The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-08-24
SCENES ON APPROACHING
QUAINT OLD RIO
JANEIRO.
Nature Outdoes Herself In Beautiful
Picture Presented From
Harbor.

Janeiro there gradually rise into view
the twin islands, Father and Mother
between which the ship passes. Then
comes one Of those grand pictures
which defy adequate description. Even
the English passenger, surprised out
Of his national characteristic, murmurs
after deep inhalation, There is moth
ing like it the world over"
The numberless peaks, Of purple hue.
peculiar and rugged, Of varied outline
and sharply defined, spread to right
and left and form successfully chang
ing background as one advances-now
majestic sentinels, now Elusive phan-
toms, as the clouds veil their crowns
or hide them from view.
A story is told Of the Princess Isa-
bel, Dom Pedro's daughter, who once
enthusiastically called to a fellow pas
senger, the wife of one Of the Euro
pean ambassadors accredited to Dom
Pedro's court: "Come, come, and look
at the most beautiful sight in the
world! We are entering our glorious
harborw The lady addressed, who had
been in Brazil before, had seen behind
the pictures and was not as fond Of it
all as was the princess, answered in a
soft, purring voide, "Oh, yes, very
beautiful, but 1 know of sight more
beautiful stillr' "Yes?" incredulously
and interrogatively exclaimed the
princess. Eyes, it is much more beau
tiful going out through this glorious
harbOr."
After landing we break through the
mob Of carriers, after snatching the
nearest one to take our baggage, and
get into one Of the waiting vehicles, a
shabby genteel carriage-they are all
much the same-rickety affairs, drawn
by little forlorn mules or horses. Ours
breaks down twice before reaching our
destination. The drivers are merci-
less. They jolt and joggle and swing
you from one side Of the narrow street
to the other, flashing their horses con-
tinually, especially around corners and
up and down hills, until they drive the
breath out of your body and the hope
out Of your heart with the recklessness
Of it. You VOW this is the last time,
but they get you again. Between
breaths you look to find you are going
through such streets as the First Of
March, the Marquee Of So-and-so, the
Viscount That, the Baroness This, the
street of the Patriotic Volunteers, the
Senator Something-or-other, ending up
with julius Caesar street and Jesu
Cristos alley!
The hotel faces an open square, has
trees about it and is painted on the out
dress very much, especially the wo-
men. There is much frou-frou of silk
petticoats and many long trained
dresses. The men, one would Judge,
come over from Paris. There Is just
the right twirl to the point of the mus
tache and Just the right line to the
waist of their coats to suggest it. Con-
gress is in session, and there are sena-
tors from all parts Of Brazil staying
here; also sprinkling Of foreign minis
tiers and some Of the Brazilian nobili-
ty left over from the empire. On the
birthday of their beloved emperor
these latter have masses said for him
in most of the churches. Notice is
given in the daily papers so the SYM
pathetic may attend.
Everything is extra at this hotel
your candles, a second serving of the
same dish, anything taken from the
table to your rooms, anything eaten in
<Jo 1f,,;y, 11fn q
meal hours. A bath is SO cents extra.
Taking bath here is peculiar. In
your bath gown you walk the seeming
ly mile or so of hall into the back
foyer, down long flights Of stairs, to
the ground floor, almost into the gar
den, till you reach glass door marked
"Chuveiro," which means as near as
you can translate it into English, EN-
ter" You find room, tiled as high as
your head, open above. Taking up half
the floor Is a depression five inches
deep, also tiled. You wonder where
you are going to battle. Being Yam
kee, you guess. You screw up your
courage for what may happen, shut
your eyes, pull the cord above you,
and, 10! down comes a splendid shower
of cold water for as long as you want
to hold the cord.
Upon reaching your room again you
find some one has sent you bouquet,
and you don't know what to do with it
any more than you did with the bath
room. 1t is a smooth surfaced, var1-
colored cone, so tightly are the flowers
placed together. 1t is about foot
across at the bottom and won't fit any
thing in the room and won't look like
anything but painted wood, so you
finally drop it anywhere. When dry,
you discover it was built on stick
and held about bushel Of flowers.
In the evening we dined with the
family of a man who rushed out from
among a group Of fellow brokers to
embrace affectionately the male mem
Der Of our party as we passed them in
the street Fourteen sat at the table,
and three small children were ranged
against the wall and served In the
trays Of their high chairs. Our host,
who speaks English with a delicious
30