SEPT. 1768 MADEIRA II 
We visited them on Thursday evening, just before their 
supper-time ; they made many apologies, that they could not 
ask us to sup, not being prepared ; “but,” said they, “if you 
will come to-morrow, notwithstanding that it is a fast with 
us, we will have a turkey roasted for you.” 
There are here besides friaries, three or four houses of 
nuns. To one of these (Saint Clara) we went, and indeed 
the ladies did us the honour to express great pleasure in 
seeing us there. They had heard that we were great 
philosophers, and expected much from us: one of the first 
questions that they asked was when it would thunder; they 
then desired to know if we could put them in a way of find- 
ing water in their convent, of which it seems they were in 
want. Notwithstanding that our answers to their questions 
were not quite so much to the purpose as they expected, 
they did not at all cease their civilities ; for while we stayed, 
which was about half an hour, I am sure that there was not 
a fraction of a second in which their tongues did not go at 
an uncommonly nimble rate. 
It remains now that I should say something of the 
island in general, and then take my leave of Madeira till 
some other opportunity offers of visiting it again, for the 
climate is so fine that any man might wish it was in his 
power to live there under the benefits of English laws and 
liberty. 
The hills here are very high, much higher than any one 
would imagine; Pico Ruievo, the highest, is 5068 feet,’ 
which is much higher than any land that has been measured 
in Great Britain. The whole island, as I hinted before, has 
probably been the production of a volcano, notwithstanding 
which its fertility is amazing: all the sides of the hills 
are covered with vines to-a certain height, above which 
are woods of chestnut and pine of immense extent, and 
above them forests of wild timber of kinds not known in 
Europe, which amply supply the inhabitants with whatever 
they may want. Among these, some there were whose 
flowers we were not able to procure, and consequently could 
1 6059 feet by more recent measurement. 
