12 ENGLAND TO RIO DE JANEIRO CHAP, i 



not settle their genera, particularly those called by the 

 Portuguese mirmulano and pao branco, 1 both which, and 

 especially the first, from the beauty of their leaves, promise 

 to be a great ornament to our European gardens. 



The inhabitants here are supposed to number about 

 80,000, and from the town of Funchiale (its custom- 

 house I mean) the King of Portugal receives 20,000 a 

 year, after having paid the Governor and all expenses of 

 every kind, which may serve to show in some degree of 

 what consequence this little island is to the Crown of 

 Portugal. Were it in the hands of any other people in the 

 world its value might easily be doubled from the excellence 

 of its climate, capable of bearing any kind of crop, a cir- 

 cumstance of which the Portuguese do not take the least 

 advantage. 



The coin current here is entirely Spanish, for the balance 

 of trade with Lisbon being in disfavour of this island, all the 

 Portuguese money naturally goes there, to prevent which 

 Spanish money is allowed to pass ; it is of three denomina- 

 tions, pistereens, bitts, and half bitts, the first worth about 

 a shilling, the second 6d., the third 3d. They have also 

 copper Portuguese money, but it is so scarce that I did not 

 in my stay there see a single piece. 2 



18tk. This evening got under weigh. 



20th. Took with the casting-net a most beautiful species 

 of Medusa of a colour equalling, if not exceeding, the finest 

 ultramarine ; it was described and called Medusa azurea. 



23rd. A fish was taken which was described and called 

 Scomber serpens ; the seamen said they had never seen it 

 before, except the first lieutenant, who remembered to have 

 taken one before just about these islands. Sir Hans Sloane 3 

 in his passage out to Jamaica also took one of these fish, 

 and gives a figure of it (vol. i. t. i. f. 2). 



24th. This morning the Pike [of Teneriffe] appeared very 

 plainly, and immensely high above the clouds, as may well 



1 Probably Apollonias canariensis, Nees ; and Oreodaphne fcetens, Nees. 



2 Here Banks has a list of 18 Madeiran fish and 299 plants. 



3 For notes on the naturalists and travellers mentioned throughout the 

 Journal, see pp. xliii.-li. 



