OLD SANTA CRUZ.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3252, 24 June 1911, Page 5

OLD SANTA CRUZ.

HUMORS OF TENERIFFE.

WHERE EVERYON! ARGUES.

SUNNY, QUAINT, AND GRIMY

(Specially Written for f ‘The Gisborne Times” by E. N.' Arinit.)

Picturesque, dirty, quaint, and sunny, Santa Cruz nestles at- the base of a spur leading down to the sea from the famous peak of Teneriffe—that tall solitary cone away out on the North Atlantic. There is no ha'rbor, and ships have to coal from heaving barges in an open roadstead. A breakwater is in course of construction, and is likely to remain “in course of construction” for sopie time owing to trouble with the concrete. Almost every passenger-ship that calls at the lazy little town, is immediately boarded by a swarm of deall ers in fancy goods, tobacco,, cigars, lace \Virk, parrots, eanaues, silk, drapery and fruit. The' traveller is hardly on decile (if the ship has arrived overnight) before he is besieged by boys who thrust post-card 6 into his hands, and afloat or ashore, lie has no peace from the tribe until the last whistle has blown. The promenade deck is converted into a huge exhibition, wherein are displayed finery of all’description, plugs and tins of tabacco, cigarettes, boxers of “cigars” and sundry kinds of nit-k-nacks’ and mementoes branded “Teneriffe” The haggling and humors of bargaining are immense. You fancy a pretty, cream-colored silk shawl as a. present. “How much?” you as'k the olive-comp)lexioned dealer. “Four and sixpence,” lie replies (they all speak English, and the language of cash remarkably well). You shake your head and say “Too much! Three and sixpence.”. “All right,” is the reply. You would like a couple of others. “How much for the three?” “Three shillings each; nine, shillings.” “Half-a-crown seven and six for the lot, 3 you suggest. He demurs, looks as woebegone as lie can, but finally agrees and you carry your bargain triumphantly away. * • A box of 50 cigars is pushed under your nose. They are handsomely packed, and you read “Habana” on the lid, with the name of a well-known make on the side and bands. One sniff of the box -convinces you that they are not Havanas. “Three shillings,” hazards the sallow: pedlar. “Two shillings,’ 3 you correct him. “No ; half-a-crown,” he insists. “Ah, no; too much,” and you hand them hack. “All right, two shillings,” and the “bargain” is closed. When you smoke the first, you begin to- think it possible that the bargain is on bis side, after all, and it is plain that the cigars are .green inside and want more seasoning. They are a continental make, and improve on being kept a while. Other dealeis have’ cigars which they claim to be genuine Havanas, and “not cabbages, but a close scrutiny convinces one that their goods aie probably a. somewhat better German or Spanish make. Din and distraction last all day on the ship. Gangs and coal-heavers and cai'O'o-lumpere—some of them admirable studies for the villain-in: a melodramatake possession l of the dock, and argue the point ceaselessly as they run sacks of coal in a procession to the bunkers. Heaven knows what the- argue about; each is equally convincing to- the English onlooker, who finds it expedient to get out of the way. One fellow appeared to- be so exhausted with his logic and eloquence that he sat down on the- sacks of coal surrounding the open bunker, and had perforce to listen to a more appropriate argument from an officer who approached from behind, and his logic was both convincing and effective. They argue over the side of the- ship to their countrymen on the barges, obviously from different premises, and each appears to shout- orders or to- the other, the voices being heard above the rattle of winches, the rush of coal into the bunkers, the scurrying of feet, and the shrill blasts of whistles from tugs and tenders. There is only one means of escape to peace and quiet—a run ashore. ' PINNACES IN THE ROADSTEAD.

Here, however, is precisely where the excitement commences. ''there being no breakwater, a lively well "oils against the stone-walled foreshore and makes the little tenders—no larger than a man-o’-war pinnace—heave and lurch gloriously. l 7 our boat comes near the gangway, but cannot come right alongside lest, as it mounts a roller, it should smash the platform. A sailor on the pinnace- holds her up with a boat-hook affixed to the gangway. You stand at the foot, grip- a piece of rope that dangles from aloft, watch the lurching craft, judge your “psychological moment,” let go, then with a half-step, half-jump-—a curious mixture of caution and recklessness—someone grabs you. and yon are there! Ladies who bravely essayed the passage had almost to be lifted bodily down from the platform. Getting from the pinnace to the gangway is a greater hurdle; everyone must leave his parcels in the boat, tug himself up like grim death on the rope with one hand, while someone else pulls him up with the other. One’s sea-going qualities are put thoroughly to tlie test by the run to the quay, and lio-w and again the launch cuts off the crest- of a roller, with damaging results to silk dreses. It should be said in justice to- Teneriffe-, however, that the experience was exceptional.. More often than not-, the roadstead is calm-, but there had been a succession of westerly winds at the time of the Tongariro’s call. "

SIGHTS OF THE TOWN. What little there is to be seen in the old Spanish town is highly interesting. The streets are all cobbled, and some o-f them are ridiculously narrow. Strong bare-footed wqjnen carry pitchers of water from the public fountains to various parts of the. town, and smoke cigarettes as they go. Oxen and mules with tinkling bells draw lumbering cart-loads that rattle and creak ominously. Poor scraggy donkeys stagger and sweat under mountains of merchandise piled on pack-saddles and as often as not, a rider is comfortably seated .aloft. The animal looks fit to collapse under-its burden. Even cows are used for. drawing loads. Goats browse about the plazas, and recline anywhere in the shade. You may buy a- glass of delicious goat’s milk fresrp girls;, iii the ; street., for twopence. Enter the. fruit market, arid you are besieged by stall ' holders Avho will, make you tip a ’ basket of oranges-, bananas, lemons, loquats, pears, passionfruit, walnuts and prickly pears —all fo.r a shilling. Here and there deformed beggars are to- be seen, and tlie visitor lias no peace from innumerable .urchins —poorly dressed and dirty—-who- call for r. penny. - ‘ CATHEDRAL AND BULL-RING.

