Part 7

If time presses, we may visit both the Castello da Pena and the Quinta de Monserrate in 4–5 hrs. (cab 4500 rs., bargaining advisable). Energetic pedestrians require scarcely more time. Donkeys, only to be recommended to gentlemen travelling alone, are a doubtful advantage, nor will those in haste find the services of drivers or guides of much avail; the usual price, after bargaining, is 400–500 rs. But it is more enjoyable to devote a forenoon to the Castello da Pena, and the afternoon to the Paço de Cintra and the Quinta.

_Cintra_ (680 ft.; pop. 5000), a favourite summer resort, lies at the N. base of the granitic _Serra de Cintra_, on a spur between two ravines, amidst groves of evergreen oaks and pines, and surrounded by charming country-houses. Immediately above the little town rises a steep rock, crowned by the Moorish castle. Beyond this rises the Pena with the palace.

The centre of traffic is the Praça da Republica, with its late-Gothic _Pelourinho_ (p. 14) and the main entrance to the palace.

The *=Paço de Cintra=, formerly the _Royal Palace_, was begun by John I. (1383–1433) on the foundations of a Moorish palace and completed early in the 16th cent. by Emmanuel the Great. The older parts, built by Moorish hands, show a mingling of Moorish and late-Gothic elements, while the newer parts, particularly the E. wing, are in the ‘Emmanuel style’ (p. 14). The most characteristic features of the exterior are two conspicuous conical kitchen-chimneys, the horseshoe and toothed arches of the Moorish windows, and the Moorish battlemented parapet. The mural tiles and the honeycombed wooden ceilings in the interior are other survivals of the Moorish period. Visitors are shown round by the castellan.

The Avenida Candido dos Reis, the road leading to the S. from the Largo of that name, brings us in ¾ hr. to the _Castello dos Mouros_ (1408 ft.). The castle consists of two parts, to which a double wall, much modernized, ascends. A visit to it takes more time than travellers in a hurry can afford.

About ¼ hr. farther on we reach the Porta Principal of the _Park of Pena_, where we alight (cameras must be given up). The officials are not allowed to act as guides; the services of others should be declined. The park contains over 400 species of trees and shrubs.

The *=Castello da Pena= (1732 ft.), perched on a steep rocky hill, was built in 1840–50 in the style of a mediæval castle, partly within an old monastery, by the Prince-Consort Ferd. of Coburg. The main tower is a copy of the tower of Belem (p. 14). The castle is approached by two gates and a cutting in the rock (‘corredor’). The ‘galeria’ of the castle affords delightful views.

In the INTERIOR (adm. free) we pass through the Vestibule, with a pyramidal tower, into the old Convent Church, with its superb Renaissance altar brought from Belem, and into the two-storied cloisters. The apartments contain many pictures (including an example of Adr. Brouwer) and costly Hispano-Moorish majolicas. The ‘Sala de Veados’ is embellished with stags’ antlers. The *DOME above it is perhaps the finest point of view in the Serra de Cintra, but its ascent requires a steady head. The eye ranges over Estremadura, from Cape Espichel on the S.E. to the Berlengas Islands (p. 4) on the N. To the N.E. rises the huge façade of the palace of Mafra. To the E. we obtain glimpses of Lisbon and the plain to the S. of the Tagus. To the S. rises the summit of the Cruz Alta, and to the W. lies the boundless Atlantic.

We now enter the _Jardim das Camelias_ or castle-garden, where the camellias, rhododendrons, and azaleas present a marvellous wealth of blossom in spring; then, passing a well and several fish-ponds, we soon reach a side-exit from the grounds, where the carriage should be ordered to meet us.

The *=Cruz Alta= (1736 ft.), the highest of the Cintra hills, which affords a view similar to that from the dome of the castle, may be ascended in 20 min. by a path diverging in the park to the S., near the Porta Principal, and passing the _Statue of Vasco da Gama_.

