MADEIRA. 275 



Africa ; but the generality of the class are devil- 

 dodgers of the lowest order ; a seedy-looking, long- 

 coated, white-chokered, dirty-linened set, horribly 

 afraid of water, but disgustingly canting and 

 hypocritical, although so illiterate that scarcely 

 one of them can utter a sentence without vilely 

 murdering the Queen's English. They are besides 

 often addicted " to lifting the elbow," extremely 

 contentious, and perfect cormorants at table. Yet 

 bad as they are, they are still good enough to fill up 

 a hole in the sand, or feed the land-crabs of Africa. 

 Sixthly, the travelled negro, generally an insolent 

 coxcomb, and an insupportable bore, and always 

 " something" I should avoid sitting next to in the hot 

 weather. Towards evening on Christmas Day we 

 passed the Tuscar Light, and were fairly on our 

 way. 



At 5 p.m. on the evening of the 30th December, 

 we sighted Porto Santo, and early the following 

 morning cast anchor in Funchal Koads. I had 

 previously been several times to Madeira, before 

 the scourge of the vine disease had desolated the 

 land, and reduced its inhabitants to poverty, and I 

 t2 



