1880 Facts about Port and Madeira by Henry Vizetelly

50

In, the Port Wine Country.

spread popularity. The following sufficiently close translation of its opening stanzas, which include the hues just quoted, will give a fair idea of the quality of the ditty:—

"Young Mariana, poor little thing. Her petticoats trail in the mire; I have told you a thousand times— 'Lift up your skirt, little Mariana.' "Mariana says she has

Seven petticoats with stripes— 'Tell the truth to your lover, And no more deceive him.' "Mariana says she has (Oh, my love!) Seven petticoats of cambric— ' Lying Mariana, You know you've not A single one.'"

Among the singers we detect many countenances the exact counterparts of faces met with in Sligo and the wilds of Con- nemara. Jewish faces also are not tmcommon,while as regards the few moderately good-looking women, it is evident that Moorish blood courses through their veins. The latter have the firm and graceful carriage,the almond-shaped eye and straightish ■eyebrow, the regular white teeth, and rich transparent olive complexion peculiar to their race. Several of them—bare-legged, coarsely clad, uncleanly, and unkempt though they were—^wore handsome filigree brooches and earrings of antique mauresque design, it being a common practice with women of their class to invest their savings intrinketsof this descriptioninorder toescape the importunities of impecunious relatives bent upon borrowing from all who are known to hoard. While the women are busy gathering the grapes, the men, with heavily-laden baskets, con tinue ascending the steep steps at the ends of the taller terraces —which are frequently twelve feet inheight—and file off with their burdens to the lagares, the largest of which has to be filled by noon. Across this lagar planks are placed for the vintagers to walk on when shooting the grapes into the remoter comers, whereby the cmshing of the fruit aheady in the lagar and any premature fermentation of the juice thus exuded is avoided.