SIR HANS SLOANE. 33 



of metal or aloe dropt into the sea,* as Trapliam 

 would have it. What kind of Arundo it is, the 

 same author calls the Dumb-cane ; as also what 

 his animal seeds may be. The shining barks of 

 trees which he mentions deserves observation, 

 because I find nothing of them in other writers," 

 &c.f 



With these instructions he prepared for his 

 voyage ; and at length, on Monday, September 

 12, 1687? he went on board his Majesty's ship, 

 Assistance, forty- four guns, commanded by Cap- 

 tain Lawrence Wright, then lying at Spithead. 

 They weighed anchor the same afternoon, and 

 reached Madeira on Friday, 21st October. "Con- 

 sidering," says he, " that this island had not been 

 very anciently inhabited, being but discovered 

 in the fourteenth century, and that common fame 

 relates all the inhabitants hereof to be criminals 

 banished hither, I expected to have found a great 

 deal of barbarity and rudeness here, and nothing 

 else ; but on going ashore, I was very much 

 disappointed, for I have not seen any where more 

 accomplished gentlemen than here, having all the 

 civility one could desire." His medical skill was 

 in great demand during the ten days he remained 



* It is almost needless to remark, that it is now ascer- 

 tained that this substance is a concretion formed in the 

 stomach or intestines of the Physeter macrocephalus, or 

 Spermaceti whale. 



t Letters, page 209. 



C 



