Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-03-31

existed IN this island Paradise we're a
few birds Through. colonization Ma
deira,, and Porto Santo. were soon
peopled and today the former has a
density, Of !, population NEARLY three
times that of the mother country,
Portugal. Then began the pouring into
Madeira Of the floral good things Of
the EARTH. "a procedure. which. has
made, 1t a wonderland for, botanists. OF
primary economic Importance was the
introduction of sugar,cane from Sicily.
Soon "a very Important sugar industry
hadid been built up!lee Grapes were
brought in.from Crete, and' by the time
of tho American Revolution The IA
NOUS n Madeira wine had 'shon1dered
sugar from 4. l.s 1ts PLACE Sf 70 II
Not Prosperous. People NV, T.
In spitenofhthe wonderful climate
and soil aef Madeira. its fniiabitahts
are not very prosperous This fact is
proBabiy, chiefly due i" the marked
density Of the POPULATION" to. the, lack
Of, an, adequate, educational. system,
apdsto the brake applied to. initiative
by some of the governmental and fis-
| cal regulations Because of the pres
sure of population many OF the young
people have emigrated during the past
few decades I1literacy is widespread.
The people Of Madeira have many
strains in their blood Italians. Jews,
Moors, negro slaves, arid English have
!, all contributed elements, a but the
Portuguese have always been incom-
paalrrably the /, most " important =, factor.
: and the resulting, men and women are
/ 'undeniably. dark, swarthy sons and
daughters. pf. Portugal Members of
the upper classes are courtesy itself.
After wine production, Madeira's
most Important 'industry"is it's tour
list traffic. For more than half d CEN
fury the island has been the sun-parfor
Of the English, the white officials from
the African Aft .eoll9piies,o and i. numerous
Europeans. But to most of the tour
lists Madeira is Funehal, the. little city
of $4,000, population which 'inestles
cleaning whites" irfea big amphithea.
ter ON the south side Of the island and
which has iiftiny Of the modern faciIi-
ties which the outside world expects
FunchaIs harbor Is only a roadstead,
but It Is never deserted, for, the. city
lies at an 8 ocean, crossroads OF the
routes that lead between the Strait of
Gibraltar and the West Indies and
South America, and between South
Africa and England And 1t had IN
pre-war days lines that piled directly
to England the Canar1es, the Azores
and Portugal.
The precipitons streets Of FunchaI
compelled, \. the use OF sledges instead
of wheeled vehicles in the early days,
and, thase. quaint and. primitive We
|'hieiesuare still In use. The motive pow
,er is usually supplied by. oxen and
some of the sledges are lixuriously
fitted out with elaborate eanopfes. A
thrill can be gotten from Fpnchaps
| primitive vehicles not surpassed by
that from the, racing automobile, for
lit is customary In descending from
the hills to coast down over the cob
lrblestones on small 'sleds with creased
runners. One Of the regular excur-
'sions for tourists in Funchai, even
though they stay in the Island but a
few hours. is q trip to an elevation Of
1900 feet above the harbor, by. a cog
railroad and, an exciting slide down.
WALKERS climbing the hills. about the
ltcity regularly arrange to have, slivery
sleds,, meet them at certain points on
| the heights that they may coast back
to the lower levels. "''~a7 =" ,.''.s.''
Funchal's cog railroad gives access
to several level roads which wind
about. the faces OF the hills back OF
the city affording excellent views Of
1.-THE city and roadstead below. Open.
Ing upon, these and farther up near the
| terminus of the railroad are the chow
|. places or thes city In some Of these
villa iestatsR arctic be found gardens
| Of flowers aid shrubs and trees whose
beauty Is probably unsurpassed any
| where In the world.