88 ^ TRAVELS IN BRAZIL. 



were delighted with the prospect of the luxu- 

 riant valley of Porto Novo ; its verdant slopes 

 risinff out of the sea, are adorned with scat- 

 tered habitations of a dazzling white. The brown 

 or red walls, and steep sides of the rugged moun- 

 tain that traverses the island, form a pleasing 

 contrast with the rich green of the flowery val- 

 leys. Nothing can be more enchanting than the 

 prospect of this island, which seems to float like a 

 pleasant garden on the bosom of the ocean. We 

 soon descried the town of Funchal to the N.W. 

 and the steep Pico da Cruz rising behind it. In 

 the evening, when the frigate was not far from the 

 shore, the colours were hoisted, and a Portuguese 

 boat immediately came from the town to make the 

 usual enquiries. A stronger wind arising, which 

 made the anchorage on the very steep rocky bot- 

 tom still more unsafe and dangerous, the captain 

 thought proper to continue under sail ; a boat was 

 therefore put out to land the embassy, and the 

 naturalists, while the frigate remained in the roads 

 during the night. The exposed situation of this 

 harbour, where the ships, during high Vv'inds, 

 particularly from the S.E. and S.W., may easily 

 run against the cliffs of the coast, made this pre- 

 caution necessary. It was not till the following 

 day at noon, when we had already ascended the 

 mountainous part of the island, and were enjoying 

 the fine prospect of the ocean, that the salute of 

 the frigate announced that she had come to an 

 anchor. 



