Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-03-10

Alcazar, and q score OF Moorish
mosques and mlnarets: suburban villas
amid masses Of verdure; the historic
river sweeping around the outskirts
and away to the sea, bearing the varied
craft OF commerce; the beautiful valley
OF che GuadalquNir-here green and
gold with orange orchards, there SHIN
merlng gray with the foliage Of olive
groves; green valleys and little villages
nesting In the foot hills. fig trees and
palm trees; hedges Of aloes and rose
vines wreathing garden walls: the deep
blue OF the sky, the quaint costumes OF
the people astir In the fields and the
streets, the Ginning of bells, the
clamor OF hawks and
PIGEONS IN THE BELFRY
oyerhead-all combine TO delight the
senses and Nh the memory with fade
less visions Of beauty. The old Moslem
minaret looks down sulenly upon this
i1hdel splendOr, and from the balcony
under the bells you seem to hear the
wrath Of the muezzin stlll calling 60
the faithful. There Is no God but
Allah, and Mohammed Is His prophet
Prayer Is better than sleep. Come TO
prayer"
Descending to earth again from Abu.
fusuf fakub's tower, we emerge into
the Court Of Orange Trees" ana stand
for moment beside the battered mar
Die fountain, where for three hundred
years the cleaniy Moors performed their
morning 8bluti0ns. Children play all
day long under the cool arcades, stray
goats and donkeys browse I'm the grove
and watcr-carriers MI their kegs at the
once-sacred fountain, then tridge away
with cheerful cries "A'ual Aual Quien,
quiere aua? Templa muy 'uena'
Water, Water who wants water?
Tepid and good,' Fater-sellng Is
profitable business In Seville; and be-
sides their kegs and porous jugs, many
OF the agnadores carry Kettles OF boil
ing water for the Spaniards have
new-fangled notion that warm water Is
more healthful than cold on a summers
day. only two sides OF the original
Court OF Orange-trees remain, the quaint
Moorish arch and bronze doors which
led 70 the 18th century mosque ofJacub-
Ai-Mansur. since displaced by the Ro-
mish cathedral, dishgured by some ter
re-cotta statutes, made as late as 1919.
The old gateway leading from the
street into the court has been partially
rebuilt, and in the recess where the
kadi used 10 disperse justice, two i'm
ages are enshrined-one OF the Savior
IN His agony. with bloody face and
rolling eyes, the other His virgin
mother. The sanctity OF these images
Is attested by numerous proofs OF mir
aculous cures, wrought by lnterposition
OF the Saints In answer 10 prayer dis
carded crutches. pictures and wax rep
reservations OF sores. deformilies and
other human ills-exhibted on shelves.
The little altar In front is always sur
rounded by kneeling devotees and its
broad copper tray is well covered with
coin.
Climb a worn stone staircase 20 a
suite OF rooms in the upper story Of the
old mosque, and you will find the most
interesting, II not the most valuable.
collection OF books and manuscripts in
the world-twenty thousand
MusTY VOLUMES
bound In vellum, bequeathed 10 the
canons and book worms Of the cathe-
dral by Columbus son. Fernando. The
great nayigators original manuscripts
are preserved in a glass case Some OF
them were written IN the dungeons OF
the lnqusltion. and maps and charts
win marginal notes on them are dis
colored with the salt spray Of the west
ern ocean. There is also that queer old
pook OF nonsense THE Travels OF
marco Polo which probably suggested
70 columbus the existence OF another
hemisphere Al any rate. he set great
store py the book and took Il on an
nls VOYAGES II bears evidence OF much
sluuy ana usage nearly every page be-
ing enriched with notes In coipmh,,s,
own hand The writing. though ~ the
antique style called grabbed" Is leei-
bic as copper plate. and often found