Santa Clara. Here every Tuesday morning is held that market of ancient origin called the Feira da Ladra, or woman-thief's fair, from the old popular idea that stolen goods were often offered for sale. It is a market that was first held in the lower town when the open space near the present Railway Terminus was called Campo de Valverde; it was then removed to the Campo de Santa Anna on the north side of the city, and finally set up its stalls on the present happy hunting grounds for searchers of old curiosities. Anything of value certainly needs some finding in the heterogeneous masses of old furniture, old clothes, old iron, old books, pottery, china and a thousand and one oddments that make up this characteristic ragfair. From a curiosity view point it is certainly worth a visit if only to see the sharp bargaining between buyers and vendors, or on the chance of picking up a rare book, or a valuable bit of old china, pottery or brass.
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