Travels in the Brazils. 



from Falmouth, and passing the Lizzard Pomt, which is distin- 

 guished by its two white Hght-houses, cleared the channel. On 

 the 22nd of May we lost sight of land. 



During our passage to Madeira, we frequently threw out lines 

 and other fishing tackle, but we did not succeed in catching any 

 thing, except the^ trigla gurnardus, a fish which eats very agree- 

 ably. Shoals of porpoises {delphinus phoccena, Linn.) frequently 

 followed the ship, but we Avere not fortunate enougli to catch any. 

 We were also occasionally accompanied by the small black storm- 

 bird (procellaria pelagica). At noon, on the 11th of June, we 

 came within sight of the island of Madeira. At six in the evening 

 we arrived off its western point, Ponta Pargo, which we doubled 

 with afresh gale. This island presents a most beautiful prospect : 

 at a distance it appears like a mass of rock with its summit enve- 

 loped in clouds. On every side appear steep black coloured pre- 

 cipices, with deep clefts and hollows : the green tendrils of the 

 vine are every where visible, and among them glisten here and 

 there the white houses of the inhabitants. The summits of those 

 hills which are not hidden by the clouds, are covered with ver- 

 dure, and the little houses are shaded by clusters of lofty trees. 

 In the fine climate of Madeira, the fruits of the torrid and the 

 temperate zones are cultivated with equal success. Heavy rains 

 nmst be frequent here, for the descending torrents of rain have 

 in many places formed deep crevices in the rocks. The inhabit- 

 ants, Avho amount to about eighty thousand, support themselves 

 chiefly by the cultivation of the vine. Madeira also produces fine 

 fruit, such as oranges, bananas, lemons, &c. 



As we did not intend to visit Funchal, the capital of Madeira, 

 we proceeded on our course, and soon lost sight of the island. A 

 brisk trade-wind carried us rapidly past the tropic. Here multi- 

 tudes of flying-fish hovered round the vessel. These animals be- 

 came the more numerous as we approached the equator ; before 

 we reached the tropic we had seldom seen them. 



On the öth of June, when we passed the nortliern tropic, and 

 for several succeeding days, we were much amused by the various 

 animals of the molusca class, which made their appearance. At 

 the 22^ 17' north latitude, we saw for the first time the physalis, a 

 very curious animal of this class* ; it gradually appeared in greater 

 numbers, and as we advanced, we frequently saw several hundreds 

 in a day. This curious animal has been noticed by many voyagers, and 

 I was therefore much interested in being enabled to observe it minute- 

 ly. The largest portion of the animal, which floats above the sur- 

 face of the water, is a bladder filled with air : to the lower side of 

 this bladder, eight or nine bunches of long fleshy fibres or tenta- 

 cula are attached, which form short thick stems at the roots, where 



* Concerning these Molusca, see the account of the Court Counsellor Silesius, in the 

 third volume of Captain Krusenstern's Voyage round the \^^oi;ld. 



