308 NOTES ON MADEIRA, 



Levada,*^ which led us at length to a lovely waterfall of about 

 80 feet perpendicular, precipitating itself through a narrow 

 chasm in the rock completely clothed with luxuriant ferns. 

 Here we took a few insects. Kestrils were very abundant at 

 this spot. 



oOth. — Rambled through the vineyards near home. In one 

 spot a broken rocky bank was quite red with the magnificent 

 spikes of Aloe arborea, which is now naturalized to a consider- 

 able extent in the coast region of Madeira. Following the 

 road up the mountain to an elevation of two thousand feet, al- 

 though very fine below, we were quite enveloped in clouds ; 

 however, we got some good plants ; and among other things, 

 what appeared at a distance huge bunches of nettles, turned 

 out on inspection the well-known plant of our greenhouses, 

 commonly called " Balm of Gilead," so much esteemed for its 

 aromatic smell. It has been raining heavily, and I am now 

 (8i P.M.) sitting at the open window, with the thermometer at 

 65°. The streets in the town are so steep, and the roads 

 throughout the island so bad, as entirely to preclude the use 

 of wheel carriages ; and, consequently, the only modes of con- 

 veyance are, in palanquins or on horseback ; the former is 

 adopted generally by the ladies. The people of the Island are 

 a dirty, ignorant set ; but we have not yet had much oppor- 

 tunity of studying their habits. 



Dec. 8tk. — We attended service this morning in the convent 

 of Santa Clara. We had the satisfaction of seeing the nuns 

 through the grate, but had not much reason to be proud of 

 our new acquaintances, as they are mostly old and ugly, and 

 their singing is detestable. We afterwards visited the garden 

 of a Portuguese gentleman, which contains many fine trees, 

 particularly a date, the largest in the island, but unfortunately 

 a male, and not therefore producing fruit. 



*• The " Levadas" are the channels by which water is brought down from the 

 mountains to irrigate the vineyards on the slopes above the sea. They usually 

 commence at some waterfall high up the ravine, and are carried along the steep 

 face of the rock, at a very slight descent, till they emerge on the face of the hill, 

 where they are mostly bordered by a good path, and form a delightful promenade ; 

 but in the ravines they are usually about two feet wide, with an outside wall of 

 masonry, varying from one to two feet in thickness, the top of which forms the 

 only path. Thus when carried along tlie face of perpendicular, and sometimes 

 overhanging rocks, at a great elevation, it requires a firm foot and steady head 

 to traverse them. 



