Through Portugal . of course, with the Celtic short-comings of jealousy, inconstancy, and distrust. I know few more characteristic thoroughfaresthan the road by the river-side at Oporto, called theRibeira, which is the centre of maritime activityof the port. The path runs beneath what was theancient river-wall, now pierced or burrowed outto form caverns of shops, where wine and food,cordage and clothing are sold to sailor of the open doors have vine trellises beforethem, in the shade of which quaintly garbedgroups forgather, and a constant tide of menand women flows along the path, ed
Through Portugal . of course, with the Celtic short-comings of jealousy, inconstancy, and distrust. I know few more characteristic thoroughfaresthan the road by the river-side at Oporto, called theRibeira, which is the centre of maritime activityof the port. The path runs beneath what was theancient river-wall, now pierced or burrowed outto form caverns of shops, where wine and food,cordage and clothing are sold to sailor of the open doors have vine trellises beforethem, in the shade of which quaintly garbedgroups forgather, and a constant tide of menand women flows along the path, eddying intoand out of the cavernous recesses in the ancientwall. Colour, flaring and fierce in the sun,flaunts everywhere; for the multi-tinted rags ofthe south festoon and flutter from every doorand window and deck the persons of all thewomankind. Swinging along, with peculiar andungainly gait, go the women with prodigiousburdens upon their heads. Everything, from babies to bales of merchandise, is borne upon the 8. o H O O OPORTO female head in Portugal ; and these women ofthe north wear a peculiar headgear adapted tothis custom. It is a round, soft, pork-pie hat ofblack cloth or velveteen, fitting well upon thetop of the head, the upper rim being adornedwith a sort of standing silk fringe. Such a hat,especially when surmounted by a knot, suffers nodamage from a burden placed upon it; but theconstant carrying of tremendous weights uponthe head of females, even of little girls, quitespoils the figures of the women, thrusting thehips and pelvis forward inordinately, and render-ing the movements in walking most women and girls almost invariably go bare-footed, whilst the men, except the fishermen,usually are shod ; and the females of a familyshare to the full the work and hardships whichare the common lot. Along the shore of the busy Ribeira lie shipsunloading, small craft they usually are, for thebar of the Douro is a terrible one, and the bigships now enter the h
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Keywords: ., bookauthorhumemartinandrewsharp, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
