Mr Scouler's Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. 197 



contribute to our comfort, or assist in preventing scurvy, was 

 liberally provided. But the best evidence of the prudence of 

 the means employed is their success ; and it may be stated 

 that, during a long voyage of twenty-two months, we never 

 once could detect a symptom of scurvy on any individual in 

 the vessel. In the prospect of a long voyage, I esteemed my- 

 self fortunate in having for a companion Mr Douglas, a zea- 

 lous botanist, who was engaged by the Horticultural Society of 

 London to explore the vegetable treasures of the North West 

 Coast of America. 



During our voyage from London to Madeira nothing occur- 

 red to attract the attention of the naturalist, and, as the wea- 

 ther was agreeable, we employed ourselves in making those ar- 

 rangements which our new mode of living required. Since 

 leaving England, the only animal we saw was the Procellaria 

 pelagica (Petrel,) which became more numerous as we ap- 

 proached the land. On the 9th August we saw the island of 

 Porto Santo, and afterwards that of Madeira, which, to use 

 the expressiou of Spix and Martius, " appeared to float like a 

 pleasant garden on the bosom of the ocean ;" but we were so 

 detained by the calmness of the weather that it was the even, 

 ing of the 10th before we came to anchor ofFFunchal. Next 

 morning, impatient to make the most of our limited time, we 

 proceeded to the interior of the island. On leaving the coast 

 we found ourselves among the vallies of this fertile island, which 

 present the appearance of one continued vineyard, interspersed 

 with fields of the esculent Arum, and groves of Sugar-canes ; 

 at a greater elevation these vegetables disappear, and are re- 

 placed by the Chesnut-tree and the Myrtle ; and the steep sides 

 of the Pica da Cruz are only supplied with the heath and a few 

 grasses and ferns common to alpine regions. Although we 

 collected a considerable variety of plants and insects, the re- 

 sults of our journey were far from satisfying our too sanguine 

 expectations. The phenegamous plants were sufficiently 

 known to us, and the alpine regions afforded but a poor sup- 

 ply of Lichens and Mosses. 



To give any detailed description of an island so well known 

 as Madeira would be superfluous, and to acquire a knowledge? 

 of its productions during our short visit was impossible. The 



