94 ^02/a^e of the Novara. 



and there has been a most singular expedient adopted, in order 

 to prevent abuse as regards obtaining the board money, which 

 amounts to about one piastre a month, for each. A piece 

 of tape is put round the infant's neck, the two ends of which 

 are fastened with a lead seal, and stamped, so that, in the event 

 of death, it cannot be taken off and put on another child's neck. 

 The witnessing of the process of fastening and stamping this 

 necklace is most unpleasant, although no real pain is inflicted 

 on the child. 



In the year 1855 there existed in the entire island twelve 

 elementary schools, attended by about 200 scholars, and likewise 

 forty-nine Sunday schools, having about 2400 pupils. Funchal 

 also possesses a college, with six professors and 120 students, 

 an ecclesiastical seminary for twenty-four pupils, and a medical 

 school, with four professors, which, however, during the year of 

 our visit, had only seven students. Though the Government is 

 very rigid in exacting the attendance of the children at school, 

 yet only about a seventh part of the whole number living 

 in the island really avail themselves of the benefit. 



A hospital for the consumptive is now in course of erection, 

 at the expense of the Empress dowager of the Brazils, as a 

 memorial of her daughter, who, in 1853, died of this disease 

 on the island. 



There exist several public libraries and book societies at 

 Funchal ; and in several of the clubs a great many of the lead- 

 ing English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German jour- 

 nals, are to be found. Four weekly papers, in the Portuguese 



