The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14

not the slightest suggestion Of 'the lush
LEAKAGE of the graceful gadding vine"
which poets have taught us TO look for ON
the trellises of France and Italy-but a
weird scene which reminds the novice of
Dante's wood Of the Seventh Circle. where
in the souls of suicides were transformed
into gaunt knotted trees. fed on by har-
pies and conscious Of physical pain. Here
vineyard is a ruug- field, enclosed only
by low sand mounds il enclosed at all
with ''prickly pear" cactus, stuck along the
top in lieu of fencing
Ugly Stumps Like Snakes.
Within the weed-grown, sandy expanse.
at intervals of two varas. dark. twisted
stumps raise their heads, like blacksnakes
with half their bodies in the air, contorted
In their struggles to free themselves from
the earth. You can hardly believe that
these bear the luscious muscatel grapes.
the best in the world. from which the far
famed white wine is made At this season
OF the year the vines have been pruned
back. Next spring they will put forth a
Few scattering leaves. and each snaky
stump will send out four or FIVE yard-long
shoots.
Wind draughts. passing east and west
along the great Tagus estuary, particular
ly torment this unsheltered plain. Hardly
tree can stand against their biting gales
and the giant reed cane, Indispensable for
vine-plant stalking, which grows twenty
and thirty feet high in more favored To-
calities, is here dwindled to the height of
a walking stick. But Mother Nature. ac-
cording to her immutable laws OF com
pensation, concentrates her beneficent
forces in the sweetness and rare flavor OF
the grapes.
The painter of the now celebrated Man
With the Hoe" may here find his perfect
model. The Portuguese hoe seems TO have
been especially devised to increase the
husbandman's burden OF toll. Its blade is
very broad and long, set on at a sharp
angle with the handle-the latter so short
that IL bends the wielder almost TO the
earth. Everywhere you see the flashing
OF these great hoes in the sun. though the
toilers themselves are hidden in clouds of
dust-tor only incessant labor can wiring
any response from this wind-swept desert
An Agreeable Transformation.
AS the train jolts and crawls over the
desolate plain, your spirits sink TO lower
and lower ebb-when, presto! you come
upon a wonderful transformation
scene. Only narrow dividing ridge-and
in an instant you are in a maryelously
beautiful land. Orange and lemon groves
Ill the air with fragrance, blossoms show
Ing on the branches amid fair ripe fruit,
Ike golden lamps IN 4 twilight of leaf
age. Fields are dark green with the rank
luxuriance of growing crops; the alr is soft
and warm; birds are singing In the trees;
orchhrds-peach, almond, and cherry
abound, and every inch of uncultiyaied
ground is radiant with wild flowers. Only
geology can explain this amazing change
On one side of the ridge are the alluyial
sand-fats Of some ancient sea: on the other
the rocks, clays, schist and Iimestones OF
the oolites And then such triumphs OF
masonry In cliff and mountain:
such strangely contorteG peaks and Intense |
ly red rock surfaces; such harmonies OF |
sreys and puppies, g Gems, and bluesi On |
A massive elm, commanding the six miles /
)f fertile valley between the ridge and Sc |
outal, stands the ancient Moorish strong |
hold of Palmella-still no mean fortress.
with its square towers and tall battle
nents.
sebutal, lying close to the beach, has its
,wn hill-fortress that Of st. Philip, built
" Philip III-besides FIVE other picturesque
orts, stretched along the river. The town
which the English-who have murdered so
many Latin names in cold blood-misscan
saint Ubz, is situated very much like Lis
ION. lying few miles from the Atlantic,
IN the north side of a great river, 1.-THE
'ado), whose broad estuary forms mag
lihcent harbor, though obstructed by sand
'anks near its entrance.
Beauties of the City.
Never was seen more beautiful city, as
pproaehed in the late afternoon-its white
ouses elittering in the sun, in strong con-
rast 70 the dark green orange groves sur
them, and the bright blue bay In
ront. In the west, overlapping town
alley ard lesser heights, stretches the
reat Arrapida range. peak above peak, to
he Western Ocean" Somewhere In The
oothills of those red, treeless mountains
wo or three thousand feet above the sea,
; the rare old cloister of ArrabIda. within {
hose stalactite caverns. since time i'm !
memorial, body OF gray frIars have passed j
YES Of austere devotion. visited once a /
ear by pious pilgrims from all parts of I
ortugal. Like other monks, these noun ,