Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1895-10-17
SEEN lN MApEIRA. Z
a Peculiar People, Oddly Dressed, and
Scenery of Extraordinary Beauty.

Peculiar People, Oddly Dressed, and
Scenery OF Extraordinary Beauty.
A queer race of men are these ma
tives of Madeira. Mainly of Portu-
gueseI origin, they clearly are a nation
of half-castes. and the negro cross is
conspicuous in their good-natured.
ugly faces, in their stature, in. their
shambling gait, and in their ill-knit
frames Their morality. too, is said
somewhat to partake of laxity. They
are, however, by no means fragrant of
tenders, and practice only the lesser
vices of pilfering and lying-they
would hardly be qualified to come un-
der the generic head of dago without
this latter failing-compounding, as it
were, for their Indulgence in petty
larceny and white lies by a rigid
economy. in the greater crimes.
Perhaps they derive their stand
ard of morality from the fact
of their living on very
small island-Madeira is only forty
miles long by about ten or twelve in
breath-for it is a noticeable fact that
the jewellers on small islands are sell
dom given to marked enormity of crimi-
nality, mans nemesis being, it is pre-
sumed, too certain to overtake him in
q confined space to make it convenient
to prepetrate any very great wicked
ness.
The Madeirans, as q general rule,
wear no peculiar costumes. The wom-
en- cover their heads with handlier-
chief, but otherwise their dress is about
like that of our villagers. The men gen.
orally wear a clean white shirt and
white duck trousers with a broad
brimmed straw hat When they do
not wear this, their head is covered by
piece of gear which is, / believe, origi-
nalin Madeira. In shape and size it ex-
actly resembles a common tea saucer;
it is made of black cloth, and fits on to
the very point of the back of the head.
covering, of course, only about a hand
breadth of its surface and being kept
in place apparently by nothing but the
force of suction. This .'carapuca," or
skull cap, is put on and taken off by a
handle made of rolled cloth, which pro-
jects from its center and stands up
from the wearer's head. This handle
Is as thin and half as long as the stem
of a long clay pipe, and the general APP
pearance of the islander with one OF
these caps is ludicrous in the extreme.
Another popularity of dress is the
very general wearing of top boots of
yellow goats leather by persons OF
both sexes and all ages. The slipper
so often seen in many parts of Spain
and other countries along the Mediter-
ranean would hardly do for the steep
hills in, Madeira, while the extensive
growth Of the .prickly pear would
make going barefooted quite impossi-
Bile. The use of high boots is there
fore sensible enough,l but the appear
ance of little girl of ten. or twelve in
a pair OF, top boots is apt to strike the
conventional stranger as SINGULAR. '''''
The chief interest of Madeira, how.
ever, lies neither in its Inhabitants nor
in it's history, but in the extraordinary
beauty of its scenery and the delicious
mildness of its climate.
Its vegetation of all kinds is so lux
uriant and so lovely and it's scenery is
so varied and so beautiful that one
never tires of going about, and re
turn to Madeira every now and again
is looked forward to with pleasurabl
anticipations. V5.g' ulr" l!l:'I e q n.
In late years they have introduced. q
railway to. take one. halfway up the
hillside to the ''mountain church." and
/ anyone caring to be deprived of lots
of fun and varied experiences in rtht
way, of locomotioni will choose tht
t,.Hx Rp1f hn hN -
genuine old fashioned locomotioI
will try pony, a palanquin, or
! sleigh. The first mentioned differs
very little from any other place where
the drivers all, fight for patronage nc
accompany the rider in his ramble.
over hill and dale. The palanquin l.
extremely COMFORTABLY and is nnncf
indulged in by residents, particularly
those of theJgentleI sex.y Two to -four
men, according to the weight to, b,
carried, raise a long pole on theil
shoulders, from which is suspended
either ahammocb or some other affai
in which the traveller lounges during
| the trip. There is a covering for tn,
head for protection against the, sun
rays, and others for the body to guart
against the wind. What the majorit,
find most amusing is, however, TIL,
sleigh. Madeira streets, are paved will
little. round +eobblestones, worn "a
smooth as glass, and, instead Of car
riages, which are only now and again
seen, they have large block-runne
sleds, with hooded tops, drawn b.
oxen. Chicago Record. .og,ly4 a.iNHll
Saved by His Mileage Ticket. "
Mileage tickets in Berlin go by tn,
name of "kilometerheft," and thu
stamped stubs show exactly when anf
where the holder of the ticket was a