30 EXCURSIONS IN MADEIRA 



and even place this horizontally, the force being sufficient to keep 

 up its rotatory motion in this unfavourable position. 



My next excursion was to the peak of Ariero, on the eastern 

 side of the Coural, and about three hours ride from Funchal. 

 Approaching the Mount Church, we find beautiful chesnut woods, 

 clothing the sides of the precipices ; and in the rugged path which 

 commences above this building, I was astonished to find the elegant 

 fuchsia coccinea, and the blushing rosa Benghalensis, l)oth of which 

 had evidently strayed from the neighbouring gardens. I have not 

 been able satisfactorily to separate the naturalized and indigenous 

 solanece ; the s. cerasiforme grew higher than the others, but it had 

 probably strayed from the gardens above this church. The sides 

 of the hills presented the most beautiful contrast of tints, from the 

 large patches of erica, broom, and evergreen shrubs ; the digitalis 

 purpurea, appeared by every stream or spring. The myrtles are 

 very beautiful, and grow luxuriantly ; they extend to a height of 

 3000 feet, but they certainly do not amount to forests, or even 

 thickets, nor do any reach the region of the Vaccinia'' : they were 

 formerly much more numerous, having been injudiciously cut for 

 the ornamenting of churches and processions on rehgious festivals. 

 The latter part of the ascent is along the barren rocks of basalt 

 and red tufa, which form the highest outline of the view behind 

 from Funchal, and are 3700 feet above the sea. One sudden turn, 

 through a romantic pass, opens a fine valley with thickets of 

 laurels, dwarfish to be sure, but in such profusion as to clothe the 

 whole landscape ; whilst violets are growing at their roots. The 

 plain near the peak was covered with the vaccinium; its leaves 

 turning red, but partially concealed the black berries ; and the 

 iisnea lichen waved from one tree to the other, like masses of long- 

 green hair. The pasturage looked rich, not merely from the fresh 



^ The lamented Professor Smith must have made both these assertions inadvertently. 

 Introduction to the Narrative of the Expedition to the Zaire, p. Ixviii. 



