502 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
The town of Funchal has a very lively aspect. After a visit 
from the health-officer, we landed. The gardens were very 
gay, oranges scenting the atmosphere with their fragrance; 
Bananas are cultivated, but do not look healthy ; Verbena, 
Heliotropes, Salvias, in great variety, and of immense size, 
compared with those in English gardens, were flowering 
profusely. 
Adiantum Capillus- Veneris adorns every rock and wall, and 
is much larger than it ever attains in Great Britain. The 
commoner plants of Madeira are identical with those of 
England; Trifolium, Ranunculus, Plantago, Urtica, Stellaria, 
Convolvulus, &c. 
I was much pleased with the look of the vineyards, which 
are formed of a succession of terraces, six feet or more wide, 
according to the nature of the ground, up the almost perpen- 
dicular sides of the mountains to a considerable elevation; 
and although luxuriant in many places, there is not more 
than a foot of soil, and that not of the richest description, 
for them to grow in. They are trained on rude wooden 
trellises, about a yard high, and gave promise of an excel- 
lent crop. Thermometer at noon, 75° in the shade. 
The scenery of the south side of the island presents little 
variety, except its lofty and undulated mountains, being 
destitute of native forest ; a few patches of Pinus maritima 
were the only trees on the mountains. 
After a stay of five hours, we proceeded, and twelve days 
of fine weather brought us in sight of Antigua, a picturesque 
island. Passing St. Kitts, Nevis, etc., we reached St. Tho- 
mas on the morning of the 7th of May. The town of St. 
Thomas is neatly built and prettily situated on three slightly 
elevated hills, at the base of the harbour. The island pre- 
sents a very undulated aspect, but there is no land of any 
great elevation; the hills above the town rise to 800 feet, 
which is the highest land in the island, and are covered with 
a stunted brushwood. I observed Plumiea rosea and alba, - eu 
Brunsfelsia Americana, Anona muricata and palustris, Ceri. 
bera Thevetia, several showy species of Bignonia, of which 1 
