AN EXCURSION TO CAPRI.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11307, 28 December 1898, Page 3

AN EXCURSION TO CAPRI.

■ . . (By a- Jaded Journalist). -'•,' ./,- '■'- .Would it not be .pleasant if, on a damp, foggy night near Lndgate Hill, one could open a doori and step into the delicious sunny atmosphere of papri? -.Such>was-..the. jtWhught of a jaded joiimalist with' a..neural-' gib pain in his left e'yey'a' touch of rheumatism in his back, arid a general, march past of influenza microhes going on in his veins iw.hen he opened;.the'Century. .Magazine for ,: October, arid foundMr F.\D. Millet|s article ■ on the "Home of Indolence." r Gapri seems I'to'; be coming into fashion again as "lifcrary Iniaterial, for Dr Alex; Munthe, ,the,wellknown doctor of Rome"; has: two' brightly.written: sketches of its life in his: book, :":Vagariesi"' just" published by Mr 4John. :Murray; Having enjoj'ed a: pleasa-nt hour in : reading-, these > accounts^-'slightly, >. but' very, slightly,^idealised—of. the ljte of'these happy isles, the jaded journalist invites his. readers to follow him in his'excursiDn to southern: seas, with Mr'P. • D:' Millet to see ub 0ff ...". j .: THE 'PEOPLE AND THE PLACE. • ■'■ 'The inhabitants qf ; .the "rock-bbu'nd,.sea-girt isle" have long enjoyed the same peaceful.'.state, handiug on their possessions from fatherj t^.sori, ~frpm. generation -to!-genera-tion of'iiqiiiet ...existence, . while civilisation .was.(Creeping forward-.on . the mainland.:. ".■ ,T,ho simple-minded-people,' content within the,limits ; of the great rock; gazed with -unruffled spirit on the rapid changes in.the-face of the landscape, acro3s the bay, wrought.by the ''forces of modern progress. Rumours of •the wonderful railway through;:the'.lava-beds on'the flanks of Vesuyiusdid not awake their ; slumbering .imagination's 'to activity,, not "did ■ 'the hoarse roar of the great steam.leviathans, as? they-.swept. majestically across ,the gulf, stir with its echoes any desire tcrexbtiange' the, sw,eet peace of the island for ther,turmoil and, struggle'of busy life. Almost fprgotfeii in their .solitude, the islanders deyelppod; into; something like, a clan, distinctly-'superior'to their'neighbbvirs in.typei and physique. -'They^ retained in purity their .costume, customs, and habits of life, and.remained generations be-' hind' the age in" many of .'the commonest elements of civilisation. Their patois, enriched, like that of the Neapolitans,'by;-a' large proportion of eutttiral words of Arabic iorigin, kept a decidedly local and insular flavour, .which, notwithstanding the.mdderni-. ■sation of the island, remains to this day prominently characteristic of their speed). :.■■'"■ ! ..'.-•,'.: . : akghttkcture; •■- '.'V ¥- V ■: ' The .island, ,with its roclcy heights; its t-reK. lised vines and olive trees, the constant .song of the cicala on the south side, need hardly; .be described,1 but the fashioning ofthiVhouses IJ3 irortli mentioC',.. ... '...; .-■.'. ..;.■'; ..."•'

