6 ENGLAND TO RIO DE JANEIRO CHAP, i 



contented ourselves with collecting as much as we could in 

 the neighbourhood of the town, never going above three 

 miles from it during our whole stay. 



The season of the year was undoubtedly the worst 

 for both plants and insects, being that of the vintage, 

 when nothing is green in the country, except just on the 

 verge of small brooks, by which their vines are watered ; 

 we made shift, however, to collect specimens of several 

 plants, etc. 



The five days which we remained upon the island were 

 spent so exactly in the same manner that it is by no means 

 necessary to divide them. I shall therefore only say that 

 in general we got up in the morning, went out on our 

 researches, returned to dine, and went out again in the 

 evening. On one day, however, we had a visit from the 

 Governor, of which we had notice beforehand, and were 

 obliged to stay at home ; so that this unsought honour lost 

 us very nearly the whole day, a very material part of the 

 short time we were allowed to stay upon the island. "We, 

 however, contrived to revenge ourselves upon his Excellency 

 by means of an electrical machine which we had on board ; 

 for, upon his expressing a desire to see it, we sent for it 

 ashore, and shocked him fully as much as he chose. 



While here we were much indebted to Dr. Heberden, 

 the chief physician of the island, and brother to the physician 

 of that name at London. He had for many years been an 

 inhabitant of the Canaries, and of this island, and had 

 made several observations, chiefly philosophical ; some, how- 

 ever, were botanical, describing the trees of the island. Of 

 these he immediately gave us a copy, together with such 

 specimens as he had in his possession, and indeed spared 

 no pains to get for us living specimens of such as could be 

 procured in flower. 



We tried here to learn what species of wood it is which 

 has been imported into England, and is now known to cabinet- 

 makers by the name of Madeira mahogany, but without 

 much success, as we could not learn that any wood had 

 been exported from the island by that name. The wood, 



