The Republican journal., 1896-03-12

island she died in her lover arms. Five
days afterwards Robert also died The
crew of the galley buried him in the same
grave and set up over it a tall cedar cross,
praying that the next Christians who Wis
tied that spot would erect a church to
their memory Then the crew took the
galley and endeavored to reach home; but
they were driven on the coast of Morocco
and sold as slaves to the Moors. Eventual
ly one of them, a Spaniard named Juan
de Morales. was ransomed and sailed for
Spain; but he was captured on the way 10y
the Portuguese navigator, j Gao Gonzalez
/arco, who learned from him the story of
Machim and the islands they had found.
Taking Morales along and an experienced
pilot, Xarco sailed in quest of the island
and found it in the year 1910. 1t was
then entirely uninhabited, and was taken
possession of by Iarco in the name of
Portugal. \ chapel was erected over the
grave of Robert and Anna, which exists
to this day, and in it piece of the cedar
shown. The grassy valley, and the vii
lage that gradually grew around the
church, are both called Machico, in mem
DRY of Robert Machin. At one time the
town rivaled Funchal, but is now hum
BILE farming and fishing village. A few
barefooted, poverty stricken peasants Gull
boats lie on the beach; and an old fort, half
hidden 10y overhanging plane trees, points
the cobwebbed muzzles of diSmounted
guns at distant vessels, the only garrison
being lean Senior and his portly wife,
with their swarm of children, who appear
To be caretakers of the place. Several
quintas are scattered about the valley,
and on spur projecting from the noun
tain side are the gray ruins of a nunnery
which the abolition of converts through
out the Portuguese dominions left roof
less and desolate.
From the Wine producing district Of
Estreito, we returned to Funchal by way
of the Grande Culral das Frieras, the is
land Yosemite, and one OF the grandest
bits of scenery to be found on the face of
the earth. For the first few miles the
road leads through 4 forest OF ancient
and gold make the welkin ring with their
bursts OF melody. Then the saw-tooth
hills begin, up and down which our ham
mock bearers trotted gaily. Nearing the
top of the largest and steepest incline,
they reversed ends Of the hammt Ok, as if
10y accident, so that we could see nothing
OF the trail ahead, Then, suddenly swing
ing around, they cried Mira Senhoras,'
G.ook ladies' and the surprise was com
plete. We were on the very brink of an
appalling canon, the Curra!, whose sides
run straight down nearly 3 900 feet.
There is no use trying to describe in
words that truly ''Royal Gorge" At
to the sea. At one end, the rugged
ridges that enclose the canon shoot up in
needle like plnnacles, 1000 feet higher
than the surrounding walls; and in the
centre, on small green plateau. far, far
below, stands the white church of Nossa
Senhora de Liveramente, surrounded by
the matched roof of hamlet which from
our point of view looks like the flat pic
ture in the bottom of a teacup. The Cur
raj is not 50 lengthy gorge as our
Yosemite, but the resemblance is striking
There are the same steep precipices, the
same sublimity in the grouping of peaks
to produce within a narrow compass an
overpowering effect. Here the massing
Of light and shade is superior, presenting
contrasts of terrific strength as cliffs pro-
ject into space, ruddy as living Goals in
the blaze of sunset while the ravines re-
cede into unfathomable depths of mys-
terry and gloom. The sky is deeper blue
here than ever seen in our own climate,
and the local coloring more varied and
rich.
A mile farther on we looked down into
another stupendous canon, that of the
Sierra d Agoa, which runs from the Cur
raj to the sea in the form of right angle
and is hardly secondary to it in sublmity.
Winding along the narrow dyke that sepa-
rates the two gorges, we come to place
where the dividing rocks are less than 20
feet wide. On either side of this terrible
trail is canon, 1000 feet deep. the most
astonishing and impressive view ! have
ever seen. Skirtli 9 the perpendicular,
cascade washed sides of the mountain
called Pico Grande we descended into the
depths of the Sierra d Agoa 1t is denseiy
wooded with primeval forests of the
grotesque til tree, which is found no.
where else in he world but on this island
and in the Canaries A circuitous path
leads out of the gorge on the other side,
to the top of the ridge, along which We
RiIi0,,sness