Leaves from a Madeira Garden 



may be visited with great ease from Funchal in 

 a day's excursion. Two thousand feet above 

 the town lies on the steep hillside the hamlet 

 and church of Monte. The main road to the 

 north runs through, and ascends rapidly above, 

 to a pass which crosses the principal chain of 

 mountains at a height of 4500 feet. A cog- 

 wheel railway takes one very easily up from 

 Funchal to "the Mount." The village is a 

 favourite resort of the townsfolk on holidays, 

 and is visited annually by thousands of pas- 

 sengers from steamers calling at the port for 

 a few hours. They ascend by the railway and 

 return in " running cars " down the Mount 

 Road. These cars are, I believe, peculiar to 

 Madeira. They are made of wickerwork and 

 mounted on sledges, and descend the steep 

 roads around Funchal very rapidly, chiefly by 

 the force of their own momentum. They are 

 guided by two men by means of ropes fixed to 

 the front of the car, and where propulsion is 

 necessary, the men stand with one foot on the 

 back of the car and push with the other behind. 

 From the Mount you may proceed to the 

 hills above on foot or on horseback ; or in the 

 ancient Madeira mode you may be carried by 



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