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Observations made during a Visit to Madeira^ and a Residence 

 in the Canary Islands. By Baron Leopold Von Buch. 



W HEN my intelligent and amiable friend, the distinguished 

 botanist Christian Smith of Drammen in Norway, and I were de- 

 tained in London in the winter of 1814, the similarity of our pur- 

 suits soon produced a close intimacy between us. We met frequent- 

 ly, and visited many places together. Every thing we saw and 

 heard, and, perhaps, my friend's peculiar susceptibility also, were 

 continually transporting our imaginations to the splendid pheno- 

 mena of nature in warmer cHmates ; and we witnessed with the 

 liveliest emotions the great facility with which people were waft- 

 ed from this immense port to every quarter of the globe. Our 

 desire, therefore, became so engrossing, that we believed it to be 

 only fulfilling our duty, when we endeavoured to profit by such 

 an opportunity of acquiring some knowledge, however small, of 

 tropical vegetation. While continually occupied with these 

 thoughts, the WiUiam and Mary, a ship lying in the Thames, 

 and quite prepared for setting out on her voyage, finally fixed 

 our almost settled resolution. We resolved to visit the Canary 

 Islands. 



The ship was ready to sail, and we were prepared to accom- 

 pany her as early as February, that we might not miss the de- 

 licious winter of these happy islands. But the ratification of 

 peace with America, which would cause the American priva- 

 teers to abandon the coast, being still unconcluded, the vessel, 

 to our mortification, was detained in the harbour. We embark- 

 ed at Spithead, near Portsmouth, on 31st March 1815. Con- 

 trary winds, and a search of the press for the seamen on board, 

 obliged us to remain some days longer in Yarmouth in the Isle 

 of Wight. On 8th April, we at length left the Channel, gained 

 the main ocean without difficulty or hardship, discovered the 

 island Porto Santo on 20th, and on the 21 st landed at Funchal 

 in Madeira. 



Captivated by the powerful fascination of every object around 

 him, Smith was no longer inactive. In a fit of transport, he 

 rushed towards the Cactus bushes which covered the rocks in 

 the most fantastic forms, to ascertain whether it was reality or 



