Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-30
ilQhtniin !!
Bys<
chr A.M.WuIIAMSON
c.N.& A.M'WuLlAMSON


to bow and kiss our hands.
But all this was nothing to what was in
store for us at the Grande Marina at Ca
pr. If we had gone in one of the bigger
steamers. we should have had to get the
automobile into a small boat or perhaps
lash 1t somehow on to two boats; but the
Sirena is so small that she can come up
along the landing place. which was one rea-
son why. after Brown had made inquiries.
he was willing to go with the fowls and
vegetables. The nearer we got to the is
land. the more beautiful 1t looked. and as
we came in Brown was telling me things
about Tiberius' palaces and where they had
stood, when suddenly a shout went up from
the quay. group OF stafwart women.
clustered together there. were laughing and
pointing at our car They belonged to
race Of AmaZons bred on Capri, whose
daily work it is to land heavy goods and
carry trunks on their heads to the omni-
buses and cabs In waiting at the end Of
the quay. Before we were fairly in they
swooped like pack of wolves on the car,
laughing and Cabling. and somehow they
and Brown landed it on the slippery little
quay.
The news that there was an automobile
on the island must have flashed around by
magic telegraph, for people-swarms of
people, more than you would have thought
could live on the whole of Capri-came run
ming from everywhere to see us start. I
should have been awfully amused If 1t
hadn't been for one thing. Up there at the
end of the quay, where we must pass, were
rank of smart cats, like victorias, with
very pretty little horses, whose faces
looked incredibly short-perhaps on account
of their huge binders. They had feathers
on their heads, and their harness was Or
namented with all kinds of strange devices
in silver or brass. Sweet little pets they
were. that you felt as if you might ask into
! your house to sit on the hearthrug; and
when they saw Balzac they all began to
snort and SILVER and act as If they were
going to faint. Their drivers-in hard,
| white hats. something like our policemen's
helmets-hew to the poor beaStieS' heads;
and some laughed, and some looked anx-
iOus, some angry.
Evidently the little horses had lived an
innocent, peaceful life for years on Capri,
and had never heard of railways or steam
rollers, much less automobiles. 1 was so
sorry for them, and wished l hadn't been
so headstrong. but had been guided by
Brown when he advised me to leave Bal
FAC at Naples. However, we couldn't
abandon the car on the quay, so we got
| in and Brown started the motor. Oh, my
goodness! every horse went into Mysteries!
Their drivers held them. and said things
soothing or the reverse. according to their
bringing up. but the little things kicked
and plunged and doubled up in knots. al
the ugh Brown drove by as slowly and SOL
emily the Dead March in Saul. I
thought we should never get past, but
when we did the worst was still to come,
for we had steep road to climb up the
cliff. and in the distance several cab horses
were tIOttIHS uOWH begged Brown 10
stop and let them go by. lest they should
jump over into space, so he did, and it was
all that he and the drivers of the cabs
could do to get the poor Mortified little an
imals past US at alE That experience was
enough for me. Brnwn pointed up toward
Anacapri. far. far tls1ove Capri proper on a
horn of the mountain, reached only by a
narrow but splendidly engineered road wind
steep steps cut in. the rock by the Phoen
clans thousands of years ago. No" said
L, sadly. well never drive up to Anacapri
on the automobile shan't use it once
again while we're on the island. and all the
horses had better be- warned indoors when
we go down to take the boat
But it was a beautiful drive up from the
quay to the town Of Capri and our hotel /
couldn't help enjoying it a little, in spite
of feeling like an fhcipent murderess. 1
believe if'Id been oip the way to execution
| 1 would have enjoyed it The road swept
round to the left ascending loop after loop,
| to saddle of the island lying between two
cliffs. crowned with the most picturesque
| ruins / ever saw. Everywhere you looked
was picture, and, oh! the delicious
! color of the sky, and sea, and the dove
gray of the cliffs! You can see next TO
nothing of the town till you come on to 1t;
then suddenly you are in busy piazza.
| with old palace or two and beautiful
! tower, and everything Enthusiastically
! Italian. even the sunshine, which Is so vivid
| that it is like pool of light. Here we
made a great deal more excitement before
we uIONe du dICuWdy
| ed down a steep, stone-paved street filled
| with gay little shops, and ending with the
| courtyard Of our hotel.
| I know you only came to Capri with the
| "trippers' to see the Blue Grotto, and
! feel sorry for you, you poor Dad. because.
| though the Grotto Is so strange and beau
| tiful, 1t Is the thing I care for least of all.
| Just think, you didn't even stay long
| enough to see the sunset turn the Farag-
lioni rocks to brilliant, beaten copper.
| standing up from clear depths Of emerald,
! into which the clouds drop rose-leaves,
| You didn't go to the old gray Certosa. for
! If you had you would certainly have bought
| 1t and restored it to use as a sort of "occa-
! slonal villa like those nice heroes OF
Ouida's. who say, Il believe, by the way.
| that Is mine,' when they are travelling with
friends IN yachts and pass magnificent
| palaces which they have quite forgotten on
the shores of the Mediterranean or the
| Italian lakes. You didn't walk along
steep path about twelve inches wide. hang
ing over dizzy precipice. to the Arco
! Naturale-and neither would I if 1t hadn't
/ peen Tor Brown. l was horribly afraid
but was ashamed to let him see that SO
| struggled along somehow. and 1t was
glorious We ended the walk by going down
| great many steps cut in the rock to the
| erotto or MitrOmania, where they used
| to worship the sun-god and sacrifice living
| Vlctlms-human beings sometimes You can
S See tne altar stlll and the trough where the
| blood used to run-ugh! and the secret
| chambers where they kept the victims,
| we stayed day and two nights in the
town OF Capri and should have stopped on
| uii we We're ready to leave the island, for it
IS charming hotel, with a big garden and
| raVIshing view; but got 1t into my head
tnae wanted to walk up all the Phoeni-
+, can steps to Anacapri-there are about
| eisht hundred of them-instead OF going up
| oy mere road, no matter how beautiful.
" course, Aunt Mary was consumed with
no such mad ambition, and as she had
neard that to go up the steps was like
| maians up wall, she was afraid to have
| .ie ly the ascent alone; so asked Brown
| axe me- We started after breakfast:
| anu 10 go up all the steps we first had
~ asscend to the very shore, near a palace
III. Liperius which, Is buried under the sea.
| mth an its treasures. Doesn't that sound
~, nRe fairy story? Then we began going
~ ana up: and we kept meeting peasant
s shns tripping gaiiy down in their rome
nnoes, singing together like happy birds.
inn,o sTen touching, with their hands the
so heo baskets on their heads. They were
| n nc Iul that they were more like stage
p l,raae than real ones Their eyes were
s s,e stars, and their clear olive faces
t Meae IKE canoes with light shining
| a. tit ush from behind They were dressed
III Tue simplest cotton dresses, but their
pm ana blues and puppies. put on with
oat any regard to artistic contrast, blend
1