The Argosy — page 69: what you’re looking at

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

54 Letters from Majorca. fidelity there is in the dumb creation. Is it because with them feeling cannot evaporate itself in words ? At mid-day we reached the engine-house, and the offices of the Albufera. Here we lunched, and met with another cordon bleu of nature’s own making ; a born cook of the masculine persuasion, as someone has it, who treated us to chefs-d’ceuvre and delicacies : an eel stew, par excellence, that no Soyer could have rivalled. The canals here abound with eels, and at any time you may go out and capture a provision sufficient for an army. These, the two hottest hours of the day, we spent in the cool shelter of the large and picturesque office. Doors and windows were open; a gentle current of air fanned one’s fevered brow. After luncheon this was delicious repose ; the true dolce-far-niente sensa- tion of the Sunny South. But I only was lazy. Mr. Bateman sat at the table writing letters, examining charts, entering into details with his people. I cultivated the open window ina lounge, looking out upon the fair world. Listen- ing to a faint rustling in the leaves that might have been taken for the far-off sound of the sea. Watching the reflections of trees and bending reeds in the broad canal that stretched far downwards to the left. Admiring the wide, well made road that ran beside it, the long row of graceful trees that turned it into a sort of park-like avenue. And, of course, I pondered upon the diversity of human wisdom. How to one is given the gift of healing, to another the interpreta- tion of tongues; how strangely each finds his vocation, falls into his own niche in the world, goes his separate way: so that the result makes both ends of the earth meet, as it were, at the close of the year. So striking was the picture, so unlike anything to be found else- where in Mallorca, that to photograph it was a necessity. As usual, I shall send you the result. At the far end you will observe the buildings of the Albufera: the engine-house with its ponderous machinery and its great water-wheel ever turning for purposes of irrigation. Just after this we passed a row of men in the small canal to the right. They were naked, and up to their waists in water, with skins as brown as those of men who live far further eastward than this little island. It was their work to clean out the canal, and to judge by their slow progress, and their struggles, their task must have been a hard one. The work is always going on in the Albufera, and as soon as one dyke or canal is done, they begin upon another. So you see that to superintend and survey and manage such an estate as this is really a life’s occupation. Labour is incessant, and thought and judgment have to be brought into constant operation. In Mallorca, too, you have to deal with a singular race. It re- quires tact to manage them; a firm hand; immense decision of character ; a fixed purpose. Above all, it is necessary to establish CONNICLMOO KS. © m