Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-02-22
A JAUNT IN MADEIRA.
Coasting Ox-sedge Down Paved Roads~On the
Way Santa Ana.
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cry year TO wealthy foreigners who
come to pass the winter in the Islands.
That the majority Of them are English
men may be inferred from the fact that
English money is as current here as the
native coin and decidedly more plenti-
full OF course the native money is Por-
tugese, the same as In Brazil, with huge
copperpieces, heavy as paper weights,
but Of inhntesslmal value. During the
financial depression caused by the fall
ure of the grape crop few years ago,
the Maderians subslsted almost entire
~ upon the gains from temporary WIS.,
itors, without which many would have
been reduced TO absolute penury. So Il
has come about that n great many we'll
to-do people rent their ancestral halls"
during the season, and placnrds an
nouncing the fact are as common on
house fronts as in Washington, u. c.,
but with this great difference--that
while Washington rents are extremely
high, these are absurdly low You may
get furnished house here for a wear,
for less money than would be demand
ed for n month in our national capital
Everything else Is correspondingIy
cheap-provislons servants hire etc:
and merely az a matter OF economy I
wonder why more Americans do not
spend their winters In this paradise 10
which 1.-THE glorious climate Of Cali
folnia" cannot hold candle,
We have been making visit TO Santa
Ana, on the north side of the island.
The road thereto by the celebrated
Torrlnhas gorge, is considered n good
one In Madeira but anywhere else most
OF 1t would be thought impossible AS
TO the method Of transit, we decided In
favor Of the familiar donkey, but wise
~ took In tow couple of hammucks
and their bearers for use In case OF
emergency Most travellers make all
their inland iaunts in hammoclSs, for
the novelty Of the thing but while that
vehicle-if one may apply the word
borne on the shoulders OF men, Is very
well for a short excursion II Is the
most hack-achng continuance for an
all-day trip, unless you lie HAT ON your
back and thereby miss the magnificent
views Then there Is the caro-, or
bullock sledge which the natives gem
orally use. II II the oldest looking
carriage imaginable like two clumsy
sleighs, made OF basketwork and Joined
I
black wooden door on either side. and
on the door the number of the caro- is
painted In great yellow figures. This
awkward body Is mounted on low wood.
en- runners with rounded ends, big and
rudely fashioned The cushions are
covered with turkey red cotton and an
iron framework supports the top, which
Is Of black enamellcd cloth Curtains
Of white cotton drape the front, back
and sides of the basket and may be
tied together with tapes, or left to Flap
in the breeze. as the occupant desires
Sometimes the top is dispensed with al
together but strange To- say, you have
to pay nearly double for caro- with.
cut a top-whether because scenery"
is at a premium here, or the lazy driv-
ers demand good recompense for their
trouble in removing the ugly frame
work, ! cannot say. In either case there
is neither front nor back TO the We
ficle, and the team-a pair of Yellow
lsh bullocks. may be hitched at either
end. The yoke, apparently hewed out
Of a tree with a dun axe, Is the most
conspicuous feature OF the outfit. and
the tongue of the sledge is fastened
BY primitive thongs Of oxhide with the
lair on. A man with heavy goad
walks alongside and a boy with a
horsehair switch runs ahead to keep the
files of the cattle, mot go much for
humanitYs sake as to prevent the ami
mails becoming wild and unmanageablc
under the singing pests), and also 10
Gulde them with the butt end OF the
switch and his incessant cries OF On.
ca, ca, 00a, On para mi boa The busl-
ness OF the man is % keep the sledge
from sliding wrong on the steep hills.
and "a steer n safely around street
corners, and he has his hnnds fun 10 do
Il. Now he ihrusts his goad under the
runner, now braces his shoulders
against the body Of the caro- and anon
ho runs ahead and throws down under
the runners greet bag Of grease, to
make the passage easier
A distinctive feature Of Madeira are
these sledge-lriyers. striding through
the street and hurllng good natured
yells az their teams. Naturally, they
ore without coats but the surprising
thing about their costume Is that they
always wear disnguring vests about
their clean white shirts Needless 90
say. the "shlrtwaist man has not vet
reached Madeira unless he comes oc-
caslonally among American tourists.
As there are various kinds Of car
riages between a barouche and an open
buggy. 50 there are sledges and sledges.
one variety, which holds two people,
ia like a caro- cut in halyes--a wicker
body on low runners. like The rockers OF
chair. which project little az both
ends and are rounded at the