HISTORICAL SKETCH 149 



came under the protection of the English when, in 

 1801, in order to protect their allies from the 

 aggressions of the French, the island was garrisoned 

 by English troops. The Peace of Amiens saw 

 the withdrawal of the British forces ; but when 

 war broke out between England and France, in 

 1807, Madeira again came under British protec- 

 tion, when Admiral Hood occupied the island 

 with a force of 4,000 men. Mr. Yate Johnson, 

 in his " Handbook on Madeira," tells us how he 

 himself had seen the original signatures of the 

 principal inhabitants taken on this occasion, by 

 which they individually swore " to bear true alle- 

 giance and fealty to His Majesty King George III. 

 and to his heirs and successors, as the island should 

 be held by his said Majesty or his heirs, in con- 

 formity to the terms of the capitulation made and 

 signed on the 26th December, 1807, whereby the 

 island and dependencies were delivered over to his 

 said Majesty." The island, though garrisoned by 

 the English until the restoration of general peace 

 in 1814, was restored to her rightful owners four 

 months after the above oath of allegiance was 

 signed. 



The year 1826 was a troublous time for Madeira, 

 as the island did not escape the civil war which 



