MADEIRA. 65 
Thefe wines are not all of equal goodnefsj and are con, 
fequently of different prices. The belt fweet wine made 
of the Malvafia grape, (fo called from a town of Turkey 
in Europe, whence this vine was imported by order of 
prince Henry of Portugal,) is called in England, Malm- 
fey ; it is an exceeding rich fweet wine, and the deareft of 
any in confequence of its fcarcity. The next fort is a dry 
wine, fuch as is exported for the London market. Infe¬ 
rior forts are exported toAmerica, and to theEafl and Welt 
Indies. About 30,000 pipes of the better forts, which are 
chiefly from the fouth part of the ifland, are exported ; and 
the relt, being of an inferior quality, is either mixed with 
fouthern wines for export, or is conl'umed at home. That 
which is ufed on the ifland by the lower clafs of people, 
is principally of a weak kind, which will not keep long 
enough for exportation. 
Madeira wine is reckoned fuperior to any of the fouth- 
e,rn wines, and certainly contains a greater proportion of 
faccharine matter, of alcohol, and of aroma, than any of 
them. The aromatic flavour, however, is not propeily 
evolved; nor, indeed, does the wine acquire its peculiar 
degree of activity, till it has loft fomewhat of its aufterity 
and acerbity, by the regular application, for a length of 
time, of fome degree of heat and motion, which is beft 
obtained by allowing it to acquire a certain age in Ma¬ 
deira, or by tranl'porting it to a warmer climate, and there 
depoliting it for a longer or fhorter period. Hence has 
arifen the practice of giving fuch wine* as are intended 
for Britiih confumption, a voyage to the Weft Indies, or 
round the Ealt Indies, China, and the Brafils, and of oc- 
cafionally allowing them to remain in one or other of 
thole climates for a few years before they are fent to Eng¬ 
land. The molt improved Madeira wines are, confe- 
quently, thofe that have undergone fuch voyages. Re¬ 
cently, however, hot-houfes have been erefted in Madeira, 
which effeft the lame purpofe with lefs expenfe. This 
will be reckoned very extraordinary : “ There is fome- 
thing fo Angular in thefe wines of Madeira, (fays Puny’s 
Account of Carolina,) that we cannot forbear mention¬ 
ing it; which is, that heat preferves them, and cold fpoils 
them; for, as in Europe they are obliged to put their 
wine in cool cellars, thefe, on the contrary, mult be put 
into the warmeft places. If they begin to be four, they 
are expofed to the greateft heats of the fun to be recovered ; 
fo that, to keep them good, you are to do what you would 
in other parts to make vinegar. This feems to be the greateft 
paradox in the world, but nothing is more certain; and, 
itrange as it may feem, Col. Bleek caufed a vault to be made 
over his oven, purpofely to keep his wine in all the year.” 
The other exports from Madeira are trifling : they con- 
fift principally of chefnuts, walnuts, preferved citrons, and 
thole occafional fupplies of frefli provifions for veflels 
touching at the port, which are purchafed here much 
dearer than in England. The imports confift of the 
greateft part of the provifion of the ifland, excepting frefh 
meat; and even living lheep and oxen are imported with 
advantage from Barbary, and the Azores, or Weftern 
iflands. From America they derive principally their 
wheat, Indian corn, and, in common with other Catholic 
countries, valt quantities of fait fifh. From England they 
receive molt of their wearing apparel, the quantity and 
value of which increafe rapidly every year. 
The animals, natives of the country, are, as in moft 
mountainous parts, univerfally fmall. To an Englifhman, 
their beef and mutton is alfo lean and taftelefs; but thofe 
who are accultomed to- warm climates fpeak of them in 
better terms. Of poultry, the common domeftic fowls 
are fmall; but this is amply made up by their ducks and 
turkeys, the latter of which are not inferior to thofe of 
Norfolk, Fork is peculiarly fine ; but the expenfe of 
feeding, or the warmth of the feafons, makes it fuch a 
rarity, that it is fgldom produced excepting at Chriltmas 
f'eftivals, It is true, hogs are found rambling about the 
towns; but very few are reared for porkers. Fifh, parti¬ 
cularly rock-fifh, is plentiful and good of the kind 5 but 
Vob. XIV. No. 957. 
the nature of the coaft. prevents the refidence of many 
fliell-filh. The uneven form of the country renders the 
ifland productive of the European as well as more fouthern 
fruits; but it is a miftake that the true tropical fruits are 
readily produced, In the valleys are found guavas, bananas, 
and oranges. A Angle alligator pear-tree has grown for fe- 
veralyears, but rarely produces fruit. Pine-apples are reared 
with great difficulty ; and the granadilla quadrangular is, af¬ 
ter fpreading to a great extent, and flowering moft luxu¬ 
riantly, has not yet, we believe, produced ripened fruit. 
The number of the inhabitants of Madeira is calcu¬ 
lated fo be about 90,000, The people are of middle fila¬ 
ture; and in general athletic, vvell-rnade, and aftive. As 
to complexion, only the firft families at all referable the 
fair inhabitants of northern Europe. This is the inevita¬ 
ble confequence of the influence of climate. The ladies 
are in general delicate, and have agreeable features. They 
however fuffer more in their health than the other fex, as 
premature old age is generally the confequence of their 
early marriages and numerous offspring. Another fource 
here of injury to females, is the fedentary life they are ac.- 
cuftomed to lead ; for, except in the fummer months, they 
feldom ftir out, unlefs to go to church, or during a moon¬ 
light night; their rigid abftemioufnefs alfo from animal- 
food, on faft-days and during lent, muff in fome meafure 
injure their health. None of thele circumftances, how¬ 
ever, in point of injury, operates fo powerfully as the 
adoption of the monadic life. This praClice is here com¬ 
mon among the younger branches of the firft families ; 
and, the veil once taken, they never after are allowed t® 
go without the walls of the convent,; which often being x 
poor inlfitution, and its regulations fevere, its wretched 
inhabitants fuffer all the inconveniencies that generally- 
attend want and poverty, added to a rigorous and mono¬ 
tonous courfe of religious exercife. 
The higher clafles in Madeira, both male and female,, 
are inclined to corpulence, and, at the fame time, much 
difpofed to indolence, attended with a difpolition to me¬ 
lancholy, and even a morofenefs of temper. Though fo- 
ber in refpe£t to drinking, they are apt too often to in¬ 
dulge in eating to excefs. From this circumftance, joined 
to the fedentary life they lead, they become fubjeft to a 
variety of chronic diforders, and alfo early arrive at a pre¬ 
mature old age. Many of the better people are a fort of 
petite mblejfe, which in Britain would be called gentry. It 
is to be regretted, that, in fome inftances, their genealo¬ 
gical pride renders them unfociable, and conl'equently ig¬ 
norant, and caufes a ridiculous affectation of gravity. 
The landed property is divided into eftates, which are 
in the hands of a few ancient families, who live at Fun¬ 
chal. The peafantry, as well as the mafs of the people* 
are diftinguilhed by an olive or tawny colour of fkin, and 
a fwarthy complexion