The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1900-03-08

Indians; from Juan Ponce de Lepu while
on his memorable search for the Fountain
of Eternal Youth; from Fernando de Soto
in his terrible march through the swan ps
of Florida; from monks who built the
mission houses in San Augustine and far
California; in short, the early romance and
history of America epitomized-if one
could only get at these precious docu-
ments. A confirmation of the statement
by historians that Francisco Pizarro, the
conqueror of Peru, could not write his
name, is found here, tor letters purport-
ing to be his bear his mark only.
1t is best to visit the Alcazar in the
morning, while it is fresh as may be. You
apply at a small Office in the serrated,
fifty feet high wall, near the entrance;
where a pass will be furnished, wit out
which you cannot gain admission. There
are two gates to this Alcazar, ("House of
Caesar or royal resdence)-one known
as the "Banderas, Qlags,) because there
the Spanish coiors are hoisted when the
sovereign is inside; and the other the
"Monteria,' from whence he sallies forth
to the chase. AS everybody knows, this
most sumptuous OF Moorish palaces,
which is second to the Alhambra of Gran
ada only in size and situation, occupies
the site of the Roman praetor, and was
rebuilt in The tenth century for the Arab
prince, Abdu-r- rahman Anna Ssir Liden-
Allah -'' Defender of the religion of
God" Afterwards it was enlarged and
altered by Pedro |, nicknamed the Cruel;
by the Philips III, Ill, and V; by Charles
V, and Ferdinand vi, and Isabella of
short, nearly every sovereign las done his
best, according to his individual taste,
toward identifying and adjoining this
royal residence. The result is rather too
gaudy; succession of brilliant coloring
and intricate araberques, which confuse
the mind and weary the eyes and leave an
impression of too much paint and gliding
The coloring and designs traced upon it's
walls are approached only in the finest
India shawls Domes rise like a series
of intersecting soap bubbles, and the
stalactile stucco drops vivid prisms in
honey comb patterns. The gardens are
said to be the most beautiful in Europe.
There are many court yaros, the largest,
Las Doncellas, 70 feet long by "a wide,
being superb with rich glazed tiles. At
one end of it is the chair Of justice, from
which the kadi, and afterwards Pedro the
Cruel, exercised the office of J Judge. Then
come the grand saloons of Charles V, of
the Apeadero, of Maria Pedilla, and of
Hall of Ambassadors has glorious media
naranja, (half orange roof, and is prob
ably the most gorgeously decorated
chamber in the world. Its dazzling
walls are crowned with a carved wood
en- dome, colored in blue and scarlet
and studded with golden stars. In
this room Pedro caused his brother,
whom he had invited as a guest, to be
murdered; and here also he murdered
Abu Said, another royal guest, for the
jewels he carried. The Patio de las Don
ish seraglio, and the place there the an
nual tribute of one hundred Christian
maidens was delivered by the vassals of
the Sultan. The oldest portion of the
building fronts the main garden, which
Charles Y. spent a fortune in identifying.
Here you may inspect the tank in which
years when he shut himself up in secu-
sion to do penance for his sins. Here is
also the Isabel chapel, covered with curl
Gus cinquecente tiles; and the vaulted
baths which had once been Arab prisons,
converted into bathing booths for Maria
de Padllla. Maria, the unmarried queen,
ever done, before OF since. SO great was
her influence over the Pedro the Cruel
that people believed she managed him by
magic arts; but it was only the witchcraft
OF lOVe, tdCC anu SeulleDeSS IN the na0QS
of a beautiful woman. No words can do
justice to these gardens, with their foun-
tains and statuary and wealth of flowers,
their labyrinths and terraces and orange
clad walls. All is like a scene from the
Arabian Nights, especially the Doncellas
court, where the Moorish ruler used to
choose his wives, fifty rich and fifty poor,
all the maidens of Seville being compelled
to pass in review before him. Beyond
this are shown the sleeping rooms of the
Moorish king, where an aggregate of four
hundred wives and three hundred chill
dren were quartered. This does not
seem SO incredible since we have learned
that the present Emperor of Morocco had
eighty children born to his household in
one month!
Following the Alcazar walls down
toward the quay, you come to the Tore
del Orc, Tower of gold, so named from
the shining yellow tiles that originally
encrusted it. 1t is one of the Oldest and
quaintest landmarks of the Moors, with
loopholes and battlements, an octagon in