The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-12-13

black against the sky, and affordine
even glimpse into French territory
| through glass on a clear day. The
whole line of the horizon is piled with
mountains, with here and there mighty
gap through which travel has passed
since time was young. Lying so neal
the frontier Of France. San Sebastian
comes in the track of contending ar
mics, forcing their way northward and
southwark. No Englishman can pass
the spot without mingled feelings OF
pride and sorrow. Readers Of Napier's
''Peninsulas War will remember how
desperately the French maintained
their last position here, and with what
dash and daring the British soldiers adj
vanced from trench to trench, and foot
by foot, until its final overthrow, amid
blood and carnage frightful to contem-
plate. What pity that the glory won
by Wellington's soldiers on that memo
rable day, in 1879, should have been
furnished by their conduct in the hour
OF victory. But the fact remains that
| they became SO intoxicated, mot with
glory, but with RUM, that they wanton-
| ly burned that town and murdered many
citizens. 1t is said that this was such
modification to the proud commander
as to take away much of the satisfac-
| ton which he would otherwise have
derived from the great military achieve
/ ment. Behind the castle, facing the
bay, are the graves of many British
officers who fell in the siege: and lower
down lie a thousand and more of the
vanquished
San Sebastian's commerce has won
derfully increased during the last ten
years. 1t has magnificent roadstead,
protected by the Isle of Santa Clara
and series OF lofty rocks. Several
hundred vessels regularly enter and
clear the port: and the North of Spain
railway places the town in direct COM
munication with Madrid and Paris.
Now that Grim visaged War hath
smoothed his wrinkled 'front.'" and SOL
diers from the far fields of Manila,
Cuba and Porto Rico have returned to
their old-time peaceful avocations of
blowing lands and pruning vines and
tending flocks, the exports of wool,
wine, flour, etc, are again attaining re-
spectacle proportions. An American
who recently travelled in this country
voiced the general Spanish sentiment
in these words: I'D rather see the little
donkeys with their heavy-laden pam
niers, than the proudest warehouses
that ever bore SPANS cavaliers to bat
tie. Better the song of the reapers
than the ear-piercing fife and stirring
drum: better the squeak of the ox-cart
than the rumble of caissons of artil-
cry. There is even an humber exhibit
ton which is not ungrateful to peace
loving eyes. Every Monday morning
the country women come into San Sc
bastian to collect the weeks washing,
which, after undergoing its publication,
is hung to dry on the hillside below the
castle: and those neither garments float
ing i'll the wind are better than all the
enslgns of war ever flung to the breeze"
The near by port of Santander, stu
ated exactly half way between San Sc
bastlan On the east and Ovedio on the
West-noW bears the enviable reputa-
ton of being the most prosperous city
IN Northern Spain. Its magnificent
bay-three miles long by four or five
wide, unrestricted by any bar and ac-
cesslble to largest vessels at all times of
the tide,-ls an inlet of the Bay OF Bis
cay. The town, OF perhaps $4,000 i'll
habltantS, occupies a headland. protect
ed by higher hill. Its population has
almost doubled within the last decade,
and its trade increased in proportion. A
good many important improvements
have recently been made. in the way of
extensive warehouses and commercial
establishments of various kinds. There
are founderies breweries, tanneries,
cotton factories and tish-curing works:
besides manufactures of refined sugar
candies, candles, wax, vermicilla and
other commodities. Half the province
of Santander is impregnated with iron,
copper, zinc, quicksilver, cobalt and
other ores. | had the curiosity to look
up the shipping records, and learned to
my establishment that in one year alone
12,625 tons of iron and copper went
from this port to the north of England
Wheat is another important element in
the trade Of Santander Last years
total export from this port amounted
to something over S7,50O,0O0, of which
three-quarters was in wheat and flour.
Nowadays the busy 'Muelle," quay,
covered with cotton bales, sugar hogs
heads, flour barrels and wine tierces,
presents a remarkable contrast to dismal
War-times, when all the resources of
the country were drained in fruitless
effort to cope with Uncle Samuel. The
mole is beautiful construction, $50
yards long, with equally extensive
docks. A line of steamships regularly
v,1iac hat ~,