38S Baron Von Buch'*s Ohservatiwis on Madeira 



botanist, leaping with joyous agility amongst the rocks. They 

 brought flowers to him from every quarter ; they gathered toge- 

 ther in close groups, waited silently and attentively to learn if the 

 flowers would excite his attention. As soon as they were deposi- 

 ted in the boxes, a general shout of joy arose, and the group 

 bounded back, with a thousand leaps, to cull new flowers among 

 the rocks. From the opposite declivity, the abodes of hospitality 

 glittered through the close foliage of the encircling vines ; the 

 waving bananas formed the roof of the porch ; a foaming stream 

 rushed among the banana roots, and lost itself among the large 

 leaves of the Colocasia, that adorned the declivity with their 

 lively verdure. A young woman with her distaff^ in her hand, 

 sat upon a bank among the bananas : her husband stood before 

 her with his guitar, to anticipate her wishes with tunes and 

 songs, after the finished labours of the day ; and the neighbours 

 were collected, to encourage the song and the sport with their 

 applause. 



The Island of Madeira was still the same as in former years, 

 when it was described by Camoens the poet : 



Nam'd from her woods, with fragrant bowers adorn'd, 



From fair Madeira's purple coast we turned. 



Cyprus' and Paphos's vales, the smiling loves 



Might leave with joy, for fair Madeira's groves ; 



A shore so flowery, and so sweet an air, 



Venus might build her dearest temple there. 



MiCKLE, Lusiad, B. v. 



We remained only twelve days on this charming island. It 

 was the rainy season, and, on account of the rains, many a day 

 passed which we would have gladly devoted to the prosecution 

 of our pursuits. The mountains half-way down were conti- 

 nually involved in clouds ; and on the higher parts of them, 

 the snows were not yef dissolved. We nevertheless resolved to 

 ascend as high as possible, to obtain a survey, however super- 

 ficial, of the decrease of vegetation on the heights. 



We left Funchal on the 16th April at day-break, and soon 

 reached the magnificent church of Senhora de Monte, which 

 commands one of the most beautiful prospects in the world, and 

 from a great distance serves as a land-mark to direct ships into 

 the harbour. According to the barometer, its height is 1774 

 French feet above the sea. The gardens are elevated to the 



