The evening times., 1898-10-17

to those sacred relics than TO the HaDa-
ma cathedral which holds them.
The Dominican. Church of San Juan de
Bautiste de Porto Rico is fine old pile,
though greatly the worse for the wear
and tear of nearly four centuries and ap-
parently tottering to its fall In corner
of the musty little chapel attached to
the church you may any day see the lead
case which contains the dust of Ponce de
Leon. Sis transit gloria mundi! The
casket is only about three feet square,
bound with leathern straps, sealed in the
center with the great municipal seal. On
the monument against which il rests the
inscription-in Spanish, of course-reads
as follows: This narrow grave contains
the remains of a man who was a Leon
by name and much more by his deeds
Rather ambiguous and not altogether
true, remembering his cruel deeds and the
fierce mastiff, Berezillo: but perhaps
Ponce's spools appreciates the intended
compliment. The old church Is full of
curious decorations. rags of antique
paintings, and moldy relics of bygone CEN
turies; and il is earnestly to be hoped
that the ponderous key will be turned
in the rusty lock and the whole thing
burned to ashes before careless alien
hands are allowed to disturb them.
Aside from the quaint fortifications and
Ponce's home and tomb. there are few
sights TO interest the tourist in. the
city of st. John the Baptist. There is
the government palace so called; the
palace of justice. shabby opera house.
a market place. and a few dim shops
and churches. Among the most pictur-
eSque things are the massive arched
gateways in the old wall that surrounds
the city. built for defense nearly 400
years ago. When the gates fronting the
sea are closed the only way TO get out
OF San Juan into the country or into the
city from any part of the island is
through an arched entrance in the lower
wall by the one narrow street which
communicates with the outer world. This
is the beginning of the old Canine Real
(royal roadD.the magnificent highway con-
structed by the early Spaniards which
leads to Ponce, on the other side of the
island
Nothing can be more delightful than
an early morning horseback ride a few
miles along this road. The way leads first
through green fields an1 gardens. past
the thatched huts OF the poorer class OF
Porto Ricans. who are mostly of African
descent. via Jamaica. more or less adui-
terated with native blood Each tiny
cottage is surmOunted by its dove-cote
the doves are noticeable feature of
Porto Rico. and generally tame parrot
or TWO screams from perch on the
rtdge-pole or in the oyershadowing pa
mana tree, while black pigs. lean dogs.
and naked babies roll around the doorway
in chummy confusion
Presently the road turns abruptly to-
ward the bay, where 1t runs some dis
tance close to shore. bordered on one
side by scant fringing of cocoa palms
and on the other by the surf as II
comes laundering in to assault the walls
OF Morro Castle. Scattered along the way
are little hamlets, each with its shoDs
and drinking booths. where in hapuier
times the people of San Juan came 10
pass the afternoons. especially on Sun
days. BY and by the outer fort of the
peninsula-like island on which San Juan
stands IS reached. and you cross a
quaint bridge over the mangrove-bor-
deTed stream to the mainland of Porto
Rico In the distance you see Yundue
the mountain king of the island. crowned
with clouds and holding court amid
mighty retinue of hills-an clad I'm hunt
ers' green like the merry men of Robin
Hood Passing the mangrove swamp. if
you chance to break an over hanging
branch, you hear a cracking of shells
as the oysters clineing To the roots Of
the trees hastily shut up shop" at the
frst sign of disturbance. When the tide
recedes, some of these curious tree oys-
ters are left high and dry. The sight
of them, hanging with gaping mouths, re-
minds you of Columbus's surprise when
he first saw oysters growing on trees
History tells us that he recalled Pliny's
statement Pearls are generated from
drops of dew which fail into the mouths
of oysters" and so. seeing oysters by
thousands clinging TO the mangrove
bushes with their mouths wide open. as
he supposed. 10 receive the dew which
would afterwards be transformed into
gems. he set his men TO peari-hunting-
of course without success
FANNIE BRIGHAM WARD