CHAPTER III. 
Departure from England — Madeira — Hospitable reception — A fair Nun 
— Santa Cruz — TenerifFe — Spanish beggars — Dress and pecu- 
liarities of the People — Iglesia Concepcion — Extraordinary Paint- 
ing — Fish-market — Convents — Monks — Peasants — Cochineal 
insect procured for introduction into West Africa — Fertility of the 
Soil — Remarks on the growth and cultivation of the OpuniiaTuna 
and Cochineal — Museum — Remains of the Guanches — Arrival at St. 
Vincent— Cape de Verd Islands — Meet the 'Soudan’ and ‘Harriot’ — 
Their stormy passage — Appearance of St. Vincent — Fort Major 
turned laundress — Magnetical observations — Botany and Geology of 
the Island — Vaccination introduced — Shooting “Cabras bravas” or 
Wild Goats — Its dangers — Fossil shells — Curious spider’s nest — 
Seining — The doctor fish — Melancholy accident. 
On May 12th at 6.50 p.m. the 'Albert’ and 'Wilber- 
force’ sailed from Devonport, In passing the several 
line-of-battle ships anchored in Plymouth Sound, they 
did us the honour to man the rigging, and give us three 
hearty cheers, with which flattering mark of sympathy, 
crowning the many we had already received from our 
country, we took leave of the shores of England. 
We had a favouring breeze, and with sails and steam 
— economizing the latter when the wind freshened —we 
