The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1903-01-30
OLD GOA THE GOLDEN
IT'S SITE Is NOW ONLY A VAST AN,
GRASSY TOMB.

H was said that during the prosne
ous times Of the Portuguese. In III,
you could not have seen y n,oo. -, ,--
IN any merchants house, but alI On,
una SILVER. They coined immense mn, =
.i'eS Oh the precious metals and u.c,
~ nuke pieces OF workmanship !,
" ior expectation. The vcrv .oI
mercc enriched themselves bv co,,
BUT then at last came the inu;;,,.
winch celebrated it's terrible and ieod,,
rites with more fervor and ychcmenc.
q. "oa than In any other place. Reli
sious persecution, pcstilcncc and wars
WIN the Dutch, disturbances arisin,
from an unsettled government ond
above all, the slow but sure workipo.
OF The shortsightcd policy of the p,rtu.
guese In intermarrying and idcn,,rr,,.
sei'es with the IIindoos Of tho
lowest caste, made her fall MS rnpid ma
her rise was sudden and prodIgIous
IN less than century and balr sft-
er la Gama had landed on the Indian
shore the splendor OF Goa had departed
forever The inhabitants fed bero-,.
'he deadly fever which soon rostcnc,,
upon the devoted precincts OF the citv
una IN lIoS the viccroy transferred hi.
ne'oquartcrs from the ancient cnpitoi
U r"r)ina, about eight miles distant.
'sNo' "lter%-n er%nIn ~ the, religious orders
we're expelled. leaving th.,' magnia-
to, eon'ents and churches NIL bpt -,
ueserted. and the inquisition v,.
suppressed upon the recommon,,..,
OF the British government CONCENTRATION
Ahe place Is now n grass ,ro,,
. ueness. But still the firm onh WI,
S armissse ssseVMssways Mswgays OF this olden citv "n "n%
we tread the ancient wuurr,,.Ianon+
broad road, lined with double row Of
trees and faced with stone. more sug-
gestive scene of desolation can hardly
be conceived. Everything around teens
with melancholy associations, the very
rustlings Of the trees and murmur Of
the waves sound like dirge for the de-
parted grandeur of n city.
Towering above mass of ruins a
solitary gateway flanks the entrance
to the Strada Diretta, the Straight
street, so called because almost all tho
streets in old Goa are laid out in cur.
vilinear form. 1t was through this
portal surmountcd by the figures Of
st. Catherine and Vasco da Cana tho.
the newly appointed viceroys Of Goa
passed in triumphnl procession to tho
palace.
Beyond the gate level road, once
ss.es,..lr,..- tf,nrrInI,- or Cathedral OF 81.
Catherine, who became the patron
saint of Goa when the place was can.
tured by Albuquerque on the day OF
her festival. Groves Of cocoanut palms
and mango topes now incumber the
ground once covered by troops of horse.
The wealth. the busy life and the lux
ury Of the old place are dead. Kites
and cobras infest the crumbling halls
which once resounded with the ban
quet and the dance, and naught but a
few old monks and nuns keeps vigil
amid its desolation today.
But Goa possesses one treasure of
great interest. This Is the tomb of
Francis Xavier, the great Jesuit mis-
sionary to the east. 1t Is to be found in
the Church of Bon Jesus. 1t Is mas
terpiece Of art which Is lost to all but
the casual visitors to old Goa. Some
have vcntured to suggest that no other
mausoleum in India or even in Asia eS-
cept the Tai Mahal can equal II. 1t IS
built of rich marble of yariegated COL
ors. The lowest stage is Of red and
purple jasper and Carrara alabaster
adorned with statuettes and cherubs.
The middle stage Is Of green and yellow
jasper decorated with beautiful bronze
plates representing incidents in the life
| OF the saint. The highest Of the three
stages is surrounded by lovely rail.
ing of red Jasper marked with white
| spots, the adornments being figures OF
angels, while Its middle portion is
graced with columns elegantly carved,
whose intervening spaces are surmount.
ed by arches showing further incidents
In the life Of the saint. The friezes of
the four lateral columns are Of black
stone and the plinths of yellow jasper.
Surmounting this last stage lies the
coffin Overlaid with silver, a gorgeous
receptacle embellished with manyvrs.
quisite specimens .Rfng around conf
Lumpa ief adornment Of the shrine. 1t
( Is a worthy relic Of GOa's departed glo-
ry.
The bell Of the Augustinlan convent
still rings forth its vesper peal above
this old city Of ghosts. and 1t is impos-
sible to forget the effect Of the deep,
mournful notes as they strike upon the
car. Never was heard n more beautiful
or more sadly musical summons thar
that which calls In vain from the toweI
of the Augustinians to the forsaken ant
solitary city.
1t is all summed up in the eloquen
apostrophe Of Sherer: Goa the golde
oxiafa No Innrn. Con where the 90,