194 Mr. A. Newton's two Days at Madeira . 
like those at Amsterdam, by the occasional application of a 
greasy rag to the runners. Notwithstanding this precaution, 
however, so heavy is the draught up the steep hills, that the 
poor beasts were constantly down on their knees. At length 
we arrived at our friend's house, a pleasant quinta ; and having 
done justice to his hospitality, and admired the view from his 
garden, we started on our expedition to the Curral dos Freiras. 
The day was beautiful. As we rode on, the strangeness of the 
scene struck us with increasing force at each succeeding step. On 
each side were fields of corn or sugar-cane, cabbages or yams, 
or sometimes a vineyard that had survived the ravages of the 
O'idium , studded with orange- or apple-trees, and intersected by 
hedge-rows of fuchsias or blackberries; while overhead were 
fig-trees and pines, poplars and dates, enough to confuse for 
ever one's notions of geographical botany *, and rivalling the 
odd jumble of the classic “ Groves of Blarney." We passed over 
a comparatively low range of hills to the north-west of the town, 
when a wonderfully bold headland, Cabo do Girao, upwards of 
two thousand feet in height, appeared on our left; then a deep 
ravine, the channel of the Ribeiro dos Socorridos, spanned by a 
viaduct of almost Roman proportions. About the streams of 
water, whether natural or artificial, were numerous Grey Wag¬ 
tails (. Motacilla sulphurea), a species I had long known, on Mr. 
Hewitson's authority, to be found in the island. Flocks of 
Linnets ( Linota cannabina ), the cock birds with their breasts still 
crimsoned, rose twittering cheerfully from the furze-bushes and 
cactus-thickets by the road-side. In the air were poised dark- 
plumaged Kestrels ( Tinnunculus alaudarius , var. rufescens, Sw.), 
occasionally dropping down, I presume in quest of the lively 
little Lizards ( Lacerta dugesi), of which plenty showed them¬ 
selves on the dry stone walls. As we gradually reached a 
higher level, we were favoured by a repetition of yesterday's 
rain. At length, passing by the Jardim da Serra, and through 
a wood of Spanish chestnuts, which no doubt would have been 
picturesque had we been able to see it, we emerged at the foot 
of a steep slope overgrown with coarse grass. Here we got off 
* It will, of course, be understood that nearly all the prevailing plants 
are introduced species. 
