Chapter lll—J^NUzART 

 Town and Country Delights 



" The little pleasure of the game." — Prior. 



THE old year died in a blaze of glory. 

 The passion of the Madeirans for 

 fireworks, as pleasing not only to 

 the eye, but to the ear, is extra- 

 ordinary. During the past fortnight the 

 Saturnalia have been celebrated with a con- 

 tinuous fusillade by day and night. Learned 

 men will discourse to you of survivals of sun- 

 worship and fire-worship. But these do not 

 seem to account for the noise-worship in which 

 the younger part of the population especially 

 takes so active a part. The great delight of 

 the small boys, abetted, it must be owned, by 

 their small sisters, is to place some fulminating 

 powder on a stone and to strike it just as you 

 are passing, on foot or horseback. Let us hope 

 that this early training in the abuse of explosives 

 will not induce bomb-throwing in maturity. 



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