The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1901-01-31
,c THE STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR.

71yrAR> H. i9ol, ooi'inuii's your
'A down the Mediterranean coast
il0'p, aain the whole face of the
81 assumes an African look as
l0",. .., the strait of Gibraltar. Ali
you an important commercial port,
a'' t,ot of its castle-crested Steep
al 1 ants an imposing appearance from
=" b7r like other Spanish towns,
@''. ,ery disappointing on closer ac-
p' .,nee 1t is one of the dryest
Qu' III the world-dry as those nj
~" deserts of western Peru, where it
:" ppople never die, but in the
,f centuries simply wither up
4.s away, like autumn leaves.
g. arm reaper has not retired from
.., here. however, as the two big
...re, attest which we passed on
tom the station-their walls
..oDu.pd with tiny inches, in which
,.ral Lenerations of Alicantans
..4,. 8.ed away like mouldy docu-
-. Nut trace of vegetation is to
- .gcept a few dusty palms in
....... Everything reminds you of |
.....at The dat-roofed, sad-looking
.'- taWny roads, the desolate. |
....r4,r9ins stretching far as the |
VI every side-all gray and
r.r. .l The huge, astle-crowned |
-.,.. .....l oyerhangs the town ana |
.,, ,ar. scarcely be called a rock-it is
I,-. Nj immense dust-heap. But it is
..r HieJlla Of an eminence, upon |
,... ta- magic wand of sunshine
,,-ss exchanging miracles, replacing
-..t,,TuIoss for splendors of sapphire
..5 AMETHYST; While over the near by
,our.iu- whole armies of purple
.niru. md rosy spectres are perpet-
o.17 .Y4, ne each other, now one troop
~n0- ,Irlemacy, now the other
IN. newer part Of Alicante has wide
,- -45ular streets, which lead gradu-
.cut .Or slope to the fine old castle of
>H.a Barbara which overtops the city.
2pus4aliug with the evening crowds
.7.- - Vharyes, beneath the palms
f tg lameda. and in the central
plaza ,aC are surprised at the unusual
rl4ronlettnce of females, in a city Of
sm Inhabitants. This is partly due
IA tt Government cigar factories,
rn employ several thousand girls,
n5 l,l t1 the fact that many of the
l-g iIt Employed in the neighboring
Vineyards strange to say, the women
A 4.@uie d.e as famous for ugliness
A, +Io,e of Valencia are for beauty.
Perhaps dryneSs of the atmosphere
Gs something to do with their greasy, |
,Ma ..ured skins and mustached up
Ierila io- even the music here,-usual-
T>e-o.I 10 every Latin hamlet -has
he U-.u- note of the seven-year
@-a- 4, d It's tAroat was parched for
Tjrl 81 TACT, Alicante has but one
dug beast of, and that is its truly
excellent HoJtl the Bossio, which ex-
-l-t- t.- Extraordinary combination
Al -lH- ue OF the best, as we'll as the
garages spain. Two dollars day
Ym dollars at that-Will secure the
I.H1,tt,1.u nhcaI1,io,,, o+4n,, |
@ct. .. meals, with wine literally
+l"r The long table d'hote
l@-us. .o-tious sight, being lined on
'. N-u young men, ali shrug-
-u s,oulders and gesticulating
- while gibbering excited
-.o-4 Generally on one topic, wine
.., -w French drummers," the ex-
" whose purchases may be esti-
-a'e 'rH the fact that from Alicante
av-r l.s TO the value of several mil
"lio annually exported. Most of
'-.e~ -"l 5uct, for mixing with clarets.
owl lids ouIy one of several stations
"e't Vie vine merchants cOngregate.
'.' om EASTERN coast of Spain, from
t'rse.5 r. barcelona, is one vast
'~' '04 Interrupted by occasional
sa-i.as Vegetable gardens, fig and
orchards The number of wines
@'lop' maZlng, and as the Spaniards
~7DNr YES. though always taking wine
'"' ther meals, are very sparing
-l'stLs most Of the product goes to
'-sFldy ana Bordeaux, whence it is
''.y.-ru broadcast over the earth, dis
''S5l by label as French wine. So
"' -l-eIprlsing Frenchman L e
''''' ION all that is good in Spanish ,
'''' While the excellent vintage of
.Y-I I0l THE lack of push and adver-
''"s grAuty, remains unknown, If :
''l+o9oers were wise-which is no.
.'''ISi' not the case--they would in
.,, Vi getting the pure, unadulterated
4lItct from Mediterranean
'''D VI from our own Pacific coast
' '-l F''lla-Bay, instead of secondhand
.,u HON Paris, mixed with poisonous {
,l, .@l'"I9 and the poorest of sour
ny ''''N worth about cent a barrel. ;
A'tIage So-called ''coDnoisseur'' i
ANY, 0u ordering his "St. JULIEN and
a ''''fao Nargaux" all on account of
,. ,plIous abel, and turns up his ig
,. '''' nose at home wines, which are
'''ae ot the Questionable juice of