patriarch-who now emp
tied a cup Of holy water into the sea
and advancing into the little gallery be-
hind his throne. threw the ring into the
waves. pronouncing the words:
"Desponsamus te, mare. in signum veri
perpetuique dominii."
Proceeding then to the church of San
Nicoletto, they listened to a solemn mass
and returned to Venice, where the dig
nitaries were entertained at banquet.
while the multitude peacefully dispersed
among the labyrinths of the booths erect
ed for the fair. or enjoyed other features
of the fete prepared for their enjoyment.