The sights of the town include the cathedral and the bull-ring. The former is an old pile with a high square tower;

some declare that it is 400 years old, some 600, but there is such a delightful inconsequence about the inhabitants that -you accept bioth ; .statements, ' v Voluntary guides who appear to have nothing better, to:, do proudly show you 'the, two English. Sags,captured by the Spanish in one,of their wars with England, and carefullypreserved in glass cases. . Painted -ebony tinsel, and silver igiye the interior of the cathedral a. gaudy appeatance. and. the’’;.color effects are highly bizarre. There is much venerable’dirt, shabby- woodwork, and evidence of neglect. One derives an impression .that the building could profitably be'renovated and washed out. . Situated on the outskirts of thei town the bull-ring seats 8000 people and has spacious stalls attached for the- stabling of the animals. On- the white plastered walls of the stable every “elegant tourist” scrawls his name and the date of his visit. The spectator at the fight may choose -between sunny seats and shady seats; he pays about 3s 6d for the former and' 5s 1 for the latter, the amphitheatre being variously disposed, with a Lord Mayor’s box near the entrance. There was to be a fight in about a week, and the bulls were landed on the day. of the visit. They- were trundled on trollies through the town, and a. groat train of loafers, urchins and beggars followed the gasping donkeys- to see the pugnacious beasts released from their boxes. A POTATO TRICK.

While the Tongariro coaled, she also loaded new rota toes and fruit from lighters. The potatoes were packed in cases, arid as the slings came up a box would occasionally break, and he contents spread on the deck. More often than not-, there were swept up imediately and the case- repaired. Despite this, a good many of the tubers became scattered about the deck, and three or four youtlis were observed to go round picking them up. They put their collections in boxes and then quietly lowered them over the side to tiie barge, on the stern of which was a boy ostensibly engaged in the fruit business Here the vegetables were shot into a case, which of course was soon filled, nailed up, then sent into the hold to be hauled up to the ship as fresh cargo. Apparently the fellows on deck were in collusion with the barge-workers. One of the passengers (a Cockney from Buenos Ayres) observed the trick, stopped a box of potatoes in its descent, and commences to haul it up. “Ha, what for! These not- yours,” said the Spaniard on the rope Yes, they -were, said the Cockney ; they were anybody’s; res nullius. Other Spaniards came on the scene, cigar dealers, fruiterers, post-card boys and all the snappers-up of unconsidered trifles who ’excitedly jabbered and protested against the potatoes being brought up again. Then the Cockney commenced to argue in Spanish, everyone spoke at the same time, and the din and confusion were bewildering The Spaniards became excited and it looked as though the blade would be flashed. It was high time, tiic Cockney thought, to withdraw. That box was lowered, but'the youths gathered no more potatoes from tlie deck. NOT A WEALTHY COMMUNITY.

Santa Cruz lias a population of about 50,000, and the newer part of the town contains some fine structures and private mansions. It is not a wealthy community, however, and its chief business appears to be the export of fruit and vegetables, and general dealing with passenger slims. English is freel- spoken, and English money accepted everywhere ;shopkeepcrs aie said to welcome it more than their own currency. There are a large number- of youths about the town who volunteer information to lost-looking tourists, and appear to make a living on what tips they can obtain. Great stacks of packed bananas and potatoes may lie seen on the quay, as well as on the decks of vessels in tlie roadstead. A powerful wireless telegraphy station 'lias recently been erected by the French Marconi Company. and four tall steel towers support a series of eight or nine aerials. The station forms on<\ link in a chain of wireless communication from Eiffel Tower in Paris to Buenos Ayres, thus • “bridging” the Atlantic by fixed stations. Messages are sent from the coast, of Spain to Teneriffe, thence transmitted to Fernando do Noronho, a small island suoporting a penal settlement- off Cape Frio, tlie easternmost tip of Brazil. 1 The chain is continued by way of Rio de Janiero. down the coast of Brazil to Buenos Ayres. This means of communication is said to be considerably cheaper than the submarine cable service.

The situation of Santa Cruz is highly picturesque, and the sunny slopes of the bills grow semi-tropical fruits in grofusion. The vine is also cultivated laze broods lazily over the • valleys leading down to the sea, and the play of afternoon sunshine over the terraces and ridges is altogether charming. The spurs are curiously jagged and broken with rocky peaks, and some of the heights are frequently mantled in billowy clouds. As the ship steams away from tlie island, the vine-clad terraces of orange groves, white buildings, ridges and valleys, all rapidly melt into a purple background formed by the high massive Pico de Teide, which remains faintly visible at a distance of eighty miles.