AND PORTO SANTO. 103 



its culture was abandoned for that of the vine (introduced from 

 Cyprus ''), which became more profitable. The number of Scotch 

 and Enghsh famihes which have since resorted to it, have dehghted 

 in forming beautiful gardens around their country-houses ; and 

 vegetables of every sort have thus been introduced, until it has 

 become impossible to draw the hne between those that are indi- 

 genous, and those that are naturahzed. Added to this, the strong 

 sirocco winds which blow at different periods, must have trans- 

 ported many seeds from the continent of Africa ; and its vicinity 

 to the Canaries and Azores, has probably enabled birds to bring 

 many of their vegetable productions to it. A fourth circumstance, 

 although by far the least contributive, also adds to this diversity ; 

 that of vessels from all parts of the world touching, and frequently 

 clearing out their cargoes, or cleansing their holds in the port : seve- 

 ral seeds have thus been brought,' and thrown amongst the rubbish 

 of the shore, which has afterwards been used for manure, and this 

 seems to me the most probable way of accounting for those plants 

 wliich are at once common to Madeira and America. Was it a 

 primitive country, we might more decidedly pronounce on indi- 

 genous plants, but as it is entirely volcanic, its vegetation must have 

 been so progressive, from the lichen to the most stately dicotyledon, 

 that time must have been given for several of the above causes to 

 operate, before its completion. Even at the present moment, as 

 we pass through the country, we see the crustaceous lichens form- 

 ing beautiful grayish green patches on the basaltic rocks at the 



even this view, at the expense of the West India planter, that is, by imposing a lesser 

 duty on the African, would be very unfair ; but if the duty being the same, sugar were 

 grown at that low rate in Africa, which would enable us to undersell every foreign 

 colony, or even to supply Great Britain at a lower rate than she is now supplied by 

 the West Indies, surely a discouragement would be both unjust and unwise. Coffee, 

 indigo, cotton, and tobacco might be grown to any extent in Africa, the three latter 

 being indigenous and abundant. 



•^ According to Cadamosto, therefore, before the year 1445. 



