Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1858-03-10
sIMKINs, DURIsoE 4 CO., Proprietors.


would gladly consent to have their rest broken
to be shown such sight. And l was right.
But they saw only the shadow Of what had been
its glory had departed So intense had been
this Northern light that when turned towards
the Quartermast, and encountered the contrast
ing gloom of the Southern board, the eye was
panied by the sudden change-it was like
emerging from brilliantly lighted room into a
dark and gloomy night. These, the two en-
tremes OF light and darkness, flashed continu-
alton of the picture across my excited fancy. l
imagined those effulgent rays as emanatng from
the divine purity Of heavens advancing host /;
and that lowering gloom as but the twilight
shades of approaching night-that endless night
of misery and wo. In the North, bright forms
and celestial effulgiance and a mighty power
sweeping towards the last conflict. In the
South, alarmed and hideous demons, and cold,
heavy gloom, guided by the all-but-Almighty
power of the fallen Archangel, rising in its
mighty despair to measure again its impious
strength with the god of its early homage.
"Ah! yes; that's really grand" said the voice
of the captain, as he suddenly joined me, on the
hurricane deck, "I'm glad you called me-"
My waking dream was terminated abruptly
I turned again glowngly to tue north, and be-
gan to fill up the dissipated portions OF the pic
ture as we'll as my Imagination would let me.
But l fell far short of doing it justice; felt
that was daubing" it, and stopped Let us
now turn to Madeira and-facts, as then turned
to the captain and small section Of careadish
tobacco.
<
1t was the morning after our arrival, and we
were eating breakfast around the long mess
table.
"Comcm said the two hundred weight sur
geon. "Who's going on shore? | want to see
Madeira. W mt to ride up to the Church OF
'Nossa Senhora del Monte (our Lady Of the
Mountain.)" ooo
This medical proposition to ascend 1900 feet
above the sea upon an inclined plane three miles
long. met with very limited encouragement. a
party, however, formed, consisting of the orisl-
nator and the writer. We took two of the hard
trotting horses that crowded the beach, and
commenced the ascent Wepassed over streets
beautifully and lastingly paved with thin, tlat
stones set upon edge, left the town in our rear,
and were soon riding through, or rather ap, the
country. Very little was to be seen OF TINS
country, however for the road-still pared-waS
lined on each side By lava walls and it was only
the old grape arbors, now used to support
pumpkin vines, that ecould see over their tops.
~ rode over, these same hard stones seven
teen years ago" remarked to the Doctor,
sand then the grapes were hanging in clusters.
Now, see those heavy pumpkins hanging in their
stead almost breaking the arborS with thelr
clumsy weight"
eyes! it's almost melancholy" he replied.
"But see also that grand bed of salmon-colored
honey grapes could not haye been been
prettier than that"
He pointed to IN arbOr that was completely
hid by dense masses of green leaves and bright
flowers stopped his walking horSe-it would
Lave been cruel to put our horses out of walk
up those fearfully steep roads-and called the
attention of his horSe-boy to several dry pods
that hung over the wall.
"By George! must have some of those seeds
to plant at Pensacola. Hey, John you sabe
ret seed! Confound the fellow, he's as stupid
As mule" At last he called violent panto-
mine to assist his English, and got the seeds;
then we continued the climb There was no
level space, or down hill SPELL" to relieve the
horse after ascending one of those hills; it was
all up, up, higher still, until VIC gained the
o'erhanring church and looked down from an
elevation of $500 feet. What Il grand view
that was of the world below lis. Hills whose
whole sides were cultivated like guardenS. dot
ted here and there with houses and hutS: and
rising one above the other until they made
nile that reached our feet. The narrow anil
walled roads following their sharp ridges, the
CITY at the edge of the sea, the churches, the
forts, the fleet of shipping at anchor i'll the road
stead, the Powhatan saluting the cx-PreSldent
with 81 rcycrbcrating guns as he went on shore,
and, finally, the misty and retreatns horizon,
where sky and sea became confused, and where
the eve lost itself in vain imagninsS-likc the
mind straning into futurity. And then "the
ride down." that also was grand, though on
less poetical scale We would not trust to our
horses, surc-footed as they had proved them
selves but got into a basket seis sli with iron
runners and, with q fleet mountaineer on each
side to hold it back and guide our rapid descent,
we commenced the three miles slide, and i'll fiji
teen minutes were again in the town.
y x =
It is the 9TH of Jan. will conclude this let
ter with the same subject Which pervadel my
irst-our guests and their movements. During
our passage Mrs Pierce was greatly prostrated
by sea sickness, but since her residence of
week or more in tue palatial "Quinta," Country
housc) of Mr. March, she has rallied greatly
We hone that she will he shortly so restored rs
to enable Mr. Pierce TO proceed to Europe III
tie Spring, as he has all along contemplated.
The English steamer Styx and the two black
sea gun boats, already spoken of, sailed for the
West Indies shortly after our arrival
With great difficulty here, we prevailed upon
Mr. March to sell Us few quarter casks of his
precious Madeira. We paid $35 the cask,
and upon our return, after shaking it on ship
board for two years, will be among the few who
can say with safety, 81 am drinking MADEIRA
which has not been doctercd."
A.. IrrrnprIrNIrr RnnSTER-Ihcre are oh.