A favourite walk near Cintra is the *_Caminho de Collares_ skirting the hills. This road, bordered with beautiful evergreens, leads past charming country-houses (the _Penha Verde_ and others). On the right, about 2 M. from Cintra, is the famous—

**=Quinta de Monserrate= (adm. 200, on Sun. and holidays 300 rs.), the property of Sir Fred. Cook, Visconde de Monserrate. The grounds, a visit to which takes 1–2 hrs., extend far over hill and dale, and are unique in Europe in magnificence of vegetation. From the entrance we turn to the left, cross a brook, and follow its left bank, where we enjoy a delightful view of the palace beyond the lofty tree-ferns. We then pass an artificial ruin, walk round the palace (no adm.), and re-ascend to the entrance.

See also _Baedeker’s Spain and Portugal_.

II. MADEIRA AND THE CANARY ISLANDS.

Route Page 3. Madeira 17 Excursions from Funchal, 24. 4. The Canary Islands 28 Teneriffe, 32.—Gran Canaria, 43.—Palma, 47.

3. Madeira.

STEAMBOAT LINES. 1. _Union Castle Line_, steamers weekly from Southampton to Madeira in 3½ days (on their way to S. and E. Africa); fares, 1st cl. 15–17 guineas, 2nd 10–12 _gs._ (return in each case about ⅔ more); also summer tours to Madeira, Las Palmas, or Teneriffe and back, 18 or 12 _gs._, or, with a week’s board in one of the islands, 20 or 14 _gs._—2. _Royal Mail Steam Packet Co._, fortnightly from Southampton (for Brazil) viâ Vigo and Lisbon to Madeira (fares 11_l._ 10_s._ or 8_l._); also fortnightly from London round voyage to Gibraltar, Tangier, Casablanca, Mazagan, Saffi, and Mogador, returning viâ Las Palmas, Teneriffe, and Madeira (fare from 22 _gs._; single to Madeira or Canary Islands from 15 _gs._).—3. _Booth Line_ (for Brazil), thrice monthly from Liverpool to Madeira; 10_l._, return 16_l._ 10_s._—4. _Yeoward Bros. Line_, weekly from Liverpool to the Canaries calling on alternate voyages at Madeira; comp. p. 28.—5. _Federal, Houlder, & Shire Lines_, from Liverpool fortnightly, for Australia or New Zealand, calling at Madeira, Las Palmas, or Teneriffe, 10 _gs._—6. _Empreza Nacional de Navegação_, from Lisbon to Madeira, 1st and 7th of each month; 5_l._ 6_s._ 3_d._ or 3_l._ 12_s._ 3_d._, return 9_l._ 0_s._ 8_d._ or 6_l._ 3_s._—7. _Empreza Insulana_, from Lisbon to Madeira, 20th of each month; 4_l._ 5_s._ or 3_l._ 3_s._ 9_d._, return 7_l._ 13_s._ or 5_l._ 14_s._ 9_d._—During the winter season the Mediterranean steamers of the White Star and Cunard Lines (p. 118) call once monthly at Madeira, and the Transports Maritimes (p. 120) occasionally touch at Madeira.

The communication between Madeira and the Canary Islands (R. 4) is very defective.

The _Archipelago da Madeira_, or Madeira group of islands, consists of _Madeira_ itself, the largest of the group, 37 by 14 M., _Porto Santo_ (rising 1663 ft. above the sea), 6½ by 3 M., which lies 26½ M. to the N.E. of Madeira, and the three uninhabited _Desertas_. These are the islets of _Chão_ (341 ft.), 12½ M. to the S.E. of Madeira, _Deserta Grande_ (1611 ft.), and _Bugio_ (1349 ft.). Madeira lies in 33° N. lat., between the Azores and the Canary Islands (R. 4), 620 M. to the S.W. of Lisbon, 370 M. to the N.W. of Cape Juby (p. 104), and 275 M. to the N. of Teneriffe (p. 32). The population of the islands, which are said to have been uninhabited when discovered by the Portuguese in 1419, is now, in an area of 314 sq. M., about 150,000. All the islands are of volcanic origin. In Madeira, above the primæval diabase rock (p. 29), numerous eruptions since the miocene epoch have formed a number of extinct craters (lagoas), and as in the Canaries have raised the soil 1150 ft. above its original level. The main ridge of the island, running from W. to E., and culminating in the Pico Ruivo (‘red peak’; 6060 ft.), frequently rises in rocky pinnacles. In examining the geological structure of the island one is struck with ‘the constant mingling of solid masses of basalt and lava with strata of loose tufa and ashes, the whole being interspersed with upright dykes of lava’. The only tablelands are the _Paul da Serra_, on the W., and the smaller _Santo Antonio da Serra_, on the E. On the S. and N. slopes of the central range we observe a series of very curious and grand basins (_curraes_, sing. _curral_), which are enclosed by high rocks, and are connected with the sea by deep ravines, testifying to the enormous erosion caused by water and wind. Narrow strips of coast, strewn with rounded fragments of basalt, occur only at the mouths of the few streams, and on the largest of these lies _Funchal_, the capital of the island, on its S.W. margin.

