Mexico weekly ledger., 1904-07-28
THE GREAT SEA AND
THE HOLY A N
By John T. Mason. Letter No. /

was built In 1900; and is modern ii
every respect. The state rooms ar
large and commodious. The prone
made decks are broad, and furnish
plenty OF room for outdoor exercise
1t is one furlough around the vessel
and fine flights Of stairs carry yol
from the main to the hurricane deck
The forward and the aft dinin(
rooms, the smoking room, and thu
ladies' parlor are grand and beautiful
The vessel is a floating palace.
There were eight hundred and
twelve passengers and three hundred
and sixty-eight sailors on board; start
ing on a cruise OF seventy-two days
through the classic waters OF the Med
iterranean Sea, through the land
made famous by the life of our Divine
Lord; and to Jerusalem to attend the
Worlds Fourth Sunday School Con.
yention, which convened in the Holy
City.
At four p. m. the anchor was raised
and the Grosser Kurfurst moved out
from Hoboken pier amid the shouts OF
many farewells. We steamed slowly
down the harbor, had a beautiful
view OF greater New York; and enjoy.
ed the vast and %stupendous structures
Of modern architecture. We passed
by Sandy Hook and the Statue OF Lib
erty, and came to the Atlantic wat
ers. The signal was sounded and the
pilot left our great ship by means Of a
skiff. The captain gave the farewell
salute to New York, and steamed out
to sea. For eight successive days we
traversed the mighty water without a
stop. On Wednesday, March 10, the
cry OF land rang throughout the
steamer. In a few moments the prom
enade decks, the hurricane deck and
the forward and the aft were filed
with people, who desired to get a
glimpse Of land. 1t was Maduria, the
land OF sunshine and flowers.
The island belongs to Portugal.
Funchal is the capital and the largest
city. 1t was Dol when we dropped
anchor In the beautiful harbor of the
metropolis Around our mammoth
steamer, In their little skitfs, gather
ed the browny colored natives, and be-
gan TO dive for silver Gems which were
thrown into the water by the passen.
gers. This was a novel way OF obtain
ing money, and the passengers great
ly enjoyed 1t. Sometimes two or more
Of the nativee would dive for the same
coin, a tustle would follow from six TO
ten feet below the surface of the
water, but the victorious combatant
never failed to hold up the coin for
the gaze and the smiles Of the passen-
gers. For twenty-five cents the ex-
pert diver would climb to the top Of
the vessel, hurl themselves into the
water below, and come snorting to the
surface with the coin In their hands.
The divers and their feats will live
with those who are permitted to visit
Madeira.
After luuch we wenta shore in large
tenders. The city has a population Of
sixty Thousand people and certainly
belongs to the Orient. The streets
are narrow and paved with small peb-
bles. The buildings are low and of
peculiar architecture. And the trans
portation is almost wholly on sleds
drawn by two oxen. The natives use
these bullock carts just the same as
we use the street cars In our cities. 1t
Is a novel way Of passing from one
place to another.
There are many places of interest
open to the tourist. The public gar
den is n Of grandeur and beauty.
Flowers Of every variety, hue and
cline are seen In all their splendor.
Tropical trees of every variety deco
rate Its borders. Lagoons, filled with
various water fowls, are seen here and
theirs as a person follows the public
walks in their various wlndings. The
garden is one great floral
wreath, plated with every color and
The Cathedral is of great interest to
the visitor. 1t is the seat of the bish-
OPP. He rules the spiritual life Of the
island. 1t is antique in architecture;
a large and commodious structure,
and many priests and bishops are
beneath the marble floor. 1t
was built In 1888, and is in good re-
pair.
The Casino is the largest gambling
place west of Monte Carlo. The ma
tIves spend all their surplus money in
this place Of sin, where few and null
titudes lose. The women sit and play
at the tables just the same as the
men. / saw one woman betting TWEEN
ty pounds sterling every time the
marble rolled. She always lost and
never won. The expression on the
players faces never change, whether
they win or lose. They are complete
ly captivated by the fascination of
the game. The Casino is a place Of
awful vice and sin.
Put the thrilling event Of the island
is a two-miles ride down the noun
tain In a toboggan guided by two OF
the mountaineers.I 1t is the fastest NOV
Ing thing on the island, the cog wheel
railroad up the mountain not except
ed We took the train for the sum-
nit OF the mountain, and the tobog-
gan back for the city, These natives
are experts in their professions, and
insure you against accident in the
mountain. The trip is perfectly safe;
the scenery unexcelled from the noun
tain top; and the return pleasant,
thrilling and invlgorating. The to-
ride is the trip OF a life time,
and should be made by every tourist.
On the following day at two p. m.
the passengers were all on board, well
pleased with their day on the island
Of Madeira; and our good ship moved,
amid shouts OF farewell to natives,
and island, for Gibraltar, our
next stopping place.
My next letter will give an account
of the voyage to Gibraltar and Algiers.
In Memory Of John Cough.
Mr.. John Cough, who died In Fort
Worth, Texas, July 10, 1904, and was
O.. HI Ia 49, -------