The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-01-14
4 JOURNEY TO SEBUfAL
Interesting Pictures Of Life in
Southern Portugal.
characteristics of the Kingdoms
Fourth Cfty-The Lords of PalmiIIa.
The Ancient ''Trojn," said TO Have
Been Built A. ID. 3OO-A Rare
Field for ArchaeologicaI Research.

SEXUAL Portugal, Dec. 15.-Though
this celebrated commercial port OF south
ern Portugal is only about twenty miles
below Lisbon it is nearly days journey
from point TO point First a full hour by
ferry steamer, across the broad estuary Of
the Tagus, from Lisbon on its northern
shore TO Barreiro on the southern. No
stretch Of the Imagination can conceive OF
this winter passage as a pleasant one. not
withstanding fits novel scenes-tbe slowly
receding city of palaces rambling over hills
In the rear, a strange African landscape
ahead, and dark mountains in the back
ground on every side.
The dirty little boat, infested with feas
flies. and other vermin, rolls and rocks like
q steamer in the English Channel or a sail
sng vessel rounding Cape Horn. In It aris-
tocrats and peasants, mules, horses, and
cattle, all seasick together, are crowded
sn the closest iuxtaposition. An icy wind
sweeps the shady side of the deck. chilling
you TO the marrow, while on the other and
more popular side blistering sun maketh
your countenance TO shine. The climax OF
discomfort is capped by seemingly end
and tossing as in a storm at sea, amid
black and foul beach water, from which
the paddles churn up exhalations more
pestilential than those that distinguished
Havana barbor before American occupa-
fion.
Barreiro is the terminus of the railway
that runs eastward TO Evors, thence south
10 Beja-those two cities so famous in
Roman and Moorish days; ana branch.
hardly longer than It's name-"Porto-
guese Royal Railway of Lisbon Barreiro-
Sebutal"-connects the last-named port.
The boat runs. or rather creeps, through
q fat and treeless desert-a regular Sahara
of shifting sands; and your Portuguese
fellow passengers insist on opening all the
windows, the little square cars, uncom-
Portable enough at best, become filled with
dust and smoke-not 10 mention nauseous
odors of FISH and garlic from your neigh
bors' 1uncheons and the incessant high
pitched staccato Of the idiom afiiicts your
weary nerves like the filing Of saws.
A Typical Inferno.
YOU might travel over half the world
without finding so utterly forbidding a
stretch OF country-such dreary sand
dunes, interspersed with patches OF rusty
moorlaud, and here and there a muddy
creek. The soil is stained bright red In
spots, with wild sorrel that looks like
eplashes of human blood. All is treeless
fowerless. and birdiess, except for an oc-
casional buzzard circling above some car
cass or perched contemplatlvely on a sand
pile; and the view is bounded by hideous
red and yellow hills, their bare cliffs
topped with scraggy stone pine.
Had Dante wished to represent the fu-
ture state Of the impenitent farmer, he
could not have found a more typical infer
no. where wind and water, soil. sun, and
climate combine against the unfortunate |
tiller of the earth Though the fervid sun
1ithers and kills, winds blow damp and |
chill Malaria burdens the air, and the |
haggard faces OF the inhabitants show that |
all are ague- smiiten. Even the blessed |
rains of the desert, falling alike on the Just |
and the unjust. are Of little benefit here,
soaking at once through the loose sand /
and leaving no moisture behind.
Yet, strange to say, agriculture fights
Tor foothold even here, and with consid-
cradle success. This desolate region pro-
uuces the best wine Of southern Portugal,
Inc famous Lavarado, so-called from the
adjacent village Of that name. which in
surA was named in honor OF the late Count
90 Lsvarado, long the Portuguese Minister
70 the Court OF st. James But what n dis
appointment 10 eyes not used TO wine
growing. are these vineyards. stretching for
miles half cooked in the sun, There "a