The Monticellonian., 1903-01-01
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 CARRIAGE

An unfortunate episode few days ago brought to the attention of Amer jeans the island of Madeira, and at the same time afforded a glimpse of one of it's most peculiar customs. wealthy resident of Funchal. the chief town and seaport of the island, accord ing to an English dispatch, was riding through it's streets in vehicle called by the Portuguese a "carro, when he was set upon. so il was reported, by number of American sailors, says writer in the New York Tribune. The United States training ship Hartford had anchored in the harbor, and it is charged that these members of her crew, who had gone ashore for few hours leave, had drunk too deeply of the wine for which Madeira is famous. H. II. Byrne was on board the United States gunboat Castine when she visit ed Madeira last year. From, his, ac- count of what he saw there, the reason why tipsy sailors might take it into their heads to attack ''carro" is easy to explain. In all Madiera. which con tains little that is American, there is nothing more grotesquely un-Ameri- can than ''carro." This vehicle con sists Of a huge numbering sled, some times with a canopy, sometimes with no protection whatever against the sun. It k drawn by a team of oxen or a pair of muscular men.
 sled in St. Petersburg or Sitka in the winter time would seem practical proposition, but in part of the world, which is within few degrees of the tropics. and in the same latitude as Jerusalem or Jacksonville, Fla, one would think such vehicle an utter absurditX. Such. however, is not the case. The people of Madeira are by no means insane, and their use of sleds over cobblestones under hot summer suns has proved itself, to their way of thinking, entirely practical.
 When a foreigner gets into ''carro" he is first inclined to regard it all as huge joke. Later he changes his mind. There are two attendants. who serve as a sort of driver and footman, only the driver goes ahead and leads the oxen. and the footman walks still fur ther in the van and smears the cobble- stones with grease to give easier slid ing to the runners. As result the streets of the city are slippery and black: and in the hot sun they are filthy indeed. As the occupant of the "carro" goes sliding along. with his nese within a few feet of q centHrY's accumulation of grease he is not in clined 10 be in joking humor.
 The people of Madeira say that wagons are impracticable because their roads are too hilly. Although the island contains 3f5 square miles, and is only seven miles larger than the city of New ! York. it's highest peak is about as tall as Mount Washington. Most of the land Is, accordingly, at a steep angle. It is easier to drag sled up greased incline. these Madeirans say than to haul the same weight at the same angle in wagon. Then, again. a wagon is more likely to run wild go- ing downhll as it cannot be steered as safely
 In addition to the "carro." the Ma deirans use for transportation ham, mocklike conveyance, called "rede. In this the passenger hangs from a pole. each end of which is supported by husky native, who are able to carry one mp the steepest places. with safety that is assured by long and constant training. The two men swing together as they walk or trot, so that the motion given the occupant of the hammock is not an unpleasant one.