148 EXCURSIONS IN MADEIRA 



published in 181 1 % we are told, that Madeira is 75 miles long, and 

 60 broad ; now the extreme length, as I have shewn from Colonel 

 Paulo d' Almeida's survey, is only 32i G. miles, and the greatest 

 breadth 12.1. I have taken as much pains as possible to ascertain 

 the latitude and longitude of the eastern and western points, by 

 combining the best existing data, and I make the former, 

 P. Lourenpo, 32° 43' 30" N., 16° 39' 22" W. ; and the latter, P. de 

 Pargo, 32° 50' N., and 17° 22' W.^ 



I have determined five more indigenous, and two more culti- 

 vated plants, to add to the sketch of a Flora in the Appendix. 

 Of the former, the asclepias fruticosa is found in different parts of 

 the island, the senecio triflorus towards the bottom of the Coural, 

 the sedum divancatum, stachys scordioidis and an orchis (an ibcrica?) 

 in the laurel region of the ascent to Ruivo. The latter are the 

 momordica balsamina in the garden of INIr, Keir, and the beautiful 

 inga obtusifolia (first found in Cumana, by De Humboldt and 

 Bonpland), in that of Mr. Wardi'op. 



All the branches of several orange-trees at the Valle villa, near 

 Funchal, having unaccountably perished, they were cut down, and a 

 section of one being accidentally made at the very line which 

 separated the healthy from the diseased part of the tree, a worm 

 was found near the centre, lodged within a perforation (li inches 

 long, I inch wide, and 2 in depth, narrowing inwards), which 

 it was occupied in enlarging by means of its powerful jaws (the 

 working of which produced an irregular noise equal to the ticking 



' London, 4to. p. 841. — Gourlay writes, p. 5, " its greatest length from east to west 

 is 45 miles ;" Pitta, p. 10, 55 miles. 



' Since the sending home of the manuscript of this work, Mr. Bowdich, who never 

 lost any opportunity of pursuing his scientific observations, was enabled, with great 

 labour, to eflPect a trigonometrical measurement of Ruivo, &c., which has been pubhshed 

 in Brewster's Scientific Journal. Ed. 