:rThe;iridigenoiis atylbiotthe^arohifceotur^oi^s the .island is ;partfy ; . Moorish/ and .pjttlly^BfH p marrjdßa-'iriitß" original ;riinplioitjr^^.v^« ; ; ; it ;decidedly\Oriental aspect,tothe place.aJßM;^j: •the villay'Nuth its terra-cottaI sphinxes ;\and;^ ; bustsand vases.' its'red tiled . roofs ;.ante~ outside walls; decorated after the Muaich'»-,*/, :shion,:,now' frequently 'breaks ;the' agr ( eeapM "v '-, continuity of the whitewashed; facades,'ana j f «; gives a garish note of false1, colour; against 1;.;. the delicate hazy greens of.tho'.t«TßX!ed..Blop«r,V? and ithe refined grey or the limestone.'chffii.,,::;.. Nature) however, is too strong to permit these -' persistent efforts-of man to/disturb her bar*;;;;; monies, and:- in'thei^great exaltation^ tjjsft.;;;, possesses the visitor as the glorious'lanpscap*:..: unfolds itself before him, : changing at every;;,-; / step, varying with every: phase o£ the.weather;' 4,// and' with every degree of the suns:progresi ii'?; aoross- the/wide blue dome of.the heavens-^,;-: in:this exaltation; which carriesiwithSitfan; ~: absorbing sense of,peace, and.a sweet,•xnvtrj'j;-;-pressible longing, the discords_'of modernisa; /.y ■ tion lose muoh of their irritating fors*.; ;'v :. ' ■X. ■:','.DAUGHTERS; OF/EVE,/;;-:'/:/-?/}/' To make a paradise complete, 'the •women 1 i must;be charming, and charming.the;girls ;;;, of Capri certainly are, judging by itlie nurA- 'p ber of foreigners who marry: them/ as ;Sfr;; Millet:tells us..: r. 'r '•;'•'. .'.•,-. vk"-";-E;' ■; In the last two decades, unfortunately. for;;;; the artist,'all .'characteristic articles of costume-.,' have disappeared, and in this.short period;has,,;:,.:,: faded away^ in a marked degree.'the peculiar.:; type of race which, belonged" to the Island,1 ; s and which was itfl great pride. Qnpe famous ':;.;■' .for.,women beautiful in form and feature, it j; /, can now lay claim to no greater "distinction in i'j this respect than that which abides with the '; .v adjacent promotory on the mainland.' .In;thig/.;;/ -decadence the levelling influenceof modernisar :.! tion iB seen more .than in anything else, s ■Tha.t*.''. healtjly, robust peasant girls/stilKperfprm ths «./' larger part of the manual labour, and arelha*;>;■ hod-carriers, the' nawira, . ahd'-'therburden-j1;^ ■; bearers generally. 'But-while, the';'t;fpe/has.; /; •degenerated in ,a marked' degree, the; Capri' girls still retain a reputation; for remarkable.'"--; qualities of; physical strength and endurance./?' '■.<■ nd for mental capacity which no other Italian^':. peasants; can claim to equal. This/deca'dence^v of beauty may be set down, first,, to'the'.pro-V'V', cess of selection which has/been" going ..on for,;;.:'-'.-many years, for. the natives sadly acknpw- / fi.\ "■ledge that the foreigners marry all the-prettyVHvj jrirls and carry them, away.; and, secondly,!;;;; 1 it may be charged to the; account, of." oom-wi,; merce,' for the popularity of the island has ;.;>,; attracted a notable immigration; fronv-LthaV^'y mainland, and this leaven .has made;visiMe 4--changes in the population. * .. ■■■••- •.'■''■•' ■t;;''-'.S *■-. ,'■' '." THE; PIAZZA. ;:-■;'. :-:':W-:{ ■ For the piazza of the principal town Aof?--< /; Cajfri we'fnust take Dr Alex.'Mrinthe;fbr/i /■;; our guide. Prom the '.dulcet flowing/of ;:his:;v ; ;; periods one would hardly suspect that ithe/ki writer is.one of the most daring sailors.insi-{ the often capriciousrwaters oftta/Bay^/of,;:/; Naples'.... But peacefuUet/raomentshayebeen-J ' devoted to: the, study of the dogs.,in^ the;?!'-„'■ piazza.;'- '••'._.