Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-11-19


with water. water, everywhere. No sight
of land for seven days! Nothing but the
ocean about US and the sky above US!
How joyous, then, was the cry that
Madeira was in sight. A hundred field
glasses turned toward the faint outlines
that appeared on the horizon. 1t is
land" ''It is Madeira" cried the happy
sight-seers, running over with enthusiasm
and Joy, somewhat similar, no doubt, To
that which Columbus felt when he hrst
looked on the shores of the new world
Slowly, but steadily, the land seemed 10
rise higher and higher and to come near
er and nearer. Mountains rose abruptly
from the sea, at places towering In peaks
nearly 5000 feet above the water. Houses
appeared in the valleys and on the mar
row and sloping plains. How odd 1t all
seemed Houses all up and down the
sloping sides, placed one above the other,
until at times it seemed that some OF
them would topple over into the sea; and
how thick they were, massed close to-
gether. all white, and covered with roofs
OF red tile And what little farms, most
of them being less than an acre In size,
divided of, on the sloping sides, with
hedge rows, and terraced with walls Of
rock, until every available space seemed
TO be in Use.
How Quaint" How picturesque!"
How beautiful was heard on every
side as the vessel entered the harbor Of
the city Of FouchaL
Our steamer anchored in the harbOr,
half-mile from the shore, and prepare
tions we're made to transport the party to
the land on tenders and launches.
At this time a hundred little row boats
10 he TOY rH OI1r
and quickly they swarmed about the
monster ship. Wildly gesticulating they
tried to attract the attention of the pas
sengers on the decks, 80 and 40 and so feet
above them. Parrots they had for sale,
and baskets and chairs, and laces, and
fine hand work and bananas and grapes
and fruit
But look! Yonder come the divers, half
naked boys and men. Some one tossed a
silver shilling into the clear water below.
Before 1t sank ten weet, four of the
divers had jumped into the sea, and
swimming like fish in the clear water,
they went straight after the sinking shill-
ing. A struggle ensued and presently all
four shot up above the water and crawled
in their respective boats One of the
boys smilingly held up the shining silver
and tossed 1t in a box in his boat. All
up and down the length of the great boat
coins were thrown into the sea, and so
far as 1 could detect not one was lost by
the brown-skinned divers below.
A half dollar was thrown into the wa
ter about 20 feet from a little 10-year-old
boy who stood on the shoulders of man
in a row boat. Downward he plunged in
to the deep and after lapse of nearly a
minute he rose by the side of his boat.
feet foremost with a half dollar shining
between his toes.
BY means of a rope some boys crawled
up the side Of the steamer to the top
deck, So feet above the water For any
piece OF silver these boys would dive the
entire distance into the waters below,
many Of the little fellows being under
10 and u years Of age.
Entering the city Funchal, built on a
mountain side, overlooking the sea, we
found well-paved streets, white and clean
looking houses and stores, and a luxuriant
growth of trees and flowers. The streets
and walks are paved with cobblestones,
small round rocks which were obtained on
the shore Of the ocean. where they had
been made round and smooth by the
waves Of the sea. Some of the paving
was done two and three centuries ago.
The streets slope downward to the sea,
the city being built in the shape of a semi
circle or amphitheatre in a valley that
slopes downward. In places the streets
are very steep, running as they do to a
height Of 1000 feet in one direction. Look
ing from the sea the houses appear above
one another like so many steps The
steepness Of the streets forces the people
to resort to sleds for transportation, much
Of the freight being hauled by sleds which
are drawn by men or oxen. According to
report there is not a truck or wheelbar-
row in Funchal.
In place Of carriages most of the pas
senger transportation is carried on by
coaches Of wicker-work constructed on
sleds and draw by oxen. Every tourist
rides in an OK sled, and views the city
while being slowly drawn up and down
the streets behind two bullocks Such is
the fashion In Funchal and the novel ex-
pertence is said for the first time to be
more facinating than automobiling in
New York.
The climate of Madeira is salubrious
The latitude (S2 1-2 degrees Nd is
about the same as that of MilleJge-