AND PORTO SANTO. 79 



he never travelled so safely with property in any country. He 

 then became cook to some officers at Gibraltar, failed in an adven- 

 ture to Madeira, and lived in the service of the British Consul, 

 until the profits of a baker's shop managed by his wife, and a 

 manufactory of vermicelU and maccaroni, started by himself, (the 

 machinery for which he had imported from Genoa) set him on his 

 legs once more. 



The white sandy beach of Porto Santo ^ seemed to promise me 

 a different geological field for observation to that of Madeira, and 

 I was all impatience to get ashore, but it was necessary that I 

 should have the Governor's permission to do so, which the captain 

 of the boat was despatched to procure; for the economical nature 

 of the government did not permit any Mercury to be in attendance 

 for this purpose; and, indeed, during the three days I resided 

 there, I could never discover that the governor had more than 

 one king's servant under his command, for all the purposes 

 of ordinary state, and he (distinguished by being clothed in 

 tattered remnants of various uniforms) opened the gates, hoisted 

 the flag, beat the drum at sunrise and sunset, swept the yard, 

 helped in the kitchen, and waited at table when the governor had 

 company. I should mention, that the governor himself, a major 

 in the army, has only 600 dollars a year from the government, 

 depending for any thing more on his own ingenuity. The captain 

 of the boat tied his better suit of clothes in a handkerchief, which 

 he held on the top of liis head, and plunging into the water, swam 

 ashore; but although he quitted us at seven o'clock, it was 

 thought derogatory by the governor's servant to acknowledge that 

 his Excellency had risen until nine, and then he must breakfast 



^ Porto Santo was discovered in 1418, by Joao Gonsalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz, 

 when driven out to sea by a tempest, in attempting to pass Cape Bojador, and 

 Madeira by the same persons, but not until three years after, according to Cadamosto. 

 Collegao de Noticias, p. 8. 



