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4Uet to not a few of my shipmates, whose diet had consisted chiefly of salt junk, I af- 

 terwards sought the public garden or pleasure-ground, where the Portuguese were 

 playing their national airs on the guitar and machetta, and returned to the consul's, 

 carrying as trophies a noble specimen of Coffea arabica, and some ripe and unripe 

 fruit of Citrus Limonum and Limetta. 



I started early on the morning of the 27th to have a glimpse of the interior, in 

 company with three shipmates. When entering Funchal Bay two evenings before, a 

 striking ediiice, apparently imbedded under a canopy of trellis-work and creepers, had 

 attracted our attention. This conspicuous object, our guides now informed us, was 

 " Nossa Senhora da Monte," or Mount Church, situated three and a half miles up the 

 mountain, behind Funchal. As the land rises rapidly from the coast to the interior, 

 in order to facilitate our progress, long iron spiculse were appended to the posterior 

 part of our horses' shoes, presenting in an exaggerated degree the appearance of what 

 we call in Scotland %vell frosted. This is necessary, for the angle of inclination of 

 some roads above Funchal is certainly not less than the ascent of Arthur's Seat from 

 the Hunter's Bog. These roads, however, though ill-suited for the progression of the 

 tourist, are well adapted for the descent of the hogsheads of Madeira from the wine- 

 presses above the town. They are paved with small pebbles (nearly equal in size), 

 taken from the ravines and water-courses ; and in the interstices between these stones 

 the spiculse mentioned are securely fixed at each step of the horse. We could not 

 ride two abreast, as the road was only six feet broad in some places; and, speaking 

 for myself, being mounted on a particularly fiery Pegasus, the occasional passing of a 

 sledge, drawn by a couple of pigmy bullocks, was attended with some difficulty. 



During the first part of the excursion we traversed a region of terraced vineyards, 

 which are arranged in a singularly beautiful manner, the vines being carried on trel- 

 lices over the roads, and, occasionally, this refreshing canopy is continued over some 

 acres of rich soil — forming a lovely covering of leaves and fruit. These shady avenues 

 are an agreeable protection from the rays of the sun, and being arched overhead, have 

 the appearance of tunnels : in them the peasants are engaged in vine-dressing during 

 the day —the children sport in the evening — and dogs keep watch by night. 



The Arundo donax, which attains a height of twenty feet, is cultivated extensively 

 for supporting the vines, and a variety of other purposes. 



The soil in the vicinity of Funchal is exceedingly rich, consisting of dark vege- 

 table mould, mixed with the debris of volcanic rock, or of beds of stiff" red clay. The 

 latter produces the best vineyards ; and a bed of this description, with traces of iron 

 ore, extending to the depth of thirty feet, yielded as fine produce as any that we 

 passed in the island. 



As we rose from this lower region, where the mountain was clothed with vines and 

 figs, and where flocks of canaries of a lively green flew around, we plodded on through 

 orange bowers and festoons of fragrant jasmine (Jasminurn odoratissimum). The 

 proud sunflower here overtopped the modest Heliotrope. There were patches of Cof- 

 fea arabica (in cul tivation), Cucurbitacece in great abundance, — gourds, melons, 

 pumpkins and cucumbers. We noticed, surrounding a merchant's villa, a stout hedge 

 of Fuchsia, and some scattered specimens of Passiflora edulis and quadrangular is. 

 The Cactacece, singular in appearance and various in habit, showed their spiny heads 

 and handsome petals, their roots being sometimes firmly secured in the crevices of the 

 granite. Here were plants of which we have no example in the north. The vegeta- 

 tion was of a diff'erent character from anything I had seen. 



