The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-10

About three hundred and fifty miles oil the African coast, opposite the Sanara Desert, rises a chain of volcanic noun tains from the deepest part of the AL lantic.
 On the peak of one of them, as high as the Himalayas, is Madeira. It is about thrice the size of Staten Island, broken into fairyland of smaller peaks, yet above the sea twice as high as the Ad- irondacks, with the oceisn breaking against the highest cliffs of the world.
 In places there are sandy little beaches and everywhere between the mountains, resting upon the mighty submerged noun" tain range, twenty thousand rect Tn depth under the sea, are vineyards and gardens in tropical luxuriance.
 During his recent Mediterranean voyage in his yacht Niagara. MT. Howard Gould spent Christmas at Madeira, and found it one of the most interesting spots in the world.
 It exceeds all that I had ever imag- ined after reading the reports of many eminent travellers. It's beauty fully jus- tifies MT. Anthony J. Drexel Biddle's es- innate in his "The Land of the Wine." The approach to Madeira by ship in fair weather affords one of the most sublime and beautiful spectacles to be witnessed anywhere in the world.
 Before the sea-weary vision the verdant mountain isle towers in a glistening haze, and appears like some ealm of enchant- ment that might readily be looked upon as the kingdom of Neptune. It is only when the ship enters the Bay of Funchal and draws near to white and yellow city, stretching inland from a curving beach, through a valley and up the gen. tie slope of surrounding hills, that the wondering beholder can fully realize that he has come to the habitation of man and not of gods or of water sprites
 Beyond the hill-inclosed city the moun- tains rise precipitously in countless ranges and lift their snowy summits in- to the regions of mist Fleecy clouds drifting across the rays of the sun cause play or strange shadows upon these monsters of earth and rock
 The highest mountains rise more than i've thousand feet from the sea- From the summit, overlooking the island and ocean for miles on every side, one sees mighty chaos of mountains and ra vines stretching below, away and afar: the apysses that seem to reach into the center of the earth suggest the entrance to the internal regions described by Dante It is an awe-inspiring sight. this COLOSSAL volcanic upheaval, and especially So "hCh SSeu at sunrise or sunset,
 At either the beginning or close of day the great powders and cliffs grow fiery red like living coals, and the basalt sides of the precipice shine as with the gleam from mighty subterranean fire. There are moments when the entire island seems wrapt in an entire confagration and the enect upon the beholder is strange and startling beyond description.
 Few Roads or Horses.
 Madeira has few roads, few horses. wagons or carriages. Paths and noun tain trails are the highways of the is- land. and there are three modes of trav- elinK-by rede. a hammock swinging be- tween two men; by carro, a bullock cart drawn by oxen; also by a tobogganing sledge for rapid travelling down mouh- tain slopes.
 Owing to inexperience, newcomers al- most invariably pass the rede with cu- rious. suspicious glances and select the carro for their transportation with de- gree of self-satisfaction amusing to one who has already learned what will be subsequently discovered that the rede is the superior conveyance for ease and comfort, and equally safe as a bullock car. the hammock bearers being remark ably fleet and sure-footed.
 The fare in Funchal, the capital city is 40 cents an hour for the two men bear ing the hammock. By the month the rate for any part of the island Is but $20 Men may be hired permanently to work as gardeners and servants when not carry ing hammocks for about $11.5O each per month.
 Mir Riddle says similar conveyances are used in China and Japan, and the palan- quin of India just escapes being identical, but the Madeiran rede Is of solid comfort and fin outward appearance superioir to anything of It's kind. The hammock bearer has the strength of an OK and the en- durance of an Indian and will ascend hills and mountains twice as fast as an Ameri- can can travel unincumbered on foot The natives apparently like the employment. for in the hottest days there Is a crowd of applicants.
 "Solid Comfort"
 The hammock itself Is cushioned. cur tained and swung from a long pole, which is carried at either end on the shoulder of rede man. With it's pole and trap pings it weighs ahout 130 pounds. and to this burden Is added the weight of the passenger. yet all is carried with re- markabie ease by the bearers.
 Their gait, which may be described as the Maderian walk Is quite peculiar to these islands-along, loping stride. Both body and legs are kept straight the shoulders well thrown back In walking the legs are alternately swung loosely for