Leaves from a Madeira Garden 



boat of ten or twelve thousand tons on a 

 Saturday evening, and to arrive here with 

 more than the punctuality of most express 

 trains at dawn on the following Wednesday ; 

 and we are disposed to grumble because even 

 to achieve this our steamer does not put forth 

 her full strength. 



The precision of the mail service by sea 

 is a thing to wonder at, and, like most other 

 wonderful things, is commonly taken as a matter 

 of course. But it occasionally receives an un- 

 conscious tribute. Some vears ago I was 

 leaving Capetown, and the boat was several 

 hours late in starting in consequence of some 

 delay on the Johannesburg railway. An irate 

 Scotsman was pacing the deck and exclaiming, 

 " Confound it ! I shall miss my train for 

 Edinburgh." One's thoughts reverted to the 

 convenient packet brig. 



The foil of even a three or four days' voyage 

 serves to enhance the beauty of the approach to 

 Funchal. To that majority of mankind which 

 regards the very name of the Bay of Biscay 

 with apprehension, finds little to admire in the 

 mirk and monotony of the North Atlantic, 

 and has too often suffered worse things than 



