Discovery of Madeira. d^ 



and on the declivities of the Ribeiro Frio, it is met with at 

 an elevation of above 3000 feet. 



The earlier history of the island has had such a great 

 influence upon its present industrial and social condition, that 

 a few remarks on the most important features of its history 

 may find a place here. 



Madeira was discovered in 1419, by two Portuguese, Joao 

 Gonsalvo da Camara* and Tristao Teixeira, and, about 1421, a 

 colony of Europeans settled on the island. Camara obtained, 

 as a gift for his discovery, the south-eastern, and Teixeira the 

 north-eastern part of the island, together with the most 

 extensive powers and privileges. Funchal was then the 

 principal place of Camara's territory, and Machico that of 

 Teixeira's. These two recipients {donatarios) enjoyed the 

 exclusive privileges of erecting flour and saw mills ; they 

 alone were allowed to build ovens for public baking (private 

 baking being permitted to all); they, moreover, had the mono- 

 poly of trading in salt, had claims upon the tithes of the royal 

 revenues, and were empowered to grant portions of the land 

 to settlers. Every settler was required to erect within five 

 years a house, a cottage, or barn, on his ground, and to 

 cultivate the land. If these conditions, at the expiration of 

 the fixed period, had not been complied with, the donor had 

 the right of granting the land to some one else. These grants 

 were hereditary, and lapsed to the crown, or the donors, if alive, 

 in the event of there being no direct successors. Such ex- 



* Vulgarly called Zargo, or the Squinter. 