• '•■;'.■■..',•!■ '';■ v-. -;■ '■ y.i t---'?™*"-.*: tike the!ancient Romans, the Capri; dogs ;;;> devote the. greater part.of their.;day. to'piib-!'■■ ' • lie life.'' The jiiazza is"their'forum,1-and. ltf-is ','£>£ there _they write' their history: When/Don''1.. Antonio opens the doors of his ,'osteria,.and'3-V Don Nicolino", barber and bleeder, steps','outV'jji -oE-his "salone," Capri' begins-a new? day;?;, ;i From all sides'the dogs then . come.'gravely'lij; walking forth—the doctor's, the tobacconist's, V>j .the r secretary's,,. Don, Archangelo's,rDonvPie-;i;{?; tro's, etc., etc., and, after a greeting in accord-;-;':; arice with Nature's prescribed ; ceremoriia];vi3: they seat themselves upon the piazza to medi-/',l; tate. Don Antonio places a couple of chairs!;//in front of his cafe, and whilst-some of themjj.i accept the invitation-to lean against tKem^V;;... others prefer the steps leading up;to .the.£' church,, or that comfortable Ibyv/the , ; h;? Campanile, to whose clock generations;have; ..:■ listened Ayith^.ever-increasing ..astonishmentjj;-;!;* .where," indomitable as the sun,: it.presses.";for- fg; ward on its own path; but, alas! not'that of..);;/- ---■'• ° THE CANINE'S.:DAY'S; WORK!.;;;/;S| To enumerate the .differeht.J'nationalities^f'v.:;. breeds, and masters of these guardians.'bfithev.;;1 piazza would be somewhat lengthy,1 and^thel,:;^ reference:: to their day's : work .'is intended ;V :i ;: skilfully'to conceal the fact that'they.-dd^nofe"; work-at-all!'-;;■'' . ■ \':--:' ',].. '■ '';l'^-.-?-/'''*.?s'.':'<:,<- i'} An Arcadian peace reigns over/their whola,',;] ■ being, a contemplative calm is stamped uppn^;;;;; their faces. And yet this peace hovers-overji;;; a volcano, like the summer whicfebrigHtienß'f'vJ the slopes of Vesuvius away on'the far;horizon;;:.-: Now and then the;thunder, growls fromithas;^1 .depths of Timberio Pagahp^. broad :breast ) s§.g: when ,HotelQuismana's shaggy: black :guar-i|"?: diaih goes too near him. Seated, on' each side ft J"i of the "fqrmacii." door, the two doctors'four-'; ft£ footfed assist ants\Etiefcout their tongues at eacK/iVv' other oh* the slyj and often enough" doV'thja^jiJ dogs of Don' Nicolino and Don Chicillo1 (tho 1; j" new barber) fall upon each other, so that tufta; Ti; of'hair flyaround. .Animosity, however/ sdonvi';.! sinjcs (down again, and cahnae'the;rippling>.pj^ wajres against,the old emperor's bath.palace.';';', below,..the hours glide away x in;,rhythmip»l}^;^ •monotony. .'.:, V, ' ■ '■• ■. ■ "..■!S,--.>',-.-K;;iV^s:i'f' '••' COMMERCE IN THE PlAZZA. "§^;si;>' SProm "morri to dewy .eve "• DriMunthflyi;;; traces the dogs' activity.; he; shows •.them:-t<i ,j ■>?£; us during the quail seaison^and in'the;tnroe3;^|-S of. political excitement' Here'.is-a;'prettyj ■;■.:;?." description of what they see in:the-.way;.ol'>;;!4 trading in; tjie market place: <~-.y.:-;:.-:- ',i •ZX^M:' ■ They watch the girls as - they stride .!p*ast';.:;';>| wi;th nnghty Tufa-stones" on their well-poised .'ss heads, Hke the Caryatideß of the -Brecthenm^/i'.v they watch the marina fishermen; bringing,'up;:;.u:i ifor"sale in baskets the.night's haul of golden*:'.']: )"triglie:" and groat ""scurmi," of: bright^ ■■'■££ coloured mussels from, some rocky reef, 'ipv^C-:.-\ perhaps a coral-spun old Roman 'amphora.