ATTACK OF RHEUMATIC FEVER 91 
us. He used accordingly, every now and then, to start up, 
take his stick, shout, hooroosh, shake his coat-tails at and 
scare the poor little snips out of their senses, who would 
run up the hills with amazing agility, their scanty clothing 
tripping and causing them to tumble over and over as they 
scrambled along on all fours, almost to our table-cloth. 
An unfortunate result of this excursion was a sharp attack 
of rheumatic fever, caused by lying on the damp grass at 
lunch when overheated. Hooker was laid up in the ship for 
a week, and could scarcely go ashore to make his farewells. 
The report of this from friends in Madeira made his parents 
very anxious, for it was many months before they received 
his letters reporting himself perfectly well. In later hfe, it 
is true, his heart was not strong ; but through all the follow- 
ing years of strenuous travel and unceasing work, the minor 
troubles which persisted indicated no serious weakness. 
At Teneriffe there was no time to travel the twenty-eight 
miles to Orotava in order to see the famous Dragon's-blood 
tree. The brief afternoon ashore gave opportunity of very 
little collecting. Nor was Hooker able, much as he wished, 
to see the two English Jacks taken when Nelson made his 
unsuccessful attack on Sta. Cruz. The church where they 
hung high out of reach, since an Enghsh middy had audaciously 
carried off the third, was too far away. However, * I was much 
amused by the Httle urchins grinning and repeating the words 
" English flag " when asked where the Parochia was.' So 
in the town itself ' the only remarkable thing I saw was the 
camel used as a beast of burden.' 
Their next point was the Cape Verde Islands, 'not that 
we knew we were going there, for everything regarding our 
destinations has been kept a profound secret until we cast 
anchor in the harbours ! ' It strikes an old-time note indeed 
to be told that : 
On our arrival (November 11) a slaving schooner was 
lying in the Bay, and I understood that a more cautious one 
had made sail on discovering us heaving in sight. The 
present one remained some days, and when taking her 
departure her drunken skipper saluted us, and mocking, 
