WANDERINGS 



IN 



NEW SOUTH WALES, 



CHAPTER I. 



Island of Porto Santo — Madeira — The Desertas Islands — 

 Town of Funchal — The Physalia, or Portuguese man of 

 war — Description of that animal — An experiment — Ef- 

 fects of the Physalia's sting — Method of preserving the 

 animal — Land in sight — Approach to the Cape Verd 

 Islands — Islands of Mayo and St. Jago — Anchor at Porto 

 Praya — The town — Famine- — Novel method of Fishing — 

 Tropical trees and other plants — Valley of St. Trinidad — 

 The monkey bread-tree — Springs of water — Severe 

 drought — Negro Huts — Plantations — The gigantic boa- 

 bab-tree — Residence of Don F. Melo — The Orchilla weed 

 — Date palms — Leave the island. 



On the 15th of May 1832, the island of Porto 

 Santo, in latitude SS'^ 5' north, longitude 16' 5' 

 west, was seen bearing south-west, half-south, at 

 the distance of forty miles from the ship " Bro- 

 thers," Captain Towns, bound to New South 



VOL. I. B 



