Leaves from a Madeira Garden 



liable to the attacks of worms, which in this 

 climate are rampant, it is usually in very poor 

 condition, a fact which those who have come to 

 feel its unique charm will regret. The business 

 of " worm-eating," which is said to afford an 

 honest livelihood to many respectable workmen 

 in London, is as yet unknown here. 



Strangers often express surprise at this 

 abundance of old English furniture in a foreign 

 country. It is explained by the fact that in the 

 seventeenth and especially in the eighteenth 

 centuries many Englishmen settled here to 

 exploit the wine trade ; they made a great deal 

 of money, and built themselves fine houses, 

 and sent to England for their furniture and 

 plate. And as later the East Indiamen 

 commonly called here for wine, Madeira pro- 

 bably had more regular communication with 

 England than even with Portugal. There is, 

 however, a persistent tradition that Thomas 

 Chippendale himself at one time resided and 

 worked either in Portugal or here. 1 can find 

 no authority for this, but the surprising amount 

 of work more or less showing his influence 

 seems to lend some colour to the story, which 

 is not in itself incredible. 



198 



