Excerpt from State Normal Magazine, Vol. 15: October, 1910

The islands and towns unfrequented by the common herd of tourists are the most delightful places on the Southern Route from America to Europe. If you go that way be sure to stop at Madeira and Algiers. We enjoyed them as much as any place in Europe.

When we woke up one morning and found ourselves lying off Funchal you can imagine how excited we were. For six whole days there had been only the Open sea to greet our eyes; and the foreign scene was forgotten in the greater joy of being so near land again. Then the quaintness of the land scape dawned upon us. Against the clearest, deepest, most intense blue sky was outlined a mountain peak, not bare and rugged, but covered with verdure. At the foot of the mountain nestled the daintiest little town imaginable. Never a dark or sombre color was visible against the cool green of the mountain side. The whole town was a riot of color - here a house of pale pink and beside it one of sky blue with buff trimmings. Such rainbow tints were everywhere save in the heart of town where the gray stone fort and governor's mansion dominated the surroundings. This was the Madeira of our dreams!

When we finally calmed down enough to buy Reid 's Shore Excursion tickets, the boats were already coming out to take us ashore. They were tiny rowboats that drew up alongside of the ship 's ladder and the jump necessary to reach them did not look inviting to the timid. All did get off, how ever, and the ocean swells were not so dreadful at close range.

A row of ten minutes brought us out of the ocean and across the harbor to a very shaky-looking wooden pier.

Upon alighting we were met by white-clad guides who led us through the crowds of curious natives to our convey auces. These proved to be sleds drawn by bullocks. The sled was more like one of our carryalls with a white canopy over it and runners, instead of wheels, attached than anything else - and the bullocks! Imagine two of our largest steers.

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