Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1903-03-12
OLD GOA THE GOLDEN
IT'S srrE Is NOW oALY a VAST AND
GRASSY TOME.

Il was said that during the prosper
Gus times OF the Portuguese In India
gou could not have seen piece OF iron
u any merchants house, but al gold
and silver. They coined immense guam
titles of the precious metals and used
to make pieces OF workmanship In
them for expectation. The very sol
dieTs enriched themselves by COM
merce.
But then at last came the inquisition
+ which celehgated its terrible and deadly
rites with more rervor and vehemenca
at Goa than In any other place. ReIl-
gious persecution. pcstiIence and wars
with the Dutch. disturbances arising
from an unsettled government. and
above ali. the slow bat sure workings
OF the shortsighred policy Of The porru-
guese in intermarrying and Identifying
themselves with the Hindoos OF the
lowest caste, made her fall as rapid as
her rise was sudden and prodigious.
In less than a century and a half aft
er Da CANA had landed on the Indian
shore the spIendor OF Goa had departed
forever. The inhabitants ded before
the deadly fever which, soon fastened
upon the devoted precincts OF the city.
and In 1T3S the yfceroy transferred bis
headquarters from the ancient capital
TO ParJIna. about eight nfGIes distant
soon afterward the religious orders
were expelled, leaving fheir niagnlfi-
cent converts and churches all but ut
terly deserted, and the saquIzitfsR was
suppressed upon the recommendation
OF the British government.
The place Is now a grass grown viii
derness. But still the firm and well
built causeways of this oIden city and
Its moldering splendors are reminiscent
OF echoing pageants and the tramp Of
armies which once sounded there AS
we tread the ancient wharf. long
broad road, lined with double row Of
trees and faced with stone. mere sug
gestive scene Of desoIation can hardly
be conceived. Everything around teens
with melancholy associations. the very
rustlings Of the trees and murmur OF
the waves sound like a dirge for the de-
parted grandeur Of city.
Towering above mass Of ruins a
solitary gateway tanks the entrance
to the Strada Dlretta. the Straight
street, so called because almost all the
streets IN old Goa are laid out in cur
viIinear form It was through this
portal surmounted by the figures Of
Sc. Catherine and yasco da CANA that
the newly appointed viceruys OF Goa
passed in triumphaI procession 10 the
palace.
Beyond the gate Ieget read. once a
popuIous ttoroughfare. leads to the
Terra di Sabaio. large square front
ing the PrimaciaL or Cathedral Of St
Catherine. who became the patron
saint Of Goa when the place was cap
tured by Albuquerque on the day Of
her festival Groves Of cocoauut palms
and mango topes now ineumber 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 eobFas fnfest the cTumbIing halls
which once resounded with the ban
quet and the dance and naught but a
few old monks and nuns keeps vigil
amid IT'S desolatIon today.
But Goa possesses one treasure OF
great interest. This is the tomb Of
francis Xavier. the great Jesuit mis-
sionary t. the east il is to he found In
the Church OF Bon Jesus 1t is mas
terpfece Of art which Is lost 10 all but
the casual visitors to old Goa Some
have vcntGred to suggest that no other
mausoleum IN India or even in Asia ex.
cept the TAI MahaI can equal il. II Ia
built Of rich marble Of variegated col
oFs. The lowest stage IL Of red and
purple jasper and Carrara alabaster
adorned with statuettes and cherubs
The middle stage is 81 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 surmounl-
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.
Surnounting this last stage lies the
coffin o-erIaid with silver. gorgeous
receptacle embeIlished with many ex-
quisite specimens OF relief work
Lumps of silver depending around com.
plete the adjournment of the shrine. 1t
is worthy relic Of Goa's departed glo-
ny.
The bell Of the Augustinian 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
ear. Never was heard more beautiful
or more sadly musical summons than
that which calls in vain from the tower
OF tire Augustinians to the forsaken and
solitary city.
1t is all summed up in the eloquent