-"A'^ dragged up by the deep "palamido" nets froth^fe-i out of its thousand-years-old.hiding-place ?&•:'£s the bottom of the sea. • ■':''--"> ■■ ■■■:*':}"• >Yi','%fr: :..; ;- - A CAPRI ARTIST.; ,' '^-^X Thus, with the' aid of'Mr Millet"and Wt£ y'J Munthe, we'haye been able to/ catch ;sbme";;."-fi glimpses of the: life of; oapri, omitting,'of/rT-^r "dourse, any references to' Anacapri;-.which/ /Vj ■has a cliai'acter of its own. . But even/the .';;j; briefest' account of the island wchild .be :|n-;.;v.v? complete if it did not refer to the followers:::/, of the pictorial arts, for whom the'beajitifuT.v '« 'island might almost seem to have.beencreS-;|; ';• ted. Neither of our two artists gives'iisany.".;S;: picture of any artist in Capri, so the. jaded';;/;;' journalist must draw his own recollections::;iijr: !if Shall I ever forget—he.might write^my.'vT.; .first evening in Capri, when a few lines scrib-Jf.y;; bled on the card of a friend at Florence, took cV;:'; me .into the hospitable villa of the' "doyen"|t;,;'; of the:Oapri painters?,;-^He was giving .a';;-''>'■? party; as .a matter of. fact, he is ; always giv^^i; ilig' them"; but the gathering ;on that; nig)it,::;:3i.' was one of unusual.merriment,'even,' : in,thatI;K.^ beautiful, garden, where ,the .antique>statn'e.slsW/k----seemed to come to life under. the"warm;,ligKt..;.\/; of-the Chinese lanterns hanging fromthe yinel/vfi.1 Our;, host,- who was in appearance .a mfldv.;,^! .Olympian Joye, liad asked all the ■''/brayest'/S';^ and fairest'.',;in the ; neighbourhood,-;male \oisk":?; female fainter, ,fi?her," contadina," ani\ whileg;;A; an.'old. woman a" refrain; as sneXpea'tS.'.Ji-•theV-taiinboiirine, -;two -couples stood;<fprward..'i::;?; aiid; danced the •s^ildeatv m^(!est,'.."tafantella;',V> : J; 'that-old. dance which must.have", a'direct ide-'Jik;: : scent from the Greek" Bacchanalia.; Bufy I ■;.{% must not give my artist, a 1 character, for partieß;J;-::;:.','; ' only', for the next. day I found*im "at ,work';.ii : ;* •on"1' a noble sketch, •representing a...Aedi^val■*;,,;.;; subject,; the models for which, he so ;easily):::.';.sJ • found in, tlie young' people who had oontri-;'.v,' ; ,;i»; ibuted''the" "tarantella" of the night; hofpre.;V>J:| Surrburidptl.by his collection of antique gems.v;,'|i and statues, ever adding some 1" '{"curio"-' to it,' and sending from that" quiefe«| corner in" the Mediterranean studies;' or"piq-V-'+f,s lured romances -of the. beauty, of-the .island'J.;';,;l to- the less-favoured North,-,who. wouldj.BayS:\j>i ; that the .Capri painter /does riot1 make ;;his>v.;g, ihappiiiess a source of refreshment and deught';,^* to those whose :ho'mes';are'boautified "by.;.his4;?;;:;'•: dreams, and thus justify his life,' as .one;.pf)/i;/.| usefulness to others?.. ,' ''':■■;'■'*:'{ y'::'~XSJ;-~,t) "\One could wish that Mr Charles: CaryK|| Coleman, who .has drawn a.series.of fascinat^;;; ■% ing illustrations to .Mr Millet's ; articles,;aai;| ft .the Century, couldhaveadded one.togiveiua:^;|!, some jnsight into;thycharmed;retrrement;of ; ;pi|f!j the; artist.in Capri, which he knows so;^ell4/i/||

The wooden biejcle uepcl by Blondm m h s Umous ndo Across the Niagara Palls on a rope 18 still in existence, and was sold jn Pani , not long igo lor hilf a cro\\n