The Coolidge examiner., 1935-05-10
rr'esr~. y $500 oses-.ss,s sss'''T.

Prvrar~s ~ Ssiigal oserrsshie ssuassy.
WzshiaEtar. q C--WNu ssFrIrs.
EHANGING seasons do not
touch Madeira. the beautiful
Portuguese island on the
fringe - the eastern Atlantic. It's
velvsty green mountains cleft By
deep ravlncs. It's terraced hillsldcs.
brilliant With aowcrs and towering
vines are the same. summer and
winter.
IN December the peaks % the
towering mountains. which rise like
a. amuhltheater back % Funchnl.
chief city ~ Madeira. are some
times ,lpped with snow bat all else
a. vlvidiy green. With a riot of
Huifi-colored blossoms on every ter
race % this quaini old ,owu. which
climbs tie hills above sapphire
sen.
Gardens are the striking feature
% the Madeiran capital They hang
one above the other like balconies.
radiant with flowers of many
climvs.
Sar Brazilian araucaria pines.
tail Australian eucalyptus. and leafy
Asia;ie mango nod % palm. mlmosa
and magnolia. The Indian 8e. with
its wide-spreading branches. grows
beside the aamboyaui % Madagas,
car. the coral tree of the West In.
dies and the camphor tree of Japan.
Most effective In winter are the
Towering creepers-the deep magen-
a aud hrick.red bougalnyilleas and
the blazing orange blgnonia. which
form solid masses 81 color on the
high walls. FLAMING polnseitias and
red. pink and white camellias grow
as tail "a trees. Cilnging 70 the
sheer face % the cliffs which bor-
der many OF the gardens IL vari.
ely of aloe which thrusts out star
ting scarlet flower spikes above the
blue sea.
To the gorgeous huges Of the fIox-
ers add the gray and black OF the
rocksirewn shore. Tapped by white
sea foam the deep terra Gotta OF
the soil In the raylnes which inter.
cept the town: the pink. bun. and
cream % the houses. with their
green shutters and red.tlled roofs:
the brilliant chrome green Of ba-
mana and sugar cane which grow In
nearly every garden. and yon have
the natural color picture" OF Fun
chal.
Automobiles. motor buses. and
trucks now crowd Funchal's mar
row streets. but ii Is the native
"carro" or sledge. drawn By a pair
of patient oxen. that catches the
b eye.
Riding In an "oxen.cab."
In one OF these two-seated. cur
talned and canopled "oxen-cahs,"
which resemble big baskets on run
ners. one may glide over smooth.
polished cobbles 10 the cog railway
that climbs a steep incline 20 pine
clad heights $500 feet above the
sea. A feature OF the ascent Is the
shower OF flowers tossed BY bios
som-laden children. who scamper
after sledge and funlcular. This
graceful net, unfortunately, Is
marred by the inslstent clamor:
zone penny, One penny
The descent from the mountain
can be made In a toboggan sledge,
which offers an exciting ride. The
speed OF the passenger and cargo
sledge Is slow. but the downhIll
running caro-" provides real
thrills. The broad armchair on run
ners Is used In descending selected
routes OF tilted streets. Two men
hold the sledge In leash by guide
ropes: as II starts down the slip
perry stone path they hop onto the
back platform and the slide begins.
Then come flashes OF town and
sea, gaudy blossoms draplng high,
sunlit courts. dark-haIred women
and oig-eyed children framed in
vine-hung doorways. pedestrians
nattened against the wall. As the
sledge approaches a curve, the crew
jump or TO guide 1t with vigorous
tugs around the corner. checking
the speed when the lower level Is
reached.
Madeira Is an oceanic Amazon
whose height from her crown. on
the summit Of Pico Ruivo. TO her
base In the briny deep south Of
Funchal Is nearly 10000 feet. oplv
about one-third OF this mountain
queen Is visible above water. her
head and shoulders draped In a
vivid emerald scarf.
The Islands forming this archi-
pelago. Madeira. Porto Santo, and
two uninhabited groups, are of