The mild and wonderfully equable climate of Madeira which since 1850 has attracted numberless invalids, chiefly English, to its shores, is due partly to its southern position, tempered by the surrounding ocean, but mainly to the influence of the Gulf Stream, which sends from the Azores an offshoot, known as the Canary branch, towards the African coast. On the sunny S. coast in particular, which is free from fog and is sheltered from the prevailing N.W. wind by the above-mentioned main ridge, the mean and almost unvarying temperature of the three winter months (at Funchal 61° Fahr.; minimum 50°) is considerably higher than that of the favourite Mediterranean resorts (Nice 48° Fahr., Ajaccio 52°, Algiers 54½°, Málaga 55°), while the summer temperature is lower (at Funchal in Aug. 70½°, maximum 92°). Dust is almost unknown. The rainfall (at Funchal 27½ inches; but more in the mountains and on the N. coast), chiefly in sudden and heavy showers, occurs mostly between October and February or March. The lowest snow-line is 1970 ft. above the sea. The relative moisture of the air (67 per cent) at Funchal is moderate, notwithstanding the proximity of the sea. As in the Canaries, the mountains are generally cloud-capped about midday, except during the prevalence of the _Leste_, the wind blowing from the African desert (p. 29), which in Madeira is not specially unpleasant.

Thanks to the genial climate, the abundant winter rains, and the system of irrigation by means of open channels (_levadas_), whereby water is brought down, partly through tunnels (_furos_), from its mountain sources, the fields and gardens of Madeira, ‘Flor do Océano’, show an almost tropical luxuriance of vegetation. Side by side with pines, junipers, and deciduous European trees, such as the plane, the chestnut, the maple, the oak, and the walnut, of which there are many splendid specimens, are seen countless evergreen trees and shrubs of tropical and subtropical origin. Among these are palms, araucarias, hickory-trees, cork-trees, camphor-trees, figs, palm-lilies (yuccas; p. 233), magnolias, eucalypti, bamboos, papyrus-bushes, tree-ferns, and aloes. A few isolated dragon-trees (p. 30), the laurel (_vinhatico_), and the tilwood tree (Oreodaphne fœtens), a kind of bay-tree scarcely occurring elsewhere, are survivals of the primæval forest destroyed by the Portuguese discoverers, and now lingering only in the remote ravines and on the slopes of the N. coast. To that forest the island owes its name (madeira, ‘wood’; _Isŏla di Legname_ on old Italian charts). The hill-sides are now largely clothed with tree-like erica and broom (Genista madeirense, G. virgata, furze, etc.), large bilberry-bushes (Vaccinium madeirense), stemless ferns, and box, forming a kind of evergreen underwood. In the gardens of Funchal, enclosed by high walls, the traveller feasts his eyes, especially in May, on a most exuberant flora, comprising roses, rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, callas, bignonias, daturas, fuchsias, hydrangeas, honeysuckle, and a superb red and purple bougainvillea. The garden-walls, field-roads, and hill-terraces are everywhere overgrown with vines, but, as in the Canary Islands, the wine-culture has suffered since 1852 from the grape-disease (Oïdium Tuckeri) and from the competition of port-wine (p. 4). Among favourite brands are _Malvasia_ or _Malmsey_, a sweet dessert-wine, _Boal_, and the astringent _Sercial_. Like the Vega of Málaga (p. 89), the S. coast of Madeira yields the sugar-cane, which forms the chief crop of the island, bananas, sweet potatoes (p. 89; Portug. _batata doce_), cherimolias, coffee-plants, yams (Dioscorea batatas; Portug. _inhame_), and early vegetables, which last are exported chiefly to England. Pine-apples thrive in hot-houses only. The natives live mostly on maize and the fruit of a kind of cactus (Opuntia Tuna) which grows abundantly on all the rocks.

