The Republican journal., 1896-02-20

the two sides conceals the recumbent form
OF the occupant. Each has its mattress
and pillow, and they are in great demand
IN this land of idleness, not only by ladies
and invalids, but by the stronger SEX
one often sees robust business man re-
turning to his late dinner luxuriously re-
Ginning in his hammock, reading his mail
or his evening paper as he goes and
smoking the while. The CAIRO, or bull
lock sledge, is the oldest looking vehicle
Imaginable, like two clumsy sleighs made
of basket work, without dashers, but join
ed by their dasher ends. There is little
black wooden door on each side. and on
the door the number of the CAIRO is paint
ed in great yellow figures. This awkward
body is mounted on low, wooden runners,
with rounded ends, big and rudely fash
ioned. The cushions are covered with
turkey-red cotton, and an iron framework
supports the top, which is of black enam-
elled cloth. Curtains of white cotton
cloth drape the front, back and sides of
the basket, and may be tied together with
tapes or left to fly in the breeze, as the
occupant desires. There is neither front
nor back to the vehicle, and the team. a
pair of yellowish bullocks, may be hitch
ed at either end The yoke is of the most
primitive make and the tongue of the
sledge is fastened to it by a thong of OK
hide with the hair on. A man with a
heavy goad walks alongside, and boy
with his switch of horse hair runs ahead
to keep the flies off the cattle and to guide
them with the butt end of the switch and
ms 1ncessant cries of ''ca, CD ooa, ca para
mi boi'' The business of the man is to
keep the sledge from sliding on the steep
hills and around street corners. and he
has his hands full to do it. Now
he thrusts his goad under the runner:
now braces himself by the shoulders
against the body of the CAIRO; and anon
he runs ahead and throws down under the
runners great bag of grease to make
their passage easier. A distinctive feature
of Madeira are these sledge drivers-with-
out coats, but in clean white shirts, st1id-
ing through the streets and hurting good
natured yells at their teams. Every visitor
to Funchal must take drive in a bull
lock carriage, pleasant, but by no means
rapid way OF conveyance. All the truck
ing is done on vehicle like q stone boat,
mere plank, perhaps Is inches wide,
drawn by bullocks. Coasting is yet an
other pleasure. The sled, which holds
two people, is like the caro- cut in halves
"a wicker body on low wooden runners,
projecting little and rounding at both
ends to prevent accidents. Two men guide
each sled by stout ropes extending from
the point of each runner to the hand of
the guide on either side. Mother Gooses
melody, so dear to childish hearts, about
''Three children sliding on the ice, all
on summers day. is quite eclipsel in
Funchal, where gentlemen coast down the
mountain side every day from their villas
in the highlands to their counting rooms
and offices in the city, making distance
of two or three miles in from 10 to Is
minutes Even tobogganing at Montreal
is not to be compared to it. We went up
to Our Lady of the Mountain'' on don
key back, ascending a precipitous road
paved in curved ridges with narrow fur
rows between, where the mystery was
that any animal could find foothold
The views were sublime, the south side
of the island sloping sharply to the sea,
Loo Rock in the distance, mountain sides
terraced from base to summit, each mar
row shelf walled and planted with sugar
cane, coffee, yams OF oranges, the whole
landscape etherized by the most perfect
atmosphere in the world. We found the
church of Nostra Senhora, one of the old
est in Madeira, built soon after the discov-
cry of the island A large parish is settled
days the mountain top is crowded with
worshippers. They camp in the woods
round about and sing all night. The al
tars are surrounded with vast collection
| OF you've O1ferlngS-WaX models OF every
part of the human body, arms, legs,
breast, ears, noses, showing malforma-
tions, deformities and diseases-placed
there by people who have been OF expect
to be cured by direct interpositon of the
Blessed Virgin in answer to prayers
''Such a getting down stairs'' as was
that hair lifting sleigh ride back to Fun
chal! The almost perpendicular street,
paved with small sharp stones worn
smooth as glass by the constant passage
of sleds, was more slippery than ever
after shower that had just fallen and
passed away. The men dared not let the
sleds go their own gait lest we be dashed
in pieces; but each guide, with one hand
grasping a rope and the other holding on
firmly to the back of the sled, planted his
bare feet squarely between the stones and
braced backward with all his strength So
we coasted downward, slowly at first, un-
| der trellises arching from wall to wall be-