VILLA GARDENS EAST OF FUNCHAL 63 



position on, as its name implies, a stretch of 

 level ground. The road leading to it from the 

 town, known as the Caminho da Sao Roque, as 

 it eventually leads to the village of that name, 

 is almost as steep as the Mount Road, and a 

 very pretty view of the town is visible between 

 its creeper-clad walls, with the picturesque church 

 and tower of Santa Clara in the distance. The 

 Achada has also long been famous for its garden 

 and grounds. It formerly belonged to an English 

 family, who probably planted most of the rare 

 trees, palms, and Dracaenas, and the large magnolia- 

 trees for which it has become famous. The 

 property then changed hands, and for some years 

 belonged to a Portuguese family, but is now 

 again in English hands. The following is by the 

 same unknown author of the above description of 

 the Deanery in 1826 : " The English merchants all 

 have mansions in the city, but they commonly 

 live with their families in the country-houses in 

 the neighbourhood of it. To-day we have been 

 returning visits, which has taken us to some of 

 the finest of these quintas. One of them is the 

 Achada. The situation is delightful: it stands 

 on a level, the only one in the environs, just 

 above the city, and thus enjoys an advantage 



