Government-house at Madeira. 



MADEIRA. 



Interviews with the civil and 

 military governors. 



surf, and would seem to threaten ere long their 

 destruction. 



Similar needle-form rocks are seen off the north- 

 ern Desevta, an island lying some miles east of 

 Madeira. One of them is often mistaken for a ship 

 under sail, to which when first seen it has a con- 

 siderable resemblance. It stands like a slender 

 broken column, several hundred feet in height, on 

 a base scarcely larger than its summit. 



Funchal has a very pleasing appearance from 

 the sea, and its situation, in a kind of amphitheatre 

 formed by the mountains, adds to its beauty. The 

 contrast of the white buildings and villas with the 

 green mountains, forms a picture which is much 

 heightened by the bold quadrangular Loo Rock, 

 with its embattled summit commanding the harbour 

 in the foreground. 



The island throughout is rough and mountainous, 

 but the steeps are clothed with rich and luxuriant 

 verdure. Terraces are visible on every side, and 

 every spot that the ingenuity of man could make 

 available has been apparently turned to advantage, 

 and is diligently cultivated. These spots form an 

 interesting scene, particularly when contrasted 

 with the broken and wild background, with the 

 white cottages clustered at the sea-shore, and 

 gradually extending themselves upwards until the 

 eye rests on the highest and most striking 

 building, that of the convent of Nostra Senora de 

 Monte. 



Through the western half of the island runs a 

 central ridge, about five thousand feet high, on 

 which is an extensive plain, called Paul de Serra, 

 which is mostly overgrown, and is used especially 

 for breeding mules and horses. The eastern por- 

 tion of the island, though quite elevated, is less so 

 than the western. 



The valleys usually contain a strip of land of 

 extreme fertility, through whrch winds the bed of a 

 streamlet, that becomes a mountain torrent in the 

 rainy seasons, but is nearly or quite dry in sum- 

 mer. 



The landing at Funchal is on a stony beach, and 

 is accompanied with some little difficulty, partly on 

 account of the surf, but more from the noise, con- 

 fusion, and uproar made by the native boatmen in 

 their efforts to drag their boat up on the beach. 

 This operation they however understand, and are 

 well accustomed to, and those who desire to land 

 dry, will be wise to employ them. 



On the 17th, we paid our respects, with a large 

 party of officers, to the civil governor the baron 

 de Lordello, field-marshal in the army, and admi- 

 nistrator-general of the province of Madeira and 

 Porto Santo ; and also to the military governor 

 Jose Teixcera Rebello, colonel in the army, and 

 commandant of the district. 



His excellency baron Lordello resides in the 

 government house or palace, which is a large 

 quadrangular building, occupied in part as bar- 

 racks. His suit of apartments fronts the bay, 

 and enjoys a beautiful view of it ; they also have 

 the enjoyment of the inbat or sea-breeze. They 

 are very large, and but meagerly furnished. 

 Around the large anteroom are hung the portraits 

 of all the civil, ecclesiastical, and military go- 

 vernors, which form an imposing array of hard 

 outline, stiff figures and faces, with a variety of 

 amusing costume. Those of later years which 

 have been hung up, are not calculated to give very 



exalted ideas of the standing of the present Portu- 

 guese school of portrait painting. 



His excellency the baron Lordello received us 

 very courteously. Our audience, however, was ex- 

 tremely formal ; the whole furniture and appear- 

 ance of the room served to make it so. We all 

 found it difficult to school ourselves to ceremonies, 

 having been ushered as we were through dilapi- 

 dated and impoverished courts and vestibules. 

 His excellency the baron speaks English remark- 

 ably well, which I understood he had acquired 

 while acting as interpreter to the British staff in 

 Portugal, during the Peninsular war. He had 

 been no more than a week in charge of the go- 

 vernment, having just arrived from Portugal. 

 After a few monosyllabic questions and answers 

 we took our leave, and he did us the honour to see 

 us through the anteroom to the hall of entrance, 

 where we parted with many bows. 



Our next visit was to the military governor, 

 Senor Rebello, who occupied a small apartment at 

 the opposite end of the building. This was not 

 large enough to accommodate us all, and chairs 

 were wanting for many. The manner and ease of the 

 occupant made full amends. Ceremony and form 

 were laid aside ; he seemed to enter warmly into 

 our plans and pleasures, and evinced a great desire 

 to do us service. 



The streets of the town are very narrow, with- 

 out sidewalks, and to our view like alleys, but their 

 narrowness produces no inconvenience. They are 

 well paved, and wheel-carriages are unknown. 

 The only vehicle, if so it may be called, is a sledge, 

 of some six feet in length, about twenty inches 

 wide, and only six or eight inches high, on 

 which are transported the pipes of wine. Two 

 strips of hard wood are fastened together for run- 

 ners. 



This sledge is dragged by two very small oxen, 

 and slips easily on the pavement, which is occa- 

 sionally wet with a cloth. It is no doubt the best 

 mode of transportation in Funchal, for their wine, 

 on account of the great steepness of their streets. 

 Smaller burthens are transported on men's shoul- 

 ders, or in hampers and baskets on the backs of 

 donkeys. 



I was surprised to learn that all misdemeanours 

 are referred for trial to Portugal, and that persons 

 having committed small crimes are kept for years 

 without any disposition being made of them by 

 those in authority. They are maintained at the ex- 

 pense of the complainant, consequently crime is 

 scarcely noticed or complained of. On the one 

 hand it makes the punishment very severe, and on 

 the other, persons are inclined to take the law into 

 their own hands against petty thefts. It is impos- 

 sible to avoid many painful sights in passing the 

 prisons. Caps on sticks are thrust through the 

 iron gratings, and requests are made for alms, first 

 in beseeching tones, and afterwards, if nothing is 

 given, one is pained with hearing cries of execra- 

 tion. The occupants are in keeping with the pre- 

 mises, and did not fail to excite both our com- 

 miseration and disgust. 



The rides in Madeira are beautiful. The roads 

 are well made, easily and safely travelled on a 

 Madeira pony, with a pony-boy or burroquerro. 

 One is at a loss to which to impute the most 

 strength of mind and endurance, the pony or the 

 boy. These boys keep constantly near the rider, at 



