Show cn a ca U 1 tola ra 4 ji 1 Z I 1 P VAT kw p 21 n q radio towers crown Fun chals ancient fort prepared by the national geographic society washington D C service HANGING seasons do not touch C CHANGING madeira the beautiful portuguese island on the fringe ge of the eastern atlantic its velvety green mountains cleft by deep ravines its terraced hillsides hill sides brilliant with flowers and flowering vines are the same summer and winter in december the peaks of the towering in 0 mountains which rise like an amphitheater back of funchal funchar Fun chal chief city of madeira are sometimes tipped with snow but all else is vividly green with a riot of multicolored multi colored blossoms on every terrace of this quaint old town which climbs the hills above a sapphire sea gardens are the striking feature of the Madel ran capital they hang one above the other like balconies radiant with flowers of many climes stiff brazilian araucaria pines tall australian eucalyptus and leafy asiatic mango nod to palm mimosa and magnolia the indian fig with its wide spreading branches grows beside the flamboyant of madagascar the coral tree of the west indies and the camphor tree of japan most effective in winter are the flowering creepers the deep magenta and brick red bou bougainvilleas and tile the blazing orange bignonia bignon la which form solid masses of color on the high walls flaming poinsettias as and red pink and white camellias grow as tall as trees clinging to the sheer face of the cliffs which border many of the gardens is a variety of aloe which thrusts out startling scarlet flower spikes above the blue sea automobiles motor busses and trucks now new crowd Fun chals narrow streets but it is the native 11 carro or sledge drawn by a pair of patient oxen that catches the eye riding in an oxen cab in one of these two seated curtained and canopied cano pied axey cabs which resemble big baskets on runners one may glide over smooth polished cobbles to the cog railway that climbs a steep incline to pine clad heights 3 feet above the sea A feature of the ascent Is the shower of flowers tossed by blossom laden children who scamper after sled sledge e and funicular 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 carroll carro pr provides 0 real thrills the broad armchair on runners is used in descending selected routes of tilted streets two men hold the sledge 0 in leash by guide ropes as it starts start s down the slippery betone path they hop onto the babir back platform and the slide be beins begins ins then come flashes of to town wn and sea gaudy blossoms draping high sunlit courts dark haired women and big eyed children framed in vine hung huna doorways pedestrians flattened against the wall As the sledge approaches a curve the crew jump off to guide it with vigorous k tugs around the corner corne r checking the speed when the lower lev el 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 funchar Is nearis nearl 2000 feet only 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 archipelago madeira porto santo and two uninhabited groups tire are of volcanic origin considering the depth of the surrounding sea and the abysmal chasms which everywhere cleave ma ala delras mountainous surface it Is evi dent that a vast period of time must have elapsed since the beginning of count countless less eruptions which went toward the making of this island today no live craters exist to in this group as on the canary and cape verde islands much traditional lore is associated with the discovery of madeira romans arabs italians spaniards french english and irish have nil all been credited as the first to glimpse the island the most romantic of the legends t concerns two english lovers 0 of f the fourteenth century robert machin and anna carfel dAr fet who eloped from bristol in a small craft and were blown southward to madeiras Ma detras eastern shore early history of madeira with the coming of the fifteenth century history Is on firmer ground it Is known that the portuguese mariner zarco sent out by henry the navigator reached porto santo in 1419 then sailed across to a larger island I 1 23 3 miles away braving a dark cloud which bull hung over it an evil omen to the superstitious sailors of that day the forbidding cloud proved to be vapor hanging over the mountains of a beautiful densely wooded land zarco and ills his followers landed on the shore of a sheltered bay about 12 miles northeast of funchal funchar Fun chal because of its forests the new land was named madeira the portuguese word for wood sugar cane introduced from sicily was responsible for madeiras prosperity during the early years of its colonization negro and moorish slaves were imported from africa to work on the sugar plantations and to build roads and aqueducts the stone irrupt irrigating canals or Ie levadas vadas extending for miles down the steep mountain sides still render efficient service without them the lower regions would be waterless a large part of the year origin of its wine soon after the colonization of madeira the malavese Malav esl vine was imported by prince henry from crete and other varieties were introduced at a later period today one type of madeira wine bears the old name malvasia Mal rasia or malmsey famous in england when western european wines of that name dame were well known and later when madeira wines had taken their place our naval hero john paul jones was at one time master of the two friends a madeira wire wice ship the finest wines of the island were in demand in the america colonies ships from boston new york philadelphia and savannah laden with pipe staves timber train oil dried fish and rice brou brought b t back pipes of madeira to the wealthy american merch merchants tints and planters madeira Is a small island little more than 80 30 miles in length and thin than half this in width but it Is so mountainous tal ta so gashed by deep gorges and guarded by gigantic headlands that access Is difficult to certain of its sun kissed coastal villages cool misten mist en uplands and deep fern hung canyons motor busses which connect the villages on the paved highways have made a marked change in the manner of life and outlook athe of the country people tiie the mountain village of camacha above funchal funchar Fun chal Is the home of tile the important wickerwork industry for the bushy busby willow grows in the beds of nearby streams at nearly every door men and women weave chairs tables and baskets madeira hand embroidery has become as well known in recent years as madeira wine all through the country one sees women sitting in the open industriously plying their needles at odd moments between household tasks and girls as young as seven or eight Et stitching itchIng away like veterans the island of porto santo Is much lower and drier than bla madeira delra it has 1113 stretches tebes of sandy beach which the larger island lacks and in s summer urn river re residents of funchal funchar brave the rough four hour passage t to villa illa balella to enjoy ejoy the sea bathing |