The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-02-27


rlt, MADEIRA, Jan. 9th, 1896.
IS is Funchal it is by no means
Madeira. but merely the gate
better things. Having established
rers at the capital, one may
Yy delightful excursions to points
..>t reach, a new jaunt for every
fila year, and never 90 amiss of
scenery Nowhere i'll the world
.-.. multitude of charming views
rd crowded into SO narrow a
Is on this small island whose
Ie miles of area are mostly set
-e Wherever one goes in the
hurhood OF Funchal the path leads
. mp hill or down, and the scenery
nually changing. From this point,
ac4to undiscovered mountain lifts
III to the clouds; from that, new
disclosed beyond, an unsupported
yawns beneath the feet But al
The picture of violet tinted hills and
-orges is dominated by the group
Ihf- Va ptti ItIbI al IlOuIldlliS. W lll
exquisite graduations of light and
and festoons of mist trailing from
.4- 70 crag; and always, far below, the
sea stretches to the horizon.
tered all over the hills near Funchal
lc villas which the Portuguese
Lib tS call their 'quintas." In the sum-
all rboSa h., ,ffD To-
their own estates retire to them, for
a>ou Of full enjoyment of that proud
eAClusive way of living which the
4uese gentry affect. 1t is not ex-
.~-,- heat which drives them from the
I0r in Madeira, even at sea- level.
thermometer never rises above 16
U-Iyes OF course the GOODNESS of the
sphere increases in proportion to the
de reached, and one may regulate
temperature to suit himself by merely
Il little higher up or lower down.
leat many of the best quintas are
I'D every year to wealthy foreigners
5me to pass the winter on the island.
the majority of them are English
-. may be inferred from the fact that
sh money is as current here, and de-
y more plentiful, than the coin of
JmtrY. The latter is the same as in
-al. the Lisbon refs representing
init of value. During the financial
. vssion caused by the failure of the
crop a few years ago, the Maderians
-isted almost entirely upon the gains
l temporary visitors, without which
would have been reduced to absolute
a,y.
have been making visit to the
f9h OF SAINT Anna, on the north side
.t he island The road thereto, via the
.eoTated Torrinhas Gorge, is consider
d good one in Madeira, but anywhere
most of it would be thought impass-
ags As to the method of transit, we de-
Uigd in favor Of the familiar donkey, but
~rly took in tow a couple of hammocks
3ll their bearers, for use in case of emer-
seucy.
As We rode out of town, in the warm
iy air which gives one an unaccustom-
=a ceiling of buoyancy and exhilaration,
the usual concourse of begging gamins fol
owed us up the steep street; oliveskinned
faces peered curiously behind latticed
undows and even baby hands were out
Stretched tor money. The way led
through a region of many quintas up past
the church of Our Lady of the Mount,
900 feet above Funchal, whose shrine
we visited few days ago Coffee trees
till the spaces between the houses; every
dooryard is adorned with the camilla ia
ponica and hedged with fuschias, hello
tropes and geraniums. Spreading plane
trees and gigantic willows droop over
head, and the splendid coral tree mingles
with scarlet hibiscus and the snowy bells
of the tulip tree. Presently the trellises
begin, arched from wall to wall above the
Toadway, making a leafy bower under
which we rode for many miles. Some of
the trellises are covered with great
masses of bougainville in full bloom I;
others with squash vines the enormous
squashes upheld by straps; but most of
them support grapevines, the huge clus-
ters of purple and white fruit dangling
within reach. Sometimes the tinkling of
guitar was heard overhead, and looking
up we saw dark eyed senhorta seated in
little rustic house which is elevated on
stills close behind the high wall, so that
the family, screened within its vine-cov
cred lattice, may at all times see what is
going on in the street; and nine times out
of ten, if the musical senhorita be of the
peasant class, her small brother will rush
out of the quinta gate and solicit few
refs, for the currency of Portugal deals in
magnificent figures which represent small
values.
Anon we wind between tall hedges of
Agava Americana, Century plant) whose
blue green bayonets bristle on either side
of the path; or eucalyptus trees, trem-
bling above banks sprawled over by the
snaky leaves of that other member of the
numerous Cacti family known to us as