Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1900-03-14
AT MADEIRA.
The Tourists Arrive February 8-Firs'
Impression of the lsland-Scenes at
The Landing-Letter Number II.
CORE spondence Richmond Palladium
On BOARD New ENGLAND.
EabrI1IrV q 900

February y, 1900.
In beginning this letter my feelings
correspond to what | imagine the old
Grecian statesman and orator ex-
p rienced when he prayed to the gods
that he might not say a word amiss.
| feel that have been permitted to
have a glimpse of a unique and inter
esting island. There is probably no
other place like it. Would that /
might possess powers of description
to enable my friends at home to see
it, but such a wish is vain. But |
must do the best | IAN.
Yesterday morning at 1870 Ma
deira Island first appeared as a faint
outline, e Isl y mistaken as a Fart of
the bank of clouds that lay in the
southeastern horizon. Gradually it
became distinct, and, as | had tx
pected because Of descriptions read
previously, it proved itself to arise
abruptly from the water. III not
soon forget its appearance. AT its
left as we approached from the north
west it arose perpendicularly from
the water, then assembled a short,
steep slope, then a long slope less
steep, then an almost horizontal but
slightly serrated line reached across
to right until the whole seemed to
mingle with the clouds. As nearer
approach gave more distinct vision
its right seemed to descend into wa
ter as its left had assembled, but still
nearer view revealed it to be even
less abrupt.
As we a-ppraaahea. we thousht not
o,Iy al the relation of Columbus to 1t
mentioned in yesterdays letter,
but also of the legend of its first dis
covery. Tradition hands it down
that an clipping couple, Robert Ma
CHEN and Anna d Arfet, fleeing from
Portugal to France on a small vessel
We're blown thither by adverse winds
and thus it was first discovered. The
enamored couple We're left there by
the owner of the craft, and, happy in
each Others love, lived and died
there, and the oldest church in the
place is built over their grave.
We passed around the western end
of the island, which with the island
of Porto Santo and three others
Deserters, neither of which we
embraces a total area of only
315 square miles. We then passed
along the southern coast and could
see the houses perched like birds
nests on the shelving terraces from
sea nearly to the summit. The read
er can better imagine this scene by
that the coasts are steep and
precipitous reaching from 200 to 2, 900
feet above the sea level, and that the
point, Pico Ruiva, is $3.50
feet and many others r as high as
(, 900 feet. We saw some deep ra-
and found most parts to rise
abruptly, others slope rapidly-none
Some of the lower hills APP
a light green color, the higher
1nes the dull gray color of
rock. No timber is in sight, but
learned later that pine and
,hestnut grow back in the mountains.
The island is of volcanic origin, and
vas once only a huge mass of rock
Upon whose surface soil has grad
tally accumulated, and even yet has
lot reached an attractive degree of
ertility.
AT las pm. the wild cat whistle
# our steamer pierced the air with
IS nerve shocking screams, the first
me we had heard it land we hope
vi 0AISAA again aLANA VIZ cGood StIli
,efore Funchal, the capital: and
delay we waited impatiently
land. | had expected warns of
to come out to meet US, but
here we Law without apparent atten-
ion from our hosts. But il was the
that precedeS the storm, and
hev were waiting only for the per
ormance of official ceremonies that
red tape. though perhaps essential
equirements. impose. At foremost
ras run up the stars and stripes to
how that we had come from the
States. At stern appeared
be British flag 70 show that we came
n a British vessel. At center was a
az indicating the vessel as belong
lg to an American line. From an
Id fort that would amount to nothing
efore Dewey : guns a salute of sew
raj guns was fired in our honor. A
man-of-war Games teaming to
Ut right, and our British colors were
as our salute A large YES
Il. | know not what, also came in
US and the coast. A steam
lg came bearing a pilot to
uide US to L stopping
lace, probably a mile from
lore, as our large vessel could not
D closer. After a time a small boat
a doctor appeared al our
de, and to him were given official
to show that we brought
it'll US no dread disease. Another
pat brought the United States con-
Il, who is from Kentucky, and he
aboard. Still another brought