\ 
MADEIRA, 2j 
to the cellars in FuiichaL The Eiiglish merchants us'jally 
supply the farmers beforehand with money, to enable them 
to make a more extensive tillage. 
In the course of our journey we did not observe a single 
wild quadruped, and very few birds of any kind appeared. 
Hogs are said to be turned loose among the thickets to fatten 
on roots, and especially on those of fern, by which they ac- 
quire a flavour of game. Goats are pretty numerous, and 
rabbits are not scarce in the mountains. The island affords but 
a scanty supply of food for a few cows, and milk and fresh 
butter are consequently accounted among the luxuries in 
diet. A few oxen are used in the town for drawing sledges ; 
small saddle horses are kept by some, but the common animal 
«f burden is the mule. Among the birds are haAvks, kites, 
partridges, pigeons, quails, woodcocks, swallows, sparrows, 
grey canaries,, finches, and linnets.. 
There are. few insects of any kind to annoy the stranger, 
as usually happens in warm w^eather countries ; and not a 
venomous reptile has ever been known to exist on the island. 
The honey bee, however, is not uncommon ; and in certain 
i^heltered valleys, where the surrounding hills abound in 
heathy plants, the honey is said to be unusually fine, and is 
frequently sent as a valuable present to Portugal. Such 
myriads of lizards I never beheld in any country. On a warm 
sunny day, every rock and stone-wall are literally covered 
with them. They are perfectly harmless, except that, creep- 
ing along the branches of the vine, they pierce the ripe 
grapes, and suck out their juice. In doing this they fre- 
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