Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-05-13
NOTES OF FOREIGN TRAVEL.
By a Citizen of Inde pc ndcncc.
OFF MADEIRA, April I'd, 1870.


Friend D. We now expect to
keep moving Tor the next four months,
touching only at the ports of Funchal-otI
which we are, Rio Janeiro and Cape Town.
1t will be four months of tough sea service,
which will make the coming home the more
merry.
We were compelled to stay at Gibraltar
several days longer than we expected, for
though the wind held fayorably until we
reached that port, it almost immediately at
ds came out ahead and detained us
for some little time. However it gave us
an opportunity to see an old fashioned En-
glish steeplechase race--run by Spanish
and English horses, ridden by officers OF
The English garrison at Gibraltar. The
race ground was within the Spanish lines,
over very good, but uneven piece of turf,
on the sloping sides Of some Spanish hills.
Four of US went out in an Irish launting
car, which is the form Of public convey
ance which the Gibraltar people nave adopt.
ed. The thing is sort Of cehicHlar joke,
which could only have been perpetrated by
an Irishman. 1t is a sort Of two wheeled
cart. without top, the seats running length
wise of the concern, and the sides falling
down over the wheels. You sit back to
back, face outwards, and legs hanging
down and resting upon sort of foot board.
The thing goes jolting along as all two
wheeled vehicles will, shaking you up if
you have not the smoothest of roads, and
making you hold on for dear life. In case
of a collision, it is your feet and legs that
are imperilled, for they project further out
than any part of the vehicle. But they go
easy, and We went bowling out over the
hard, smooth road that led out across the
''neural ground" aud into The Spanish
lines, reaching which we diverged to the
west, along the curying coasl-liue of the
bay. There were evidences for little dis
tahce, of former road in this direction,
but Spanish enterprise had not Eeen equal
10 the task of keeping ii in repair, and 1t
was buried far beneath the loose sand of
the c. asst. The hard beach, when the tide
is out, serves the Spaniards Instead, but
when the tide is in, be has to splash through
the water or numerically task the strength
of his animals by forcing them TO drag
their burdens through the close cinging
sand The spaniard, however, is not much
given to vehicles, but transports himself,
and his family, and his goods, most gener-
ally, upon the backs of sleepy mules or
sober dopkeys.
When we reached the sand one Spanish
driver gabbled most voclerousy, and gcs-
ticuated most vehementy, with small
Spanish boy mounted on a splendid gray
horse, in a bargain for the assistance of
said gray to help him through. After a
sufficient amount of talk and gesture, which
pretty much all races but the Anglo-Saxon
seem to indulge in largely, and which al
ways makes you think an ordinary conver-
sation quarrel the boy hitched his horse
ahead of ours. and mounting him, set off,
spurring, whipping and halloing at the top
of his voice. The tide was in and washed
the sides of the ridge of sand it had accu ;
muIated But our young ,ehu dashed into
the water, and our other Jehu followed, and
away we went, the water flying from one
wheel and the sand from the other-the one
wheel in depression. and the other upon
a ridge, giving us lively prospect of an
overturn into the salt pickle of the Medi.
teranean. Evidently our youngster' thought
this was his steeple-chase, and as that was
what we came to see, we let him go his bent.
But he took US out all right upon q hard
road lined with cactus, and lett us to our
original power of one horse, which soon
brought us to the race ground. There was
no track, but the course was tagged, and led
over ridges and through depressions A.
the stand ropes were stretched to keep off
the crowd, and a couple of jockeys-in the
traditional English hunting rig of rounded
cap with projecting brim, red coat, tight
pants and over-boots, and long, curved
handled whips, kept the track clear. A
good share Of the Gibraltar military and
civil elite were on the ground, most of the
ladies and gentlemen mounted, whose
movements across the field, when following
the racers, was not the least pleasing part
OF the scene. There was motley crowd
of Spaniards, also, mounted and afoot, and
deformed and manned Spanish beggars
were IN profnsion, thrusting their disgusting
stock in trade before your eyes constantly,
while dirty Spanish gipsies appeared most
anxious to tell your fortune, and give you a
cheap insight into the future.
The races were excellent, the riders being
officers of the garrison of Gibraltar. The
track was y miles, and the number oil
jumps-over bitches, fences and stone
walls-twelve. There were five races, and
the number of horses in each was from
three to eight. Most of the horses Jumped
abe distractions with the lightness and ease
of greyhounds, but here and there one
would bolt or go down after landing on the
opposite side, earthing his rider as well as
himself, but without serious damage in any
case. But always the contes..S& spirited
to the end--two or three comiiE in safely
over all distractions, and struggling neck
and neck to the stand. A good lunch and
q splendid day helped out the eo,nv,ncu,