Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-06-22


alone comes into the scene when we see
the Sled drivers-without coats bu. with
clean white shirts-strding through the
streets, hurting many good-natured yeIls
al their bullock teams. Every visitor to
tunchal must take a drive in bullock
carriage. As he is driven out of the town
and is slowly drawn up the steep street
In the warm. still air. perhaps u guitar
sounds over wall and he sees the black
hair and eyes of Portuguese girl seated
In rustic house. which is raised so as
to allow her to observe the passersby
from behind trelis covered with grape
vines Ii she be peasant girl, her little
brother will run Oh, at the garden gate and
follow your sled with open hand, begging
Tor few refs, or rather a few thousand
ieis. Tor the currency of Portugal deals
IN magnificent figures which unfortunately
90 not often serve more substantial pur-
pose than to give a sound of wealth to
what Is but bare sufficiency.
Where the Villas Abound.
There are few regions in the world where
such beautiful natural views, and so many
OF them, are to be had ais from the hills
above Funchal. AS one goes higher the
scene changes continually-a new rayine A
new cliff, distant mountain appears. Then
there Is always above one the cloud-capped
PEAKS, and down below the little white city
d,
whence the faint cries OF the streets barely
reach the quiet of the hills above
Scattered through the city and the region
ABOVE 1t are what the Portuguese call their
qulntas. that is their villas, many of which
are leased every year by wealthy foreigners
who come to the island to pass the winter.
In summer the more well-to-do of the
portuguese, who own quintas on the noun
tain. withdraw to them to enjoy few
months or country life and to escape from
the heat of the town. The GOODNESS of the
atmosphere Increases in proportion to the
altitude reached. so that almost any tenn
perature may be had on the island without
much trouble
All classes of people in Madeira are
cleahiy IN their person and In their sur
roundings. The city of Funchal is kept
clean. and the fastidious foreigner need
rear no such discomfort from disagreeable
smells as he sometimes experiences in 9TH
ec Latin cities. This may be due TO the
efficiency OF the city government, which
consists OF board of seven aldermen and
president, all Of whom are elected by 1op-
ular vote The governor of the islands is
Funchal in a palace built like a military
barrack. with turrets. and incIosing a
large courtyard. We had the pleasure of
meeting the governor and his wife and of
enjoying their hospitality. which we were
told was always extended to foreigners.
The Famous Wines.
A land where the people are pleasant.
our spring-(the thermometer rarely going
below GO degrees or above 76 degrees Fab
renheit, except on the mountains)-and
where nature is always beautiful. is surely
well worth visit: but even with the men,
tion OF all these attractions, Madeira Is not
yet done justice to. We must add to the
list the famous and delicious wines that
She produces. These are not the favoriteS
that they were in former times. though the
reason for this is hard to find. England
for long time used to smack her lips and
sing songs to old Malmsey, but about fifty
years ago believed that she had discovered
the superiority of sherry to Malmsey, and
the people of influence there started the
fashion of drinking the former in prefer
ence to the latter In America TODAY Ma
deira is but little drunk, and the exporta-
ton OF the wine from the island to this
country amounts to less than $4,000 worth
annually Probably three times as much
as this was imported by us before the re-
bellion.
Vintage time on the island Is from the
middle OF September to the middle of Octo-
per- ana IS the busiest and gayest time of
the year Inc peasants, when not hard at
work among the heavily laden vines are
doegerel poetry
The wine industry of Madeira at present
amounts to about $500 pipes annually, of
Y hich nearly $500 are exported Before
49,, when the oidium disease first at
lacked the grape vines. and for the next
tch SSdiS hepl tueH almost dnnlhlldted,
the yearly harvest of wine used to amount
to from 23,OoO to $1,000 pipes. 1t was by
the importation of American vines, which
resist the oidium disease, that the success
1uI cultivation of the grape was resumed in
Madeira. But the wine that is made there
today Is not to be depended on as perfectly
pure unless bought from a few merchants
of unimpeachable reputation
VI the sights peculiar to Madeira there is
one that deserves especial mention-that is
the furious sleigh riding that is done there,
notwithstanding the complete absence of
snow and the perennial heat. The best
known course for these dry tobogganings
Is on the street which leads from the town
up the mountain to a large white church
with two towers, known as the Church
of the Mount. One comes plunging down
this street in a basket sled with two Por-
tuguese literally flying alongside ard guild
ing ones sled by means of short ropes at
tached to the front of it's runners.
All the streets of Funchal are so COM
pactly paved with the small cobblestones,