34 SHROVE TUESDAY. — PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS, ETC. [chap. II. 



SHROVE TUESDAY. 



The ceremonial customs of the Romish Church in Madeira 

 are not observed in a manner to attract much of the attention 

 of strangers, unless it be in the grotesque observance of 

 Shrove Tuesday. Bad eggs, water, and blacking are stored 

 in preparation for that day. Some bridge or corner of a 

 street is selected by the different parties of mummers. The 

 operators are dressed in their worst clothes, and their hands 

 and faces covered with their own blacking. The passers- 

 by run the gauntlet of these worthies, with a customary ex- 

 ception of well-dressed people and carriers of parcels and 

 letters, whose claims to immunity, however, are sometimes 

 forgotten. Resentment is vain, always ending in two blows 

 to one, a black face, yellow trowsers, &c, from the rabble. 



PUBLIC AMUSEMENTS. 



Public amusement is scantily provided for in Funchal. 

 When you have mentioned the Portuguese club, in which 

 a ball is held once a month, and to which a billiard-room 

 is attached, you have almost come to an end of the list of 

 places of resort. The English have established a subscription 

 library, where many popular and standard works are to be 

 found, together with the common periodicals and newspapers 

 of the day. The subscription is high, but the luxury you pay 

 for is great. A subscriber is allowed to take books home 

 with him to read. The Portuguese Commercial Rooms, to 

 which English are admitted to subscribe, are likewise pro- 

 vided with newspapers. 



Theatricals have sometimes been attempted in the Funchal 

 theatre house, but they have always proved failures. In the 

 Portuguese language there are few good plays ; good play 

 writing, and good acting, as well as a favourable reception of 