Madeira also possesses several charming home-industries, producing embroidery, lace, silk shawls, basket-work, inlaid laurel-wood, and feather-flowers. Funchal, the only considerable harbour in the island, is an important coaling and provisioning station for steamers bound for S. Africa and for America. The heavy customs-dues, which render living dear, the over-population of the island, and the poverty of the peasantry cause a considerable emigration, chiefly to S. America.

=Season and Mode of Travel.= Madeira is an admirable health and rest resort at all seasons, except perhaps for sufferers from neurasthenia or gastric disorders; but in summer the Monte (p. 24) and Camacha are preferable to the lower sites. Tourists, on the other hand, will find July, Aug., and Sept, the best months for their purpose, as the hotels are cheaper and less crowded, the days are long, and the dry weather favours excursions into the interior. At Funchal English, French, and in the larger hotels German are much spoken, but in the interior Portuguese only. Those unacquainted with the language of the natives are then dependent on the help of their horse-attendants (_arrieiros_) or guides (_guias_ or _chapas_), many of whom speak a little English. At the principal hotels and shops English money is readily received, but small Portuguese change is required for fees and other minor outlays. Beggars abound, but their importunities should invariably be disregarded (comp. also p. xxv).

The streets of Funchal and the hill-roads are paved with round and slippery cobbles of basalt, against which india-rubber heels afford protection. The most popular vehicles are the bullock-cars (_carros de bois_; seated for 4 persons; 400–1000 rs. per hour). For steep descents the _carro do monte_ or _carrinho_, a kind of running sledge, is employed (400–1200 rs. per drive). The longer excursions on the extremely hilly routes so characteristic of Madeira are best taken on horseback. The horses of Andalusian race are wonderfully wiry and sure-footed (per hour 500 rs.; _arrieiro_, or attendant, 800–1000 rs. per day). Ladies and invalids use the hammock or litter (_rede_), a costly conveyance (2–4 bearers, at 500–600 rs. each per hour). Finger-posts are entirely lacking.

The few _Vendas_, or country-inns, and the houses of the mountain engineers (to which travellers are admitted by leave from the office of the Obras Publicas at Funchal, Rua do Conselheiro Vieira 80) afford very primitive quarters. Travellers should therefore be provided with rugs, preserved meats, candles, insect-powder, and good drinking-water. As in the Alps, strong boots with nails and a _hasta_ or _bordão_, a long stick with an iron spike, are desirable for mountaineering.

Among BOOKS on Madeira may be mentioned _A. Samler Brown’s_ Guide to Madeira, the Canary Islands, and the Azores (10th ed., London, 1910; 2_s._ 6_d._); Leaves from a Madeira Garden, by _Chas. Thomas-Stanford_ (London, 1910; 5_s._); _Yate Johnson’s_ Handbook of Madeira (London, 1885); Madeira, by _Ellen M. Taylor_ (2nd ed., London, 1889); Madeira Islands, by _A. J. D. Biddle_ (2nd ed., London, 1900; 2 vols.); Madeira, Old and New, by _W. H. Koebel_ (London, 1909; 10_s._ 6_d._); The Flowers and Gardens of Madeira, by the _Misses Du Cane_ (London, 1909; 7_s._ 6_d._).

* * * * *

The STEAMERS arriving from the N. skirt the W. coast of =Porto Santo= (p. 17), an island in the form of a tableland, surrounded by five reef-islets; its inhabitants (about 2300) live mostly in the little town of _Villa Baleira_. Beyond Porto Santo we obtain a superb view of the abrupt and furrowed N. coast of Madeira, with the curiously shaped Penha d’Aguia (p. 27).

