The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-04

had handed over his finished work-still
guards the entrance to the town. as when
the great admiral read from its pulpit the
royal edict-that the citizens OF Palos should
furnish his crews for the uncertain voy-
age in search OF another world. Fancy
the terror and distress In the little town.
at such an unexpected levy upon its
scanty population. There. too, is the con-
vent chapel of Santa Clara, where Column
bus and his sailors fulfilled their VOWS
after the return from that momentous
first voyage. You remember that dread
full storm arose. during which they prom
ised the Blessed Virgin that IL saved by
her interposition they would spend the
whole of the first night ashore in prayer
and praise before her nearest altar. His
tory says that Columbus at least per-
formed his VOWS TO the latter, kneenng all
night on the cold stones before her image
in Santa Clara. Two or three miles De-
yond, clear and distinct on its breezy hill
top. stands the old. old convent of La
Rabida. whose counterfeit inquired at our
worlds fair in Chicago few years ago:
To-day passing vessels rarely touch at
Palos, because the aged town offers Few
inducements TO modern trade or travel
but you may easily reach Ii from Cadiz:
either on donkey-back, after the FASHION or
the country, or in a carriage. Aside from
it's historic associations-it contains abso-
lutely nothing OF Interestingly one long
struggling street and few scattered
if half a dozen of its 500 or 600 inhabitants
ever heard of Columbus or what he dis
covered; and the visitor TO Palos brings
away with him, besides an extra burden OF
aust and fieas, a sad impression of prevail
ing ignorance, poverty and sloth.
THE TRADITIONS OF SPAIN.
Speaking OF antiquity, the discovery Of
America only four little centuries ago is
but as a minute past compared with the
traditions of Cadiz Founded by Hercules
eleven centuries before Christ was born.
it is not only one Of the Oldest cities In
Europe, but fully half as old as this weary
world itself, according TO the Hebrew ira
dition. What its early name may have
been under the Phoenicians and Car
thagenians is not now known. Inc no
mans, who captured it three and a half
centuries before the foundation OF Rome
was laid, called it 'Gaddis" and made II Tor
a time the most wealthy and important city
of the world Afterwards the Goths ana
Moors had their turn at IL, each a few nun
dred years, and ii has been Spanish only
since 1862. Nor has it belonged TO spain
ever since for Drake, the English buc-
cancer, took forcible possession in 1857, fol-
lowed by Lord Essex and horde OF
Britons who twisted it's time honored name
into something like "Kales.- The French
held it few years In the early part OIL tne
next master may be when Spain gets a lit
tie more out of pocket and credit
With these historic points in mind, one
first view of Cadiz, 1.-THE Silver City, Is an
immense surprise. You are prepared Tor
sad, gray, tumble-down old place-but not
for the bright and beautiful reality Seen
from a ships deck in the early morning,
its towers and battlements, churches ana
tall stone houses glistening ike spotless
marble in the sun, 1t looks as If builded
Yesterday Mere pen and ink are power
less to describe Ii. De Anicis came near
the truth when he said: "One could not DO
better than to write the word white, win
a blue pencil on blue paper and make a
note ON the margin, Impressions OF
Cadiz'" iI is a study in blue and white
it's regular rows of snowy buildings aloft
on bold promontory, between sea aho
sky the color of indigo. Situated at the
extremity of long and narrow isthmus'
connected with the mainland only by a
strip of rocky earth. in some places not
two hundred yards across, Cadiz is prac-
tically an island. nearly all Its streets be-
ginning and ending at the ocean. The long
surges of the Atlantic beat upon Its west
ern and southern ramparts, wnlle the
north and east is encircled by the deep in
let which forms an outer and inner bay.
The city Is very strongly fortified, with
high sea WALL bastions, forts Id watch
towers, calling to mind the desolating In
roads Of Barbary pirates. when perpetual
watch was kept and their dreaded coming
announced by signal fires built on the hill
tops.
Anchored at last in the outer bay you
climb down into a felucca-a queer craft,
with an immense triangular sail and tub
like hull, equipped with a rudder at both
stem and stern. The waves are always
white-capped in Cadiz bay. ruffled by winds
that sweep the inlet through funnel;
and the sail to shore is anything but un-
alleged delight, with a stiff breeze tipping
the felucca to the gunwale. Past the
frowning wallis of San Sebastian, Santa
Catalina, San Fernando, Matagorda and
several other medieval forts you go, under
rusty guns that seem to threaten the
hated American with instant destruction.
The instant your feet touch the shore OF
Spain you realize that you are under not
the most friendly military supervision: and
presently find yourself in the clutches OF
the greediest customs officials in the world.
FANNIE b. WARD.