Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-13

The next day there was fox hunt, Of
which saw nothing but the riders, horses
and hounds.
Towards night Of Sunday, the wind shift
ed to the eastward, and we were not long in
getting under way and heading down the
Straits. We soon left the lights of Gibral
tar behind us, and bowled out before
strong wind at the rate of nine and ten
knots. The next morning, when | awoke,
we we're well out Of sight of Cape Spartel
and the A African coast, and we're stretching
away to the westward for Madeira. Yes
terday we sighted Porto Santo, the eastern.
mcst island of the volcanic group called
the Madeiras, and coasted slowly along its
eastern and southern side. 1t was very
pleasant sitting i'll the warm sunshine and
watching the changing coast-now present.
ing perpendicular rocky face Of great
height, now shelving down in gradual
slope, terraced and cultivated. Rounding
some abrupt. rocky. projecting headlauds,
circular coast ana sloping heights beyond
were developed, cpon which could be seen
the walls aud church spire of the little town
of Villa Balina, nesting in among the
green foliage of the ouls trees WE could see
ou the is!aud--possi5le m or4ngr or tn o.
i've grove. HE iil.ic place mad a cheety
aspect, most inviting. The island seemed
to be growing green under the developing
herbage, but had none of the Paradseaa
look which the reputation of tie Madeiras
would have led me to suppose We were but
forty miles away from Funchal, our port
in the island of Madeira, but yesterday
went by and the evening of to-day has come,
and we are but within sight Of our port,
with the long, sharp, rocky ridge of the
Desertas, with its little isolated "Sail Rock"
resembling a ship at full sail at distance
ON the other beam. One of the miseries
of sailing ship is that it wont 20 without
wind, and it won't go right without fair
wind-and just now old Boreas is very un-
accommodating to us. | have sat in the
warm sunlight and watched the rocky out
lines of the beautiful island, and thought
of its stores of deli .ious fruits, and some
what, it may be, Of its delicious wines. but
finding am to wait indefinitely for a taste
of either, have solared myself by coming
below and scrbblng off this, hoping to fin
sh it soon in port, and mail il to you.
MONDAY, the 4th.--All Saturday night
we lay within half mile of port, but there
| was no wind, and on Sunday morning we
got out our boats and towed the big ship
into anchorage, and when | rose, | had
sight of one of the most delicious scenic
pictures | have ever beheld. In the little
| harbor-an open roadstead-lay large
| English transport steamer and a number
| of English and Portuguese barges and brigs.
| IL. nnl MI II n a iipr
able height from out Of the deep waters OF
the BAY, was Loo Rock, surmouned by a
| tort, used AS a prison. 10 the night were
the red trowHing walls of a large fortress.
! low down to the waters edge. AIong the
curving coast aud up the somewhat steeply
sloping mountain sides, Were here packe ]
and there scattered, the walls Of the town
of Funchal, brilliantly white in the bright
rays of the sun. Up to the summit Of the
| heights the soil was erraced and cultivated,
! and the growing crops We're de,lclousy
creen-the colors dark or bright as the
| fllckering shadows chased each other over
the scanned slopes. Avenues Of splendid
sycamores mingled their lighter green with
the deeper foliage Of spire-llle Expresses
ard spruces. Evergreens and deeiduous
trees-indigenous and exotic-in vast va
rety, could be noted, surrounding the quin
| las or villas, up the slope. On the crest ot
the mountains The pine and fir; on the
lower slopes the palm, the banana, and the
troad,leaved, richly-iollaged, spendidly
nowcred, and delicious, y-truited trees o.
| the tropics. The moruiug air was sht
| ed with the perfume of the myriad flowers
whose bloom we could note, and over al
! hung an atmosphere Of most delicious soft.
ness and beauty 4 lovlier scene. it seem
| ed TO me, eye never rested upon.
The Island is about 35 miles long and
| II broad, and is of volcanic origin. IT.
centre is mass of high mountains, the
peaks extending up from 5000 to 6,0OU
feet, III much beauty and grandeur of out.
! line. These are often enyeloped in clouds
and covered with growth OF pine and
| spruce. In many places the ridges come
| boldly to the water line, presenting perpen-
dicuar faces Of great height. But between
these cliffs were beautiful slopes, coming
down to the indeuted coast, scanned with
water courses, down which, over rocky beds
pours the w.ter from coplous springs
which gushing forth high up the mountains
enables every part OF the slope to be lrrlga
/ ted-produclng the wondrous fertility thai
| is to be seen. Grapes, oranges, lemons
bananas, pine-apples, Zig, pomegranates
apricots, plums, peaches, pears, cherries
apples berries OF all kinds, and many 9th
er familiar and unfamiliar iruils-almonds
chestnus, Madeira, and other nu;s-wheat
| barley, rye, maize, coffee, sugar-cane
arrow-root--v getables III endless varety
grow here. The floral beauties are mar
vellous; geranums are as plenty as weeds
elsewhere, aud of Il brillianry Of bloom il
would be. hard to equal. Magnollas, came
las, oleanders, fuschias, sweet shrubs, 70
ses, tulips, lilies, and scores OF beautifu
flowers that are familiar to me at home, be
sides vast numbers which | have seen only
in rare collections of hot house plants, and
tropical beauties of which ! have no re
collection, are seen here in rich profusion
loading the air with perfume, at this, the
season of greatest bloom.
| have heard some of my friends IN In
dependence, sigh for climate OF perpctua
summer They could have it here. a
statement of the temperature for eighteel
years shows that the lowest range OF The
thermometer was go and the highest 10
certainly an equality of temperature very
parvellous, and perhaps uneqnalled any
where. The present winter has been one
of unusual severity, as it was throughout
Europe, but the thermometer has not gone
below 600, and thus early we are revellns
in the luxury of Strawberries and greer
peas and beans, and new potatoes, and
ripening apples and peaches.
Madeira was formerly great wlne-gro"
ing district, but disease broke ont among
the vines in 1852, which almost ruined Inc
people for a time. The vines have some
what recovered, and the new vines are no,
much affected, but the product IS only apon'
5000 pipes against 10000 in former years
Much of the vine district is now gwen up
to the cultivation of The the susar.cane'
crop which is now ripening and being mar
vested.
The Island belongs to the Portuguese, ane
most of the inhabitants are oi lha' o'lNe'
skinned, quiet, good-natured, lnaus'iou;
people. A number Of English have settled
here. and many come here during the WIN
ter-,narticularIy invnlids. There are two
or three American families here, Also ana
the Governor of the Island is married to al
American lady. The people are very eA
nert in the manufacture OF inlaid furniture
leather flowers. straw, willow. lace and han
worl,-some Of the articles being very
beautiful, and all very cheap.
Funchal is place of 20, 900 inhabitants
| -. Ike rendnp.roomS, several