74 EXCURSIONS IN MADEIRA 



has been frequently referred to in political arguments by modern 

 ones '. The only native poet of Madeira has introduced it in his 

 epic of Zargueida", and as the reader has probably never heard of 

 this poem, I will conclude my remarks on its subject, by en- 

 deavouring to translate the two first stanzas of the episode. 



In far famed England liv'd a noble knight, 



A true Adonis in each woman's sight. 



Whom natm'e seemed with every grace to dow'r. 



Which love inspires, or o'er the heart has pow'r ; 



Fierce in the field, and gentle in the bow'r. 



'Twas Machim's fate at once to see and love 



Proud d'Arfet's daughter, Anna, born to move 



Those tender feelings in each gazer's breast. 



Which thought may picture, though Vv'ords ne'er expressed ; 



Life to the favour'd — death to the unblessed. 



Two dead sharks (the spinax acanthias and scymnus licha) lay 



and in the hope of reaching some part of Europe, were also driven on the coast of 

 Morocco, and rejoined their companions, but in slavery. Zargo, during an expedition 

 of discovery to the coast of Africa, took a Spanish vessel with redeemed captives, 

 amongst whom was an experienced pilot of the name of Morales, who entered into 

 the service of Zargo, and gave him an account of the adventures of Machim, as com- 

 municated to him by the English captives, and of the land-marks and situation of the 

 newly-discovered island. Galvano relates the same story from the Castilian Chro- 

 nicles, with the difference, that Machim survived and reached Castile, after being 

 made a prisoner by the Moors. 



' " He porque elle descende de Joao Gon§alves Zargo ? Pois sera possivel que, 

 vindo este a custa do Estado a tomar posse de huma Ilha, ja por outros achada, e 



deserta 



elles so erao Nossos Senhores para mandarem receber o que ganhou Zargo por vir 



descubrir sem custo huma Ilha ja descoberta, e langar Ihe fogo 



Tanta dinheirama para o Marques de Castello, Melhor, em remune ragao dos servi§os 

 de Zargo ! ! ! Oh Men Deos! e ainda estara por pagar a sua vinda a esta terra, quia 

 do pelos companheiros do miserando Machim, que aqui foi sepultado antes daquella 

 verlda?" Patriota Funchalese, No. 1%. Vol. III. 



" Zargueida, Descobrime?ito da Ilha da Madeira, por Francisco de Paula Medina e 

 Vasconcellos. Lisboa, 1806. 



