Geology, and Climate of the Island of Madeira, 343 



river. In a more open space formed by the recession of the 

 mountains to the west, immediately before the approximation 

 of the opposite ridges in the sea cliffs which form the outlet of 

 the valley, is situated the parish church and part of the vil- 

 lage of St Vincente. The road down the valley runs by the 

 side of the river, or of water-courses derived from it, through 

 a most charming district of garden and orchard ground. The 

 vine is hero trained on trees, principally chestnuts, instead of 

 on trellis-work as on the other side of the island. The bana- 

 na, the cactus, and other plants of the south are absent, but 

 the orange and citron still flourish. A considerable quantily 

 of flax is grown, from which the coarse cloth of the island is 

 manufactured. The gardens present some variety of culture 

 and produce, both as to flowers and vegetables. On the 

 whole, there could hai'dly be conceived a more lovely spot than 

 this valley. The road, as it runs through the orchard grounds, 

 is overcanopied by the foliage of the vines which cross and in- 

 terlace in every direction from the upper parts of the lofty 

 trees, forming lines of natural arbour-work to shade and shel- 

 ter from the sun ; while through breaks in the foliage are seen 

 glimpses of the bright blue sky, or the dark rugged outlines 

 of the mountains by which the valley is bounded. 



Between St Vincente and St Ann's some of the finest parts 

 of the northern shore are seen. All along this coast the cliff's 

 are of great height, and extremely rugged and precipitous. 

 Here and there they are cleft down to the level of the sea by 

 ravines in which mountain streams have found a channel. The 

 sides and summits of the rocks are in most places covered with 

 the dark foliage of the island trees. During the winter sea- 

 son, when in the high grounds the clouds and mists furnish a 

 perpetual supply of water, numbers of small streams precipitate 

 themselves from the top of this line of clifls, forming a series 

 of most beautiful cascades. Several of these sometimes occur 

 within a short distance of each other, where the height of the 

 fall is many hundred feet of nearly perpendicular descent. In 

 some places where the summit of the cliff* overhangs conside- 

 rably, the stream is seen to sweep over, but becoming broken 

 and scattered in its descent, is gradually altogether dispersed 

 in mist ; so that the dark volume of water seen at the top, ap- 



