The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-31
SALUBRl0US MADEIRA.
4 PARADISE FOR INVALYDs IN
 ETERNAL JUNE.
Lazy, Clean, Picturesque and silent = Villas to Rent at Prices Absurdiy smaii-Mahipg Social Calls in Ham
 


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 Especial Correspondence of the Journa
 and Courier).
 Funchal, Madeira, Jan. 2, 1902.
 Quaintly picturesque as this plac
 appears at first sight it improves ol closer acquaintance. As one becomes ia
 miliar with it's labrynthine, cow patl streets, winding steeply up hill anC
 down he discovers many objects of in
 terest that make him forget it's lack O architectural beauty. Nowhere else ir
 the world is there a city so we'll built from the standpoint of the eternal fit ness" in which architectural art has
 been so entirely ignored; nowhere one lazy people seem to live without work The houses are all plain and square generally tWo-storied, stucoed and white-washed outside, with green jail ousies, behind which Portugese girls sit flaming themselves and smiling at passers-by. Many of the buildings have queer little balconies in the second stor- ies, where the families receive their evening guests; their gay Portugese chatter, light laughter, songs and gui- tar music plainly audible in the street below. All this combined with the eX- treme friendlness of the people and the loveliest climate outside of Paradise, produces a most agreeable impression on the stranger and is no doubt an inn portant aid in the cure of invalids- hundreds of whom flock here from all parts of Europe in successful search of health.
 If art has accomplished little in F'unchal, nature has done her best to atone for the omission. The vegetation of two zones seems to be equally at home here-the palm and the pine, the cyprus and magnolia, the apple and coffee tree, bananas walnuts, guavas, elns, almonds, interWining their va rious shades of perennial verdure; while corn and cane-felds lend the landscape tints of green and yellow, pomegranite blossoms flush the hillsides, wines and roses chamber over every wall and trellis, and flowers of every hue and spicy odor grow wild in untold profus- ion.
 The city of Funchal shops evidences of good taste, as well as of wealth and comfort The central square CPraca, in Portuguese), occupies the middle of the ;,,e e+r at af which st r1S the quaint old forts with it's antique guns and small peaked turrets; and the other one is termina ted by an ancient with altars, door and ceiling of juniper wood beautifully carved by the monks of long ago. Passing up this street from the landing, under a shady arch of sycamore trees, set in double rows on either side, and through the Praca-of course on foot-you ma the hotels at the farthest limit of the town, on the northern slopes of the steep hiilsides. By the way, you need fear no hardships in Madeira in the way of accommodations. The hotels are many and good, and their charges are remarkably low, calculating in English at the rate of from eight to ftf- teen shllings a day. All have beautiful gardens attached and command glor- ious views of sea and mountains, and cleanliness is a cardinal virtue among the islanders. You may have your choice between the Royal Edinburg," the "Hotel Horta," the Santa Ana" md a dozen others, and be disappointed in none of them. We chose the first named, because of its home sound after T A tt, snt It turns out to be not half SO grand as its high-soundine title would cad one to imagine-moresli like an E'ngs ish cottage than the leading hotel in a ,ity- of thirty thousand residents and half as many "transients" during the northern winter. The Royal Edinburg stands in the middle of big garden, which like all the other island estates, S surrounded by enormously thick walls. twelve feet high and topped by Ill the glass bottles which it's English reuuenters have been emptying during he last decade-and that is saying treat deal for the quantity of glass l. top. The whole garden is roofed with ,owery trellis work, overgroWn with ,assion-vine and clamatis, beneath which wonderful roses bloom and cape- essamine and other flowers perfume he air. The low ceilnged dining room, with its wide-open folding doors, over- ooks a paved courtyard, extending long the back of the house to the sea yaH against which the Atlantic softly urges. The courtyard, like the garden, a perfect bower formed by skillfully nterlacing the branches of the trees, r,,L,; nf irds. Bright little Hazards flash over he sunny walls like living jewels, and Ticker chairs, set in shaded places amid Jumps of ferns, invite the lou" ger. This not a hotel advertisement, please un- erstand; for we are assured that the loyal Edingburg is not bit more at ractive than the other inns We item ze it's charms merely to show what lay be expected by the traveller in Ma eria. The air is simply perfect; never ot, though eternal summer reigns, but ke early June in New England. Just ow is the height of the season." -hich begins in October and ends in lay The house is crowded with Eng sh guests-beefy cold-eyed men who ilk of points, sandwiches, " 'alf nd 'alf'' and shooting" with their 9edy but beautifully complexioned auohters and stately, flat-footed spous- B. Every boat brings fresh recruits of