Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-02-20
SEEN IN MADEIRA.
a Peculiar People, Oddly Dressed. and
Scenery of Extraordinary Beauty.

4 Peculiar People, Oddly Dressed, and
Scenery of Extraordinary Beauty.
a queer race of men are these ma,
tivos of Madeira. Mainly of Portu,
guese origin, they clearly are M
ton of half castles, and the negro
GROSS is conspicuous in thoir good
natured, ugly faces, in their stature,
In their shambling gait and in their
i'll knit frames. Their morality, too,
is said somewhat to partake of lax
ity. They arc, however, by no means
fragrant Offenders and practice on
ly tho lessor vices of pilfering and
lying-they would hardly be quail
fed to come under the generic head
of dago without this latter falling
compromising, as it were, for their
indulgence in petty larceny and
white lies by q rigid economy in
tho greater crimes. Perhaps they
derive their standard of morality
from tho fact of their living on
very small island-Madeira is only
40 miles long by about 10 or II in
brcadth-for it is u noticeable fact
that the dwellerS on small islands
arc seldom given TO marked enormi-
ty of criminality, a mans Nemesis
being, it is to be presumed too GER
tain to ovortake him in confined
space to make 1t convenient to per-
potrato any very great wlCkednoSS.
Tho MadoiraS, as rule, wear no
peculiar costumes. Tho women COW
or their heads with q handkerchief,
but otherwise thor dress is about
like that of our villagers. The mon
generally wear u clean white shirt
and white duck trousers with q
broad brimmcd straw hat. When
they do not wear this, their head is
covered by piece of gear which is,
l believe, original in Madeira. In
shape and size it exactly resembles
n common tea saucer; it is made of
black cloth and fits on to the very
point of the back of the head, cover
ing, of course, only about hand S
breadth Of its surface and being
kept in place apparently by nothing
but the forCo of suction. This cara
puca, or skull cap, is put on and
taken off by u handle made of rolled
cloth which projects from it's confer
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 appear
ance of the islander with one of
these caps is ludicrous in the ex-
treme.
Another popularity of dress is the
very general wearing of topboots of
yellow goats leather by persons of
both sexes and all ages. The slipper
80 often seen in many parts of Spain
and other countries along the Medi-
terannean would hardly do for the
| steep hills in Madeira, while the ex-
tensive growth of the prickly pear
would make going barefooted quite
impossible. The use of high boots is
therefore sensible enough, but the
appearance of little girl of 10 or IL
in a pair of topboots is apt to strike
the conventional stranger as singu-
lar.
The chief interest of Madeira,
however, lies neither in it's inhabit-
ants nor in Its history, but in the
extraordinary beauty of its scenery
and the delicious mildness of its cli-
mate.
Its vegetation of all kinds is so
luXuriant and so lovely and its seem
cry is SO varied and so beautiful
that one never tires of going about,
and a return to Madeira every now
and again is looked forward to with
pleasurable anticipations.
In late years they have introduced
q railway to take one half way up
the hillside to the mountain
church, and any one caring to be
deprived of lots of fun and varied
experiences in the way of locomo-
ton will choose the iron road. But
he who wants genuine old fashioned
locomotion will try pony, a palan-
quin or a sleigh. The first mentioned
differs very little from any other
place where the drivers all fight for
patronage and accompany the rider
in his rambles DER hill and dale
The palanquin is extremely comfort
able and is much INDUCED in by resi-
dents, particularly those of the gen.
tie sex. Two or four men, according
to the weight to be carried, raise a
long pole on their shoulders, from
which is suspended either O ham,
mock or some other affair in which
the traveller lounges during the trip.
There is covering for the head for
protection against the suns rays,
and others for the body to guard
against the winds. What the major
ity find most amusing is, however,
the sleigh. Madeira streets are paved
with little. round cobblestones,
worn as smooth as glass, and. in
stead of carriages, which are only
now and again seen, they have large
block runner sleds, with hooded
tops, drawn by oXen.-Chicago REQ
ord