40 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER. 



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cones and white houses scattered amidst the green. After we 

 had enjoyed the scene but a few moments, a thick mist shut it 

 from our view and we descended. 



It is only in the highest parts of the island of Madeira, that 

 anything is to be seen of the true indigenous vegetation. Below, 

 cultivation has destroyed the native plants. On the upper 

 slopes the common furze and broom and the brake fern grow in 

 abundance. 



The countrymen of Madeira wear, on gala days, curious 

 pointed blue cloth caps, very small, and resting only on the back 

 of the head. The point is a long pointed cylinder, which sticks 

 out stiffly from the back of the head. It seems to be a curious 

 abnormal development, due to insular isolation, of the pointed 

 bag which hangs down from the knitted worsted nightcap-like 

 head covering of Mediterranean and Spanish seamen, and English 

 yachting men. The point seems to be a sort of rudimentary 



organ which has undergone subsequent 

 modifications for the sake of ornament. 

 A minute tag of the red lining of the 

 cap is turned up in front and behind 

 with great care, and no doubt is also a 

 rudiment of some former appendage of 

 the head dress. There seems to be a 

 curious general tendency in the Atlan- 

 tic islands, amongst the inhabitants, to 

 develop strange head dresses. The hoods 

 of the women of the Azores have been 

 described. Besides these, the men wear, 

 or wore, in some of the islands, a curious 

 cap, in which a pair of side flaps have been developed into a 

 regular pair of horns, projecting vertically above the head. 



I was told that Madeira wine is sometimes manufactured in 

 the island out of red wine, the colour being taken out with 

 animal charcoal. I knew that red wine was constantly made 

 out of white wine, but had not suspected the opposite manu- 

 facture. 



July icth, i8?3- — On our second visit to Madeira we were 

 unable to land owing to the prevalence of small pox on shore. 



CAP WORN BT PEASANTS OF 

 MADEIBA. 



