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

crowd cf people arm in-arm In files. The
whole cortege walked with uncovered heads,
at a slow pace, and The whole demonstra-
ton seemed in better taste, and more i'm
pressiye' than any other religious spectacle
which / have seen since reached Europe.
The streets of Funchal are narrow and
steep, but quite clean. They are, in many
instances, Of steep grade, and are without
sidewalks. They are paved with small,
fat stones found upon the beach, which are
set upon edge, and as there are miles of
them, the labor of paving must have been
very great, particularly as the stones are Of
ten laid in figures. There are no carriages,
but the conveyances consist Of sleds, with
iron-shoa runners turned up at both ends.
Upon these, but resting upon springs, is
the body Of the vehicle, with cushioned
seats and curtains. The sled is always
drawn by oxen, led by boy, while a man
manages the sled. The OK is not very
fast animal, and Madeira oxen are particu-
larly sedate and easy going, so that sled
riding is not very exhilaratlng, though it is
very easy. The vehicle slips over the
smooth edges Of the stones very easily, and
when the least friction is observable, the
driver crops creased rag under the run
aers, ana that iubricates the surface SO
that it goes along as easy, If not as rapidly,
as the "greased lightning we sometimes
hear about. There is one place where you
ride on horseback half way to the noun
tain top, and then, leaving your horse to be
brought down by the groom, come down the
steep descent in one Of these sleds, over
one of these roads, at velocity that you
think, for moment, exceeds that of the
said "grsased lightning The sled is
guided by the conductor, by his weight and
By putting his foot on the ground OCCASION
ally, and though sharp corners are to be
turned, il is done with marvellous dexteri-
ty. l, beats the best coasting l ever saw
in my bovish days, for you descend in
hours to mount by another way. Goods
are transported abou; the city simply by be-
ing placed upon and strapped to fiat
board, something like "stone boat" to
which the oxen are attached, and which
seems TO answer the purpose admirably.
Another method for per oual carriage is
by hammocks, which are made more or
less fancy, with lap cover and canopy to
keep off the sun or rain. These are at
,ached to long, thick, wooden poles, borne
on the shoulders Of two men. If you want
to 90 into the country, and don't like horse
back riding, you can take hammock.
which is said to be prolific of 'sea-sickness"
to novices.
APRIL 9th. To-day, made an excur-
sion to the ''Grand Curra," which is pro-
nounced one "ot the wonders of the world y
by English writer's. Mounting our horses
with a "burroquero,' or attendant to
each horse, who by cingins TO the horse $
tail. manages to keep up with you, however
rapi3 you may choose TO go-we com
menced the ascent OF tie interior heights
of the island Up ard up we went, by roads
of ascent, paved with small pices of bhsalt,
placed with the edges upward. Almost ey-
cry inch of the land was terraced, and the
patches of ripening su9ar-caue mingled
with others of growing wheat, and barley,
ana vegetables. Vineyards We're not plenty,
but those that we passed, were developing
into leaf, aud were most neatly trellised or
arbored. Great clusters of ripe bananas
hung pendant from the broad-leaved trees
ripe Japan plums we're in proiusion figs
were half grown and plenty; while as cyl
dence of the constantly maturing processes
going on here, we saw apple trees loaded
with ripe fruit, and yet brilliant with
blossoms of a newly developing crop
peaches presented the same diversity OF de-
yelopment, save that we saw none fully ripe
though large sized fruit was on the same
trees Ivy and myrtle twined about and
covered the stone fences scores OF beau.
tiful creepers, with the azala's wealth oi
flowers and bloom, run everywhere, while
The turf Of the roadside was bespangled with
flowers of every hue. Views which we
were constantly catching over the vast
stretches Of terraced mountain sides, aud
over the vast expanse oi the calm blue
ocean, bathed in warm sunlight exceeded
in beauty anything have ever beheld.
But up and up we went, leaving the trop'
ical foliage and fruits behind US, and enter
ing region Of volcanic peaks, of pines
and chestuuts. The white qulntas had dis
appeared. and we were among the huts OF
the mountainecrs--low, one-storitd build
ings, with walls laid up without mortar,
and pointed roofs of :hatched straw. We
met scores Ol HtIIs noHiSi ''iiA StAlAAtt va
coming down the mountain side, carrying
upon their heads. great bundles OF dried
leaves and grass. which they use Tor bed
DING for their animals, aud wood Tor fires
each person carving a long, IRON pointed
staff. 10 assist him in climbing and de
scenang the sleeps. The SUBMITS of ths
mountains were cut into deep ravlnes, by
The action Of the mountain streams, whel
we're numerous and whose waters were de
hected by canals and carried everywhere
for irrigation. The geological strata evi
denced the wondroas age Of the Island, fol
beds Of lava are piled one upon another
divided by beds Of scoraceous matter
showing successive cruptlons ct varied
character. Amidst these strata were the
evidences of disintegration by action OF all
and moisture, agencies which have iormet
the present soil from the volcanic tutas
That immense periods elapsed between tht
multiplied erupions, sufficient to produce
soil and vegetation. is apparent from the re
mains of both in strata far down in The
successive volcanic layers suggesting the
probability that similar catastrophes in the
future NAV overwhelm and blot out The
present richness Of vegetation, adding bu
another LAYER of rock to the supermposee
series.
Al we mounted, our road became but
path cut into The mountain sides, where Z
false step Of our horses would have rollet
us down shelving pfecplces hundreds o
feet. And vet the bottoms and steep sides
of these raylnes were terraced and cultiva-
ted, save where the rock outcropped, or The
descending torrents had piled great masse,
of rounded boulders in their beds. The road
became more rugged and abrupt, and III
some places so steep that it vas marvellous
TO see The sure-looled horses climb it. The
atmosphere became perceptbly iarliied
and the temperature too low for comfort
After awhile cultivation ceased, but the
steep sides of the ridges were green with
herbage, upon which hundreds Of sheep
and goats were browsing, guarded by shep
herds carrying their pointed slaves, and
with ropes coiled over their shoulders to
assist their descent into otherwise nacces-
sible places Finally, after two or three
hours of lhls kind OF climbing, We sudden.
" rounded the point Of one OF the his hes,
Of the ridges, and looked down into the
"Granl Curral," sort OF extinct volcano
with sides dropping down in almost per
pendlc culnr line, 1000 feet. AT the bottom
y mountain stream could be seen rushing
out by ravine which it must have requir.
ed ayes of attriton to wear. On some
what higher level, cons ltuting the bottom
of the crater. a little village could be seen,
with its church and spire--the houses look