The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-01-30
MADEIRA.

Special correspondence OF i he journal.
IT. NtHAL, MADEIRA, Dec 20, 1901.
truth of the old saying that hui
...a beings are like sheep in blindly
A. owing the lead of beQ-wether is
we'd anew in the fact that our
s,ny countrymen, while searching
world over in quest of novelty and
lection of climate, have quite neg
Ted these Isles of eternal June, where
Nty and healthfulneSs are wonder
combined. Even the de-books
I'VE passed them by unnoticed; and
cannot read up to advantage on a
rect about which almost nothing
uren written. In the United States
most that is known of the Madeiras
uten III connection with abscond-
.lohlers and other defaulters, who
these islands haven of refuge
eXtradition cannot touch them.
eame about. long ago, that when
t.oWgate Tweed or other illuStri-
tu-away was badly wanted the
place searched was the ocean
Nly leading to this port. TO this
IS unsafe to ask questions of
.- -oupatriots in Madeira, and the
ID discretion is to avoid illusions
home-comtry. There are Ameri-
aere, of means and standing,
apparently blameless lives, who
aot So much as set foot on d vessel
hagbor. Tor fear of arrest for
ume committed Years ago across
road Atlantic.
ST. let MS get our bearings we'll in
The little archipelago, of two
.ut, islands and three bare rocks,
- inst about midway between the
.iries and AZoIes-four thousand
IS due east from Charleston, South
ina. and a little more than three
ned miles from the western coast
africa No steamship line makes
lup direct from the United States
Madeira The Portuguese Company,
.resa lnsulana de Navagacao, which
pfhces in New York, comes nearest
and you may 60 by sailing vessel
lu New York or Boston in about
.-pty days-a trip which is particu-
recommended for consumptives.
easy enough to visit Madeira while
Oe Mediterranean trip by breaking
soyage at the Azores. Gibraltar or
Ier, and transferring yourself to
ucal coasting line, Of which there
dozens.
.a main slaud-which the discover
ued MADEIRA, the Portuguese
tul certain beautiful tree on
..Ut at its mighty forests of that
D.nr tim0eris approximately thirty
- mHts long by twelve wide. Like
"T-ioOrS. the Azores and Canaries.
a- thrown up from the Atlantic by
.l.r forces at a comparatively re-
.- period perhaps when Atlantis
- cont 1T sight; and the ancients
>ueu it among the other isles of
. Hest. wherein was Paradise. Late
Milton wrote, you remember that in
adlse Lost he made the sun set in
Hla- me WesteInmOst limit of the
Island IS OF magnificent outline,
Il with lofty mountains which
..uptly into the sea at either end.
ing to sAoreward a series of
. pIeeipiceS, detached rocks of
.-'y shapes and rich volcanic
I34S A serrated ridge, six thou
ieet tigh-so deeply grooved and
rr.~d that it looks like stipend
.= fortress with bastions and pin
.ts-eXtends from end to end of the
0 From this backbone, SO to say,
Hr enormous ridges, set at almost
-uiar intervals, run down to the
on all sides, with deep valleys be-
-en them, every foot of which is
cultivated, from the waters
to the central peaks. The sea
.Il line of every valley is indented,
mig a small, semicircular bay be
-a the beadlands; and around the
.r Of each bay white walled vii
g s. scattered, amid groves and gar
Both III the valleys and on the
Hntain slopes the land seems to rise
4ttural, narrow terraces; and all the
races are covered with the most
sUlant vegetatiOn-the golden yell
of sugar-cane, the dark green of
tre and orange groves, and the
ouuding vineyards from which the
llas wine is made. Sugar mills
tt vine presses dot the shore,
picturesque road winds around
= whole island, following the innu-
-.able curvings of the coastline In
ares the road is narrow shelf, cut
down on the face of the cliff; anon
mounts far up the dizzy heights; then
lbs around rocky headlands, through
ales lighted by narrow Sits blasted
# the solid rock; and again it leaps
the raging surf. Looking at this
uyrful road from shipboard, you
uSe yourself that, once ashore, no
shall be wasted before you traverse