chap, v.] LABOURING CLASSES. — WAGES, ETC. 107 



J 847 the failure of the potato, together with the famine in 

 Ireland, which opened a better market for com elsewhere, 

 produced great distress in Madeira ; at this time the mercan- 

 tile class came forward nobly, to assist the sufferers, by a 

 handsome subscription towards a loan fund for importing pro- 

 visions. 



LABOURING CLASSES. 



The labouring classes in general are a fine set of men, but 

 they cannot be said to be hard workers ; they exert themselves 

 for a time with much spirit, and in some kinds of work are 

 capable of great endurance ; but they are wanting in perse- 

 verance. Their food seems not to be such as is most condu- 

 cive to the development of muscular vigour. Part of the 

 year they subsist chiefly on chestnuts ; the yam, the sweet 

 potato, the Indian corn, and the lupine, form, with the 

 tunny fish, the complement of their diet. The yam is but a 

 moderate food ; the sweet potato is better ; the Indian corn, 

 united with the tunny, or with dried mackerel, is the best 

 fare of the bulk of the population. 



WAGES. 



Five pence a day and food are reckoned good wages in the 

 country; a man, however, seldom gets six days' work together. 

 In fact, but little money passes from hand to hand ; work is 

 done chiefly on the give and take system of America, i. e., I 

 do so much work for you to-day, on condition that you do so 

 much for me to-morrow. In town, wages vary from one 

 shilling to fifteen pence per diem. 



RELATION BETWEEN LANDLORD AND TENANT. 



The land in Madeira is generally cultivated by colonos 

 (tenants), under a peculiar tenant law. If the tenant resides 



