SEPT. 1768 MADEIRA 



however, of the tree called here Vigniatico, Laurus indicus, 1 

 Linn., bids fair to be the thing, it being of a fine grain and 

 brown like mahogany, from which it is difficult to distinguish 

 it, as is well shown at Dr. Heberden's house, where, in a 

 book-case, mgniatico and mahogany were placed close by 

 each other, and were only to be known asunder by the 

 first being of not quite so dark a colour as the other. 



As much of the island as we saw showed evident signs 

 of a volcano having some time or other possibly produced 

 the whole, for we saw no one piece of stone which did not 

 clearly show signs of having been burnt, some very much, 

 specially the sand, which was absolutely cinders. Indeed, 

 we did not see much of the country, but we were told that 

 the whole resembled the specimen we saw of it. 



When first approached from seaward the land has a very 

 beautiful appearance, the sides of the hills being entirely 

 covered with vineyards almost as high as the eye can 

 distinguish. This gives a constant appearance of verdure, 

 although at this time nothing but the vines remain green, 

 the grass and herbs being entirely burnt up, except near 

 the rills by which the vines are watered and under the 

 shade of the vines themselves. But even there very few 

 species of plants were in perfection, the greater part being 

 burnt up. 



The people here in general seem to be as idle, or rather 

 uninformed, a set, as I ever yet saw ; all their instruments, 

 even those with which their wine, the only article of trade 

 in the island, is made, are perfectly simple and unimproved. 

 In making wine the grapes are put into a square wooden 

 vessel, of dimensions depending upon the size of the vine- 

 yard to which it belongs, into which the servants get 

 (having taken off their stockings and jackets), and with 

 their feet and elbows squeeze out as much of the juice as 

 they can ; the stalks, etc., are then collected, tied together 

 with a rope, and put under a square piece of wood which is 

 pressed down by a lever, to the other end of which is 

 fastened a stone that may be raised up at pleasure by a 

 1 Persea indica,' Spreng. 



