The Coolidge examiner., 1935-09-06

Tic liners stop at the AZorlan cap
ital. Ponta Delgada and Horta,
with their adequate artificial break
waters, are havens for ships In need
OF fuel, provisions, or repairs.
Cruising ships crossing the North
Atlantic now and then include the
Azores on their itinerary.
To the quarter OF a million Azor-
ians their temperate, agriculturally
productive archipelago Is a COM
plete little world in itself. For
their food supply these islanders
are practically Independent Of lands
beyond. They produce their own
cereals, vegetables, fruits, meat,
milk. butter. cheese, and eggs. They
make sugar from the beet, spirits
from the sweet potato. press their
own grapes into wine, roll their
own" tobacco, "curl their own" tea.
Their seas abound in fish.
Their buildings are constructed
from the volcanic basalt of the Is
lands. Furniture Is made from ma
tive woods. They manufacture linen
from homegrown flax and wooden
garments from sleeps wool. Lux
urles are imported, chiefly from
the Portuguese mainland; but
should every ship sailing these seas
fall to call at the western Is
lands" the Azorlans could survive.
Ponta Delgada's religious festival
In honor of Santo Crlsto dos Mil
agres (Our Lord OF the Mlracle),
| is one OF the Azores most striking
feasts TO tourists. The devout wor-
ship an image called locally "Sant'
| Crlst'." This image, revered for
nearly 400 years, is remarkable for
the number of precious stones with
which II Is adorned. When a ma
tive of Sac Miguel prospers in the
New world, a portion of his first
savings Is usually sent to his be-
loved SAINT Chris.
The festival begins on a Thurs
day with the arrival in town OF
farmers bringing 80 head OF cat
| tie to be slaughtered as meat for
the poor. Banners wave; rockets
| shoot skyward In broad daylight; a
band plays.
Worship With Skyrockets.
On the following day the meat,
with bread. is blessed and dlstrib-
uted. On Saturday the sacred i'm
age is conveyed with ceremony from
It's home In an old convent to the
Church OF Esperanca (hope), next
door. That night thousands kneel
before It. Not only from the rural
district OF Sac Miguel, but from the
neighborlng island OF Santa Maria,
worshipers flock TO the capital.
The facade Of the church CLOVIS
with electric lights, adjacent build
ings on the public square are H.
Illuminated, and a line OF flaming
arches stretches across the streets.
There Is a band concert, with fire.
works and rockets, the latter be-
Ing closely associated with religious
ceremonies in all Portuguese lands.
On Sunday afternoon comes the
procession, when the image, accom-
panied by the clergy and hundreds
OF laymen, Is conveyed through the
city and back to the convent. Men
and women of distinction, of the
middle class, Of the peasantry, all
participate. Embroidered hangings
drape balconies. The streets are
strewn with Incense (PittospOrum)
leaves, aromatic fennel, and fresh
blossoms. All kneel as the image,
under It's canopy of natlve-made
feather flowers, is borne past.
One Is disappointed that so few
old native costumes are to be seen
on the streets during those festival
days, but glad that one, at least.
still survives. 1t Is the capOte
capello, distinctly AZorian, the wom-
ans long, dark-blue cloth cape, cir
cular in shape, with a large hood
of the same material, resembling a
coal scuttle 1t Is amusing to see
two capotes stopping for a friend
~ gossip. The scuttlers meet and
only gesticulating hands are visible.
The shrOuding Of the wOman's
head and shoulders is a relic Of CEN
turies Of Moorish rule on the Ibe-
rian peninsula. This particular gar
ment may be of Flemish origin,
brought by early colonists from
Flanders. Some AzOrians believe 1t
owes its being to the period when
these islands were ruled by Spain.
The hood is not always the same.
being larger on the islands Of Santa
Maria and Sac Jorge. more stiffen-
ing with buckram and whalebone
in Fayal. The young moderns scorn
It; but, conservative. convenient.
protective, and long-lived, It is still
worn by some of the older women,
especially for early mass. IF the
wearer happens to see somebody on
the street whom she wishes to
avoid, presto! the hood Is pulled
farther forward and she Is within
her own fOrtregg