Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-03-09
RED LETTER DAYS In GRENADA
The Ancient Capital Of the Moors in the Twentieth
Century.
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and then he had them led. one by one
through the wicket at the narrow por'
| tai, and their heads cut on. Every
guide IN the place VIII assure you that
for days thereafter the great fountain
in the center ran red with blood, ano
that the broad, ruddy stain you see on
the pavement Is the gore " the gallant
chiefs. which nothing can obliterate
Listen q moment In tile semi-darkness
| The moon does not illuminate this
| rooted chamber as IL does the open
| courts, and the silence Of the night Is
undisturbed. Suddenly you hear a con-
fused sound. resembling the murmur OF
| an
ANGRY MULTITUDE,
with now and then a faint tnkling, like
the distant clank Of chains. Louder and
| louder grow the noises, TN every hair
upon your head rises like quilts upon
the fretfu porcupIne;" then suddenly
ceases. and the silence Of the grave
reigns supreme. Again and again you
may hear II, all the night through, I'M
I'll daylight again brings worldly feet
into the Alhambra. Is II the sound Of
bubbling currents and tinkling falls Of
nels under the pavement 10 supply the
fountains or n II really nightly con-
claVe OF ghosts Of the murdered Aben-
cerrages, Invoking the vengeance Of
heaven?
And then the mysterious subter-
ranean apartments, the dungeons,
the magazines, the baths the cisterns,
the little oratorles or mosques, like
he.
Isolated towers, each forming q NINA
ture palace, with guard-room and hall
OF state, courts and harem- boudolrs,
cooled by the spray from alabaster
fountalns, their walls gorgeous mo-
sale resembling woven tissue Of bro
cadet The Alhambra fortress, you
know Is a walled circuit nearly a mile
long and seven hundred feet Wide. The
walls, rising TO height OF about forty
feet, are five feet thick, with a dozen
or more towers scattered at intervals.
To visit them all is a work of time and
strength; but for the sake OF their tradla
tons you would not miss one Of them.
The Tore de la Yela. or watchtower
the last on the southern promtory Is
perhaps the fayorlte-wlth strangers
because II affords the best view Of the
A,lambra, and with the natives be-
cause OF It's supposed miraculous pow
ers as matrimonial agent The Gus
tom lHaugurated by the Moors stu pre-
walls, OF ringing It's great bell TO an
nJunce TO the peasants how long they
may use the water Of the river to irri-
gate tier fields. The standard Of the
Christian conqueror was first raised on
this tower, and the departing Boabdll
as he turned 10 take a last look, saw
therein n golden cross on a crimson
ground, appropriate Spanish emblems Of
blood and greed In place Of the
familiar crescent. On every recurring
anniversary Of the conquest--the 2nd
OF January--a fete Is held in the Al
hambra, when all its fountains play
and the peasants flock In from the sur
rounding districts. II Is believed that
any girl who on this day ascends the
Vea tower and
STRIKES IT'S BELL
viii be sure Of husband before the end
OF the year; and the harder she strikes,
the better will be the husband I'm
fortunately, your correspondent arrived
too late to try Its magical virtues.
Those who were here assure me that
from the racket made from dawn Til
dark by women in the tower, Il may
be safely inferred that-at least in
Spaln--narrlage Is not yet considered
a failure.
Much more beautiful Is the Tore de
las lnfantas, because its elaborate dec
orations, fairy-like traeery, and machl-
colated roof, have been restored TO their
pristine lovellness. A portico leads into
central hall with a marble fountain.
wonderful arches, and elegant dome.
Around the court runs a gallery, so eX-
qulsltely light that II seems suspended
in mid-air. and graceful arched win
dows admit the sun and mountain
breezes and afford superb prospects.
This tower, you remember is the scene
OF Irving's legend Of the three beautiful
prIncesses IL was the residence OF the
daughters OF the Moorish kings, and
one king was a tyrant, who locked his
girls up In Il, allowing no one 10 come
near them on pain OF death. and per-
hitting them only TO ride at night up.
on the hills, attended by a troop OF
eunuchs Notwithstanding the fathers
vigilance. the princeases were seen by
some Christian knights, and the flame
OF men and maidens. Under such con-
ditlons there was nothing to be thought
OK but escape and by the aid OF ser
wants two Of the Processes succeeded
In descending from the lofty windows
and fleeing upon swift horses with their
llVers. The courage Of the third failed
her at the critical moment Left lonely
and hopeless she died young and was
\ ~. 10 - her V.Viug
According to Irving occasionally
when the moon Is full the three prin-
cesses may be seen riding In sequest-
cred places along the mountain side, on
palfreys richly caparlsoned and spar
king with Jewels; but they vanish on
being spoken to-
The 'Tower Of the Captive" has a
more veritable history, II was for
time the residence Of Dona Isabel de
Soles, the Christian maiden, who was
captured by the Muors, and with whom
grim old Abu Hassan fell so violently In
love that he shut his sultana up In an
other tower and married the captive,
Whom he named Horaya, star OF the
Morning" History says that they lived
happily some years. until driven from
the throne by Boabdil. son Of the dis
carded sutana, Avasha. n century be-
fore 2oraya's day, another sultan,
Nbul Walled Ismael captured an equally
lovely but less complaisant Christian
maiden, whom he shut up In the tow
or, intending TO make her his wife, or at
least the chief lady of his harem. But
She would have none Of It. and threw
herself out OK the window into the deep
gorge below. where her lifeless body
was discovered by knight, who OF
course. in the story. turned out TO be
the lover from whom she had been
torn. and who stralghtway made war