Farther on appears the long E. promontory of Madeira, a rocky peninsula worn by the surf, and connected with the islet of _Ponta de São Lourenço_ by a grand rocky gateway called the _Ponta do Furado_. We steer round the _Ilheo de Fora_, an outlying islet with a lighthouse (_Farol_; 348 ft.), visible from a distance of 28 M., towards which the steamers from Lisbon, Gibraltar, and Morocco direct their course, passing to the S. of Porto Santo.

To the S., beyond the low island of _Chão_, rise the _Deserta Grande_ and _Bugio_, the largest of the =Desertas= (p. 17), a group of islands deserted for lack of water, and now owned by Mr. C. J. Cossart, of Madeira. British sportsmen desiring to shoot wild goats there or hunt seals (Monachus albiventer) in the ocean-caves of the Deserta Grande must obtain permission from the owner.

The thinly peopled and somewhat bare S.E. coast of Madeira, with the three little harbours of _Caniçal_, _Machico_, and _Santa Cruz_, shows clearly the geological formation of the island (comp. pp. 17, 18). Off _Porto Novo_, in particular, we are struck with the rich colouring of the _Pico dos Iroses_, where the sombre basaltic and lava rock contrasts with brick-red strata of ashes and blood-red masses of slag.

Very beautiful is the approach to the *_Bay of Funchal_, which is bounded on the E. by the bold _Cabo do Garajão_, and on the W. by the _Ponta da Cruz_, a spur of the _Pico da Ponta da Cruz_ (p. 25). From the narrow strip of coast the lanes of the old town mount the steep hill-side between the three river-beds (which are generally dry), while several groups of houses extend up to the _Pico Fort_ (p. 23) and the _Levada de Santa Luzia_ (p. 24). Farther up, stretching to the terrace of the _Monte_ (p. 24), are gardens and vineyards, from which peep many white _quintas_ or country-houses. On the plateau behind _Forte Ilheo_ (p. 24) are seen the charming gardens, with their tall araucarias, belonging to the W. suburb of Funchal, the finest residential quarter. Of the barren mountains in the background the highest peak visible from the sea is the _Pico de Santo Antonio_ (p. 25), to the N.W. of the town.

=Funchál.=—ARRIVAL. The steamers cast anchor in the open roads, which are much exposed to the surf when the wind is from the S. or S.W. The passenger’s luggage, including hand-bags and small packages, is conveyed from the steamer, in charge of a _guarda fiscal_, direct to the Alfándega, or custom-house (Pl. 1; C, D, 2). Tobacco, spirits, and unused articles are specially dutiable. The charge for landing is about 500 rs. for each person, but should be ascertained beforehand, with the aid of the hotel-porter if necessary. In stormy weather passengers are landed at the _Pontinha_ (Pl. B, 3), a small pier beyond the Forte Ilheo. At the custom-house a declaration has to be filled up, for which the fee is 50 rs.; the luggage is then usually retained till midday, and when it is finally cleared the passenger gives a receipt for it (250–300 rs. more). For the transport of luggage to the hotel by bullock-car not more than 1000 rs. should be paid (an agreement should be made beforehand). The Madeira clock is 59 min. behind Greenwich time.

