Geoloyy, and Climate of the Island of Madeira. 



the beauty of its landscape^, have from the earliest times been 

 themes of admiration to the navigators of the Atlantic ; and 

 no country yet described delights the eye of the traveller with 

 features more striking and lovely. In this paper I propose to 

 note some points that are interesting or peculiar in the physi- 

 cal geography and geology of the island, and advert to those 

 circumstances which determine the felicity of its climate, and 

 the grandeur of its scenery. 



Funchal, the chief town of the island, is situated in 32° 38' 11" 

 of north latitude, and in 16° 54' 11" west of Greenwich ; is dis- 

 tant from Cape Cantim, on the coast of Africa, about 360 

 miles ; and is about 240 miles north-east of TenerifFe. In its 

 greatest length the island is 45 miles, and 15 in its greatest 

 breadth ; the circumference about 100 miles ; with a popula- 

 tion of about 115,000, a fourth part of whom reside in Funchal 

 and its adjoining district. 



In its general configuration, the island presents the appear- 

 ance of a range or mass of mountains, of considerable height 

 in its whole extent, above which, in the centre, there rise va- 

 rious peaks and ridges, which mark the water-sheds between 

 the north and south sides of the island. This central mass is 

 everywhere deeply riven by ravines, which are separated from 

 each other by branch ridges running down towards the coasts, 

 and terminating, generally abruptly, in sea-cliffs of immense 

 height. The slope of the land is for the most part more abrupt, 

 and the cliffs are more precipitous, on the north than on the 

 south coast of the island ; to which, however, at certain points, 

 the branches of the central mountain reach down without great 

 diminution of their elevation, and form some of the most gi- 

 gantic sea-cliffs in the world. The headland of Cape Giram, 

 for example, is about 1600 feet in height, and not far from 

 perpendicular. 



The loftiest point of the island is the summit of the PicoRuivo. 

 Concerning the altitude of this mountain there has been much 

 discordance of statement (from 5162, Smith, to 8250, Gour- 

 lay), but the authority generally followed has been that of Mr 

 Bowditch, who gives 6164 feet as the result of barometrical 

 observation. Of the various accounts since presented, 1 con- 

 sider as most worthy of confidence that of Lieutenant Wilkes, 

 and a party belonging to tli© U. S. Navy, who vieitcd the 



