MADEIRA. 15 



" Vincennes" and " Sea Gull" came in about sunset, and 

 the " Flying Fish" an hour or two later. The " Peacock'' 

 did not arrive until about 10 A. M. next day. 



Shortly after coming to anchor we were boarded by the 

 health-officer, who, being assured that we had no sickness 

 on board, granted us permission to communicate with the 

 shore. 



"We had heard much about the beauties of Madeira, and 

 now that we had it before our eyes, we were not disap- 

 pointed ; my own expectations were indeed more than 

 realized. Valleys and hills, the former adorned with villas, 

 groves, cottages, churches, and convents, the latter covered 

 to their summits with verdure, presented themselves to our 

 view in every direction. The climate is said to be among 

 the finest in the world. Properly speaking, there is no 

 winter, and the greatest heat in the summer is never so 

 great as with us. The usual height of the mercury is 67°, 

 and in the greatest extremes seldom sinks or rises 6° above 

 the medium, and hence the excellent health so generally 

 enjoyed by its inhabitants. Another remarkable fact about 

 Madeira is, that it is free from the annoyances and incon- 

 veniences that so commonly infest warm climates. There 

 are no snakes or reptiles of any sort. Flowers grow wild 

 along the sides of the roads, and in the fields. "Water is 

 abundant, and of an excellent quality ; even the streams at 

 the bottom of the ravines, fed by the mountain dews, are 

 never dry in the hottest season, and the height from which 

 they descend enables the inhabitants to turn their course 

 . in any direction they please, which accounts for the culti- 

 vated parts of the island being so well irrigated. 



The chief production of Madeira is the grape,* and that 



*" The vine was introduced in 1425, from the island of Candia; but it was not ac- 

 tively cultivated till the early part of the sixteenth century. It is propagated from 



