The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1922-04-05

"d0Sbo StTt8
PREPARED By the National Geographic 80,
cietT. Warrington D. c.
Nadeira, the island to which the
former emperor OF Austria Hungary
and his wife have been banished. might
be said to lie In the Atlantic Ocean
and the Middle Ages And most inter.
esttng to Americans perhaps, II was
once the home Of Christopher Colum-
bus.
Once one has penetrated Into the
country back Of Funchal, the only
town Of the island that may be called
a city, the simplest and most primitive
Of Gsiifsed conditions are found Flows
are merely the wooden beams tipped
with point Of Iron that Roman peas
ants used; draft animals are oxen |;
grain Is threshed By being trodden out
On otd-fasiioned threshing floors; and
even In Funchal the most common
means Of conveyance Is the sledse
dragged over cobbled streets By slow.
moving oxen.
But with all Its primltiveness Ma
detra Is a land Of great beauty and
charm. II Is considered By many. In
deed, The modern version Of the
Islands Of the Blessed" II Is situated
In the latitude M Charleston, s. c.
and tie Bermudas. and Is about as far
southwest Of the Strait Of Gibraltar a
the Bermudas are southeast Of New
Fork. Madeira though. - not q low
lying lslet, but WIS once a hinge vol
canic peak, and has rugged nssuntain
scenery comparable to dat Of the vol
canic islands Of the Pacific. In It's rich
volcanic soil on the slopes Of rs peaks,
and In the .hot-houseflks air Of some
OF its deep valleys almost every known
type Of plant can be grown. The island
has become a great botanical garden.
II IL only necessary to climb its slopes
to pass from the growth Of the semi
tropics TO that Of the temperate gene
Bananas and apples. treeferns and
oaks, oranges and pears flourish with
IN A stones throw Of ons another.
Above three thersand feet where most
Of the cultivation stops the crests OF
the hills and mountains are covered
with laurel and pine. Once Madeira
sunported dense forests Of large trees
4 fact which WON'T its name. meaning
wood But the esriy settlers fired
rho forests to clear the land and the
later growth was for the most part
II smaller trees and shrubs.
Scenery Is Magnificent
Tho scenery Of Madeira Is on mag
,,f,rent scale out Of proportion to the
th;rty.mi!e island.
One ridge rises to more than o'"p
,as, and one valley especially. Curral
dss Feiras, has the fuxuriance ana
chs-m more to be expected OF the trol-
teal islands OF the East. Steep rugged
.,,rs mark the greater part OF the
coss,: and on the low ground ABOUT
~ siousl bays and w'dened can
,,ons that open to the sea huddie V'h'
towns.
Possibly Maderis and the few smal
;,,,ds which make Up the group were
Known TO the Phoeuic'ans anu iater !"
IN. ,focrs and the Gen"ess' OUT au
..,,r,Is Of their eNistence-'inlesS
xsr,,e legends he corsiiered-L.ad pseh
w., nv The beginning OF the Fifteenth
.,,.rrv In l4lS or 14la storms drove
r,-tuc1,ese mariners 70 the iS'ahds
49,, they were therefore the ms. oi
a '.s numerous small Atlantic islands 10
!, ,',e ,,,sr,yered or redlscovered, Strange
ue n,,rch II was little Porto Santo.
~ =. tho relatively large Madeira 'ha'
nv' ~ tnpna. A colony was founded on
,.s Isle, and remained many months
,"s Madeira, only .S miles away
was discovered.
I,r,,ss the nearby Canary ls,ahos
~. Tho native Guanches had at
w., ~, . considerable civilization, the
, 'raSsira. apparently had never oeen
Ms us,..s, before their discovery IN
!hs so ~. Islands were. in fact given
ltls' .,mozt solely to. vegetation. NO
oss. owl. Or ouadrupeds were touno
man . . NV bats and Z species Of rst.
sny char living zesso' nv