=Hotels= (mostly in the English style; almost all with beautiful gardens; crowded from Dec. to April). In the W. suburb *REID’S PALACE HOTEL (Pl. a; A, 3), situated on a basalt rock and commanding fine views, with sea-baths, etc., pens. 10–25_s._ (or in the dépendance, VILLA VICTORIA, 8_s._ 6_d._–18_s._); HOT. BELLA VISTA (Pl. b, B 2; Jones’s), above the Rua da Imperatriz Dona Maria, pens. from 8_s._; HOT. ROYAL (Pl. c, A 3; Adams’s), Rua da Imperatriz Dona Amelia, pens. from 8_s._; PENSION QUISISANA (Reuter’s), Estrada Monumental (Pl. A, 3), 8–12_s._; PENSION ALMEIDA (Pl. f; A, 3), by the Redondo.—In the old town, REID’S CARMO HOTEL (Pl. d; D, 1), Rua do Carmo, 8_s._ 6_d._–18_s._; GR.-HÔT. CENTRAL (Swiss landlady), near the pier (Caes; Pl. C, 2); HOT. UNIVERSAL (Pl. e; C, 2), Largo da Sé, pens. 1200 rs., a Portug. house.—On the Monte (p. 24; comp. inset plan), with splendid views, MONTE PALACE HOTEL (Pl. g); HOT. BELMONTE (Pl. h); REID’S MOUNT PARK HOTEL (Pl. i), pens. 7_s._ 6_d._–10_s._; all three near the terminus. Wine, always an extra, is dear. The Agua Minero-Natural of Porto Santo is a good table-water (60 rs. per small bottle).

=Apartments= for the winter in numerous quintas or villas, furnished, but without bed or table linen; from Oct. to June 40_l._ and upwards.

=Restaurants.= _Phenix_, Praça da Rainha (Pl. C, 2); _Golden Gate_, Entrada da Cidade 7 (Pl. C, 2; with American bar).—ENGLISH TEA ROOMS, _Café Monaco_.—WINE. _Vaccaria do Souza_, Rua de João Tavira.

=Post & Telegraph Office= (Estação Telegrapho-Postal; Pl. 5, C, 2), Entrada da Cidade.

=Theatre.= _Theatro de Dona Maria Pia_ (Pl. 16; C, 2), opposite the Jardim Municipal.—Evening CONCERTS twice a week in the Jardim Municipal, etc.

=Shops= in the Praça da Constituição, Rua do Aljube, Rua do Conselheiro Vieira, etc.; bargaining necessary; the prices are higher when the purchaser is attended by a guide. Pedlars often charge more than the shops.—EMBROIDERY, etc., at _Ad. v. Breymann’s_, Rua do Conselheiro Vieira 77.—WINES, etc., sold at _Breymann’s_; also by _Blandy Bros. & Co._ (see below); _Cossart, Gordon, & Co._, Rua do Principe 78; _Krohn Bros. & Co._ (see below).—PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIALS, _Bazar do Povo_, Largo de São Sebastião.

=Banks.= _Blandy Bros. & Co._, Rua da Alfándega 26; _Reid, Castro, & Co._, Largo de São Sebastião 5; _Banco de Portugal_, Largo da Sé; _Krohn Bros. & Co._, Rua do Carmo 2; _L. da Rocha Machado_, Rua da Alfándega 27.

=Physicians.= _Dr. Grabham_, Valle Formoso; _Dr. Scott_, Quinta Perestrello; _Dr. Machado_, Rua das Mercês 1 (Pl. C, 1); _Dr. Stevens_, Villa Ramose.—CHEMISTS. _Pharmacia Central_, Rua Bettencourt 2; _Botica dos Dois Amigos_, Largo do Collegio.

=Carriages= and =Horses= (p. 20) at _De Souza’s_, Rua do Bispo. Bullock-cars (p. 20) in the Entrada da Cidade; saddle-horses (poor) in the Largo de São Pedro and the Rua de João Tavira.—LITTERS (p. 20) in the Largo de São Sebastião.

=Motor Cabs= in the Entrada da Cidade (tariff by zones; per drive 90–500 rs.; to Camara de Lobos and back 800 rs.).

=Horse Tramway= (electric line projected) from the Praça da Constituição to the railway-station of Pombal (starting ¼ hr. before each train; 50 rs.).—RACK & PINION RAILWAY (Caminho de Ferro do Monte) from the Estação do Pombal (Pl. C, 1) viâ Levada, Livramento, Sant’ Anna, and Flamengo, to the Monte (p. 24); 7 trains daily in 20 min.; fare 300, return 400 rs.

=British Consul=, _Capt. J. Boyle_, Reid’s Palace Hotel (p. 21); vice-consul, _E. Sarsfield_.—LLOYD’S AGENTS, _Blandy Bros. & Co._ (see above).