Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-12
How the People of Funchal Celebrate
the Evening Before Feast Day.
THE LANDING ON THE BEACH
What the Town IL Like-Pretty Madeira Girls
and How They Arc Dressed--Accompany-
ing the Crowd to the Mount Church On the
Evening OF the "Promissa."
Of The Evenins Star.

like gondolas, and manned by swarthy, sun
Drowned natives. The gently sloping beach is
formed entirely Of stones about as large as
ones fist, polished by the incessant breaking OF
the sea. These stones are characteristic OF
the place. as all the streets are paved with
them, and from long usage they are as slippery
as glass. Instantly, We jumped from tho
surf boat, We were surrounded by clamoring,
importunate crowd of would-be guides. oilers,
fishermen and small boys. each anxious to Sc
cure his share of the newly arrived million
aires. Cries of me guide, Caba Senior. me
have bully horse" II speaka Inglese," filled
the air and our ears, though bedlam had
been turned loose.
One in particular, a tall. cadaverous man
with aweather-beaten hat encircled With n black
band bearing the inscription in gilt letters:
,Clcerone No /, Funchal, claimed our atten-
ton by loud cries: 'Me government guide;
see my hat" We informed him in choice
American that neither his services nor the serv-
ices of any of his fellow citizens were required
and gently intimated that he could move on,
but, alas. he would not, so we were forced to
set out on our journey with a numerous and
imposing retinue of guides, grooms, horses.
boys and dogs, with a few interested policemen
in the Thus escorted We passed up
through pleasant shaded street. which leads
with gentle slope TO the plaza. On our left
was the arsenal, large yellow barracks, before
whose door dingy Portuguese soldier paced
back and forth. These dimiuutive soldiers,
for none of them are over five feet six inches
In height, may be found all over the town,
dressed in an old uniform, small brown caps,
brown cloth jackets and linen trousers Of all
shades. A few artillerymen, with red trim
mings and red buttons in the center of their
caps, like Chinese mandarins, served to relieve
the monotony OF the scene.
AROUND THE PLAZA.
The plaza is a wide square in tho center Of
the town, bordered by trees and furnished with
some very time-worn benches. To its left lies the
botanical garden, to its right "a very ancient
cathedral as the guide book hath it. The
paint is all worn away from the square spire
and the minute hand on its clock face has
been broken away, leaving the hour hand in
solitary grandeur. To be sure, there is not
much use for minute hands in Funchal, as from
what have seen the native Maderian holds an
entire hour in very light esteem. Passing by
the cathedral we turn up the Hue des Alvas.
Here We hire some very good saddle horses
from a short, fat Portuguese and start on our
long climb of the mountain side for the
Mount Church Is about z, 0OO feet above the
sea.
1t is a lovely day and far above US can see
the two white towers of our objective point
cleaning i'll the sunlight we ride on. there
is just one drawback to our bliss, our ragged
guides will persist in hanging on to our horses
! tails. Still, 1t is very easy to ride horses like
ours; We just hold on and let the animal pick
his own way, for the larger part Of the
time the road is making an angle Of sixty de-
grees with the horizontal Steep as 1t Is, 1t Is
paved with the same slippery stones as are the
streets OF the town, and on either side high
gray walls inclose us, shutting out the town
from our sight. Up this highway go the coun-
try people from all portions Of the island, all
bent upon the feast.
TO CELEBRATE THE FEAST DAY.
For we have come to Madeira on the feast
day of the year. We overtake groups of thirty
or more. all apparently merry and endeavor-
ing to enjoy their holiday. In front come the
young men, with mandolins and guitaH, rib
bons in their hats and wreaths of roses 6round
| their shoulders Next the peasant women
dressed in straight full skirts of light colors
white waists and head dresses of gafly coiored'
handkerchiefs. All wear the native Unframed
| hall boots and carry long slaves. Some drive
before then little burros, with immense loads
| fastened on their quaint pack saddles; others,
poorer perhaps, bear their provisions and wares
on a cradle suspended by broad band from
their forehead and resting on their shoulders.
The richer people go up in canos, which are
drawn by men and resemble old coach bodies
mounted on runners. These glide over the
smooth streets very easily, and being luxuri-
ously cushioned are most pleasant convey
ances. Hammocks, swinging from long poles
| like palanquins, are to be found at all the
hotels, but have never seen one in use on the
street.
PRETTY GIRLS.
At last the gray walls give place to houses and
| from the upper windows of these lean forth
| many pretty girls to see the Americans go by
| and to watch the crowds that pass. These
girls are all dressed in French style. except as
regards q bonnet. Some wear broad straw
hats of native manufacture, others shawls or
knitted silk scarfs but the bonnet proper is a
rare article. On this point they show their
great good sense, for a Madeira girl with a bon
net resembles an American Indian in civilized
| clothing.
GOOD WINE AND FINE VIEW.
| Half way up the mountain We halt and let
| our tired horses rest a moment while We taste q
glass of the far-famed Madeira wine at it's
birthplace and enjoy the view. just thousand
| feet below we our ships the Lancaster and
| the Monongahela, lying at anchor, with the Won
Moltke, a German training SHIP and several
merchant vessels, looking like toy boats on a
pane of glass thin haze hangs round the
horizon, and from our elevation il is impossible
| to tell where the sea begins and where the sky
| ends; they seem to form one continuous vault
| The town lies beneath us. looking very much as
| if all the houses had been originally in place
where we stand and had slid down the noun
tain, grouping together in the holows and
leaving all the ridges bare. Terraces are cut up
| the entire hillside and present the appearance
| of giant pair of steps up the slope, carpeted
| with green vines like moss.
We move on again up the steep stony road.
| trying to wake the echoes with college glees
| in imitation of the numerous parties of peas
| ants. The road now winds by the cemetery
| and here banana trees palms and oaks may be
| seen growing side by side, while just a little
fur Their on in one of the little gardens in which
! funchal abounds we see peaches, pears, man
| gees and camphor trees with strange, gaudy
| masses of brilliant blue flowers Geraniums
grow wild along the wayside and enliven the
] dark growth of the trees and vines with their
scarlet blossoms.
AT THE MOUNT CHURCH.
| At last We find ourselves at the foot Of the
approaches leading to the church. The steps
and all the pathways to the church are crowded
with country people carrying tapers and slaves,
| for ii is the evening of the 'Prommissa." and
tomorrow will be the great feast of the Birth
T, day of the Virgin" Every year this feast is
| held here at the Mount Church" or, in Portu-
guese, the Church of the "Nortra Seuhona ~
| The peasants come hither from all parts of the
| island, walking. some of them, the entire day
| barefooted over the sharp stones in order to
be present at this feast. The church is lllu-
| minated with colored lights and before it is an
| immense crowd OF peasants, all in their Sun
! day best" The approaches are lined with
| booths where the country women cell cakes,
! unleavened bread made in odd shapes and
| tapers
Il Arv0n pvrx-a