The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-05-23

oVuuS, "HiCH Is treasured Ill Gne ma
tional gallery at Edinburg, Scotland.
The Lonja, or Exchange, is the mos
beautiful building in the island, ant
the only one of architectural preten
sions built for purely civil purpose
The site was given by Don Jamie, il
1888, but the building was not finished
for two hundred years. 1t is rectangu
lar in plan, divided by rows of fiute6
columns, the c0nvolutions of which arr
continued as grOins on the vaulted roof
suggesting a palm tree. Outside, q
lofty tower ornaments each of the
angles. Between the towers, at equal
distances, rise two slender turrets al
the level of the roof, while the crown.
ing feature is a series of square win.
dows, ornamented with indented battle.
!, ments. At the base of each tower is
| the colossal statue of saint, covered
with gothic canopy.
Few cities in Europe consider them
selves more aristocratic than Palma.
The nobility of the island consists of
descendants of the nine great families
among whom the Conqueror partitioned
it, and few other mobiles come over
from Spain. By the common people,
who are very proud of them and willing
to work hard for their support, these
are popularity called Butifarras, "big
sausages, much as we speak of ''bloat-
ed bondholders. In the Rue de Palma
is the Casa de Buonaparte' "a beauti-
full building which in it's prime must
have resembled a Florentine palace.
with its triple-light windows and the
richly sculptured capitals of its slender
marble pillars. The tradition is that
Hugo Bonaparte, grandfather of Ma
poleon, lived here until the year 1411.
when he went to Corsica (Which then
formed part of the kingdom of Aragon),
as governor of that island. In another
street is the house where Charles V.
lived during his visit here in 1541, be-
fore setting out on his disastrous expe-
dition. to Algiers. Above one of the
windows is his ugly portrait, carved in
stone, which is not harder than was his
merciless heart. There are many other
elegant private houses, all of obsolete
fashion. The finest are in the CALI
(street) de San Jamie, the special faw-
bourg of the aristocracy. All contain
marvellous treasures in paintings and
works of art, tapestries, antique furni-
ture, ETC., which their owners guard
with jealous care. Art is held in great
esteem in these forgotten islands, though
learning does not flourish as it should.
The work of some of the native artists
is said to be really remarkable, and it is
great surprise to learn that the Palma
Academia de las Bellies Aries ranks
third in Importance in the long list of
similar establishments throughout the
whole of Europe! In it instruction in
every branch of art, decoration and de-
sign, is given gratuitously by island
artists to a constant average of five
hundred pupils. There is also a we'll
attended Academy OF Music.
Among the pleasant evening prone
nades are the ramparts, Borne and
Rambla, where bands play ON alternate
evenings and the beauty and fashion of
the town turns out to show itself in
its bravest gaud and gear. Though the
blood of the aristorcracy may be of the
blueSt it must be confessed that they
have little to boast of in the way of
beauty, and their style is of other
days. Among the lower classes, one
occasionally sees pretty young ''Cheu-
ia" as the descendants of the Jews
who were forcibly converted to Chris
tianity in the early days, are called;
but, like their tribe in other parts of
the world, the beautiful Jewesses take
on ''too, too solid flesh" at middle age,
with greasy skins and mustaches.
Some of the Hebrew families are enor-
mously wealthy. but are held in any,
thing but honor at Palma, being for
merly restricted to a particular quarter
of the town and prosecuted in many
ways. But they throve all the same
far more than their prosecutors, waxed
richer and raised larger families; and
though outwardly subscribing to the
Roman Catholic religion remain Jews
to the back bone.
The visitor to Palma should take a
carriage to the castle of Bolivar, first
obtaining from the commandant an
order for admission. The picturesque
fortress stands on wooded height, four
hundred feet above the town and har-
Dor. 1t was built by Don Jamie IL. ::
and consists of a two-storied circular
tower and two interior galleries with
vaulted roofs, strengthened by semi
circular bastions, and surrounded by a
double moat. There is a detached
tower of much greater size, called La
Tore del Homenage, communicating
with the main building by two remark
able bridges, or arches, one above the
other. In the lowest arch is a gloomy
dungeon, under the level of the moat,
to which there is acrpsc oplv NV cnall