Palmas, are a magnificent set of men. They furnish sailors and
boatmen to all the ships trading on these shores. They are strong,
willing, and faithful, but they do not like going up into the
interior. Now we will land here and get a few hours' run on shore.
There are one or two peculiarities about Madeira which distinguish
it from other places. To begin with we will go for a ride in a
bullock cart without wheels."

"But surely it must jolt about terribly," Frank said.

"Not at all. The roads are paved with round, knubbly stones, such
as you see sometimes in narrow lanes and courts in seaside places
at home. These would not make smooth roads for wheeled vehicles;
but here, as you will see, the carts are placed on long runners
like those of sledges. These are greased, and the driver always has
a pound of candles or so hanging to the cart. When he thinks that
the runners want greasing he takes a candle, lays it down on the
road in front of one of the runners, and lets this pass over it.
This greases it sufficiently, and it glides along over the stones
almost as smoothly as if passing over ice."

Frank thoroughly enjoyed his run on shore, but was surprised at
the air of listlessness which pervaded the inhabitants. Every one
moved about in the most dawdling fashion. The shopkeepers looked
out from their doors as if it were a matter of perfect indifference
to them whether customers called or not. The few soldiers in
Portuguese uniform looked as if they had never done a day's drill
since they left home. Groups sat in chairs under the trees and
sipped cooling drinks or coffee. The very bullocks which drew the
gliding wagons seemed to move more slowly than bullocks in other