A Voyage to JAMAICA. 9 
and Seeds, with a Rabbit big with Young, which multiplicd fo fatt as in 
two years its Offipring deftroy’d every thing was planted in the Ifland. 
Barros cap.2, Dec. i. 
When Pereffrello was return’d to Portugal, Triftan Vaz, and Giovanni Con 
falvo Zarco, difcover’d Madera from Porto Santo, it appearing as a Cloud. Of the firft 
It was almoft every where full of Wood (as moft uninhabited Countries are ) difcovery of 
and peopled in 1420. Confalvo to free it of Wood fet Fire to it, it burnr Porto Santo 
and deftroy'’d fo the Woods that the Inhabitants {oon wanted for making their 2#4 Ma 
Sugars, and were commanded to Plant. /b. cap. 3. dera. 
We lay by all Night, and the next Morning being Friday, Ocfober 21. and 
Sixteen days from Plymouth, we came to Anchor in the Madera Road, the 
Caftie bearing North, diftant one Mile, in Forty one Fathom Water. 
The Ifland Madera, was fo called from its being all Woody that word in 
Portuguefe fignifying Wood. When the Trees were fired, they burnt fo im- 
petuoufly, that the People were forc’d to go into the Water up to their 
Necks. Cadam. 105. Fo. Barr. Dec.1. Tt was difcovered by Macham in 344. 
which was before that of Giovanni Confalvo, according to Galvanos F or- 
tugal Chronicle, Purchas, p. 1672. It is Situated in 32°. 30’. of Northern 
Latitude, 9°. fome odd Minutes Weft of the Lizard, is high Land, very 
rocky and fteep, fix Leagues broad, and eighteen long ; inhabited by Por- 
tugue(e, and Populous, having about, at prefent, Eighty thoufand Inhabi- 
tants, whereof Fifty thoufand are Communicants, that is above Eight years 
old. It has a healthful Air, fome People living here to an Hundred years o¢ ;5¢ 
of Age. It is fruitful in Cattle, viz. {mall Cows, Swine and Sheep, the Name, Air, 
latter being Lean, and having long Wooll, almoft like to that of Goats, not Inbabitants, 
curled as our Sheep. The Air here is very Temperate, refrefhed for Nine &c. of Ma- 
Months of the Year by a Sea-breeze in the Day, from Eight in the Morning ¢eta. 
till Four in the Afternoon, and a Land-breeze in the Night, from Eight at 
Night to Four the next Morning ; between which Breezes generally there is a 
Calm: from the latter end of November till the beginning of March, the Wind 
is at between South and Weft, and then the Weather is ftormy, making great 
Shipwrecks in the Harbour of the Principal Town Funchal, it being expofed 
to thofe Winds, and only fecure in one place, where a Rock Perpendicular 
and high, keeps off the force of the Wind from Ships Riding between it 
and the Shore. Some few Years before I was here, the moft part of the 
Ships in this Harbour had fuffered Shipwreck, the Winds being violent, and the 
Water fo deep, that the Cables cannot fo firmly hold as in other Roads, whence 
Ships are forc’d to put to Sea on any extraordinary puffs of South-Wefterl 
Winds, the danger of which frighting Seamen, does not a little hinder the 
Trade of this Ifland. Ihe Winters are here fo Temperate, as that ufually no 
Snow lies, except on the top of she Mountains, neither is Hail very com- 
mon, though the Winter in the Year 1683. which was fo extraordinary hard 
to Europe, reached this Place likewife, the Inhabitants affuring me they had 
not felt the like. So I find by Smith, that in 1607. there was an extraordi- 
nary Froft in Europe, and that it was as extreme in Virginia, P. 21. And 
fo it happens when there is very hard or extraordinary Weather in one place, 
it generally is fo in others, contrary to what one would think. They have 
Apples, Pears, Walnuts, Chefnuts, Mulberries and Figs; ofour European Fruits 
in great quantities, Apricocks and Peaches growing Standard Trees, ripening 
their Fruit without the help of a Wall, as alfo Bonano’s, Plantains, Oranges, 
Lemons, Citrons, éc. Common to the hotter parts of the World ; fo that 
this Ifland feems to be. fit for producing the Fruits of both Hot and Cold 
Countries: of the firft in its Valleys or lower Land, and of the laft in the 
tops of the Mountains, where ‘tis much Colder, and where many latge Chef- 
D nut 
