The Argosy — page 45: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Letters from Majorca. 35 But as a rule the people of Manacor are very inferior in type and appearance to those of Palma. In the latter case, I have said that there is a certain beauty on which the eye lingers with pleasure. At Manacor it was not so. The type was of a much lower cast. Almost African features, swarthy complexions and coarse black* hair ; faces that did not harmonise; large mouths and, if you will forgive the expression, upturned noses, impudent and _ inquisitive, but not prepossessing. We were struck with this difference of type in two towns separated only by a few hours’ journey, and wondered how it was to be accounted for. To us, it made Manacor slightly depressing. These influences, I fear, have a greater effect upon me than is right or charitable. But even H.C. forsook poetry and descended to very decided prose. Sonnets to eyebrows were not to be thought of, and he became quite ordinarily and charmingly conversational. As for the town itself, though without any point of beauty, it interests. Built on rising ground it shows up rather a wide surrounding tract of country, of which the most conspicuous objects were the quaint and curious windmills already described. In the gloaming, they look like great flying creatures with curious outspread wings. I am sure at seeing them you would have quite a shuddering sensa- tion. Decidedly the most picturesque part of the town was the square containing the church and hotel. We quite thought this on getting back to it. And, when on mounting the stairs we were greeted with a savoury smell, H. C. looked radiant. Our hostess had prepared an excellent meal. The very cook him- self was a recommendation to the inn. Broad, round, and good-tem- pered, he evidently took a delight in his art as much for his own sake as for that of others. Nothing was a trouble to him. He would have sat up all night to oblige us, and did once remain at his post until midnight to minister to our wants. We were puzzled to know whether this personage was our host or merely our cook ; the landlady’s servant or her other half: I suppose I must not say her better half : but if anything, he was her better nine- tenths, It took an immense amount of tact and indirect enquiries to find this out; for if not the host, all this devotion would require a substantial recognition. In this instance we found that the cook was only the cook. He allowed us within the sacred precincts of his kitchen, which was about seven times hotter than the black hole of Calcutta. We saw, admired and escaped. It is just as well, before dinner, not to dive into the mysteries of the coming meal. The chances are that you will be disenchanted, and the best appetite in the world will — evaporate. ‘ To-night we took care not to be disenchanted. On the other hand, \" were sometimes mystified, and could not tell whether we were a 4 1 comicbooks.conr