F U N C H A L. 1750. 161 



The many proceilions hindered me from 

 looking about as much as I could have wifhed. 

 I once faw the Francifcan monaftery. It is not 

 a regular building, but convenient, and (hews 

 that it has large revenues. The good fathers 

 had retired from the world like the moufe into 

 the cheefe. I did not fee one that had the 

 leaft employment. It is eafy to imagine that 

 fo fine a country in the hands of the Pcrtu- 

 gueze mud have nunneries and colleges of je- 

 fuits. 



My landlord, Mr. Timothy Dow ling, allured 

 me that he would willingly ferve the Swedijh 

 Academy of Sciences in what he could procure 

 from Madeira or Brafil ; and it might be 

 worth while to put him in mind of his pro- 

 nnfe, fince he himfelf is curious. He had 

 found fome petrefaclions, and a plant which 

 he would have to be the Laurus which crown- 

 ed the heads of the ancient Romans b . The 

 particular plants which I faw on my fhort 

 walks were : 



A Caclus, on a fteep hill. When this be- 

 gins to ripen, I think it might be ufeful to ob- 



b This is the Alexandrian Laurtl. 



V-Qi. If. M ferve 



