Leaves from a Madeira Garden 



who regard the seals as enemies of their nets, 

 and wage war upon them, enter the caves, they 

 find the seals stretched asleep on the floor, and 

 he appropriately quotes Virgil — 



" Sternunt se somno diversae in Htore phocae." 



Sometimes a seal is captured alive. A year 

 or two ago one was offered for sale in Funchal. 

 It was purchased and placed in a pond in a 

 garden some four hundred feet above the sea. 

 It speedily became very tame, and would take 

 its food from the hands of the young ladies of 

 the house. But it sighed (if seals sigh) for the 

 freedom of its native Atlantic, and the comfort- 

 able cave in the Desertas wherein to repose, 

 perhaps for the society of its kind. And one 

 night it made a dash for liberty. It was un- 

 aware of the uses of roads, or it might have 

 frightened the late-returning roysterer out of 

 his remaining senses. It took the right direct- 

 tion, but alas ! it fell over a cliff, and through 

 a pergola into a peasant's garden. It must 

 have astonished the good man in the morning ; 

 truly a strange animal to have fallen from the 

 clouds. It was brought back to its pond, but its 

 plea for liberty was not in vain ; and shortly 



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