PAGE 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I 

 THE RETURN 



The return — Situation of Madeira — Some essential facts — 

 Tourists — Communications ancient and modern — Bay 

 of Funchal — View of the town — Conditions of life — 

 Excessive State regulation — Exchange — "The Inno- 

 cents Abroad " — The British flag — The man who 

 talked nothing but Madeira ..... i 



CHAPTER n 



FUNCHAL AND ITS GARDENS 



The gardens of Madeira — Mr. W. Robinson's views — 

 Terraced formation — Wealth of vegetation — Soil — 

 Temperature — Plants in flower — Aims in gardening 

 — The town of Funchal — Lack of modern improve- 

 ments — Old-world charm — Religion and proselytism 

 — Cleanly aspect — The strangers' quarter — Onx S^iiinta 

 — A picnic — List of Christmas flowers . . .19 



CHAPTER HI 

 TOWN AND COUNTRY DELIGHTS 



Fireworks and the New Year — The Casino — Roulette — 

 Systems — Morality and gambling — The mountains — 

 Levadas — An Excursion — Monte — Running cars — 

 Ribeiro Frio — Metade valley — Ancient disregard of 

 mountain scener}' — Modern cult of mountains — Ma- 

 deira's volcanic origin ...... 42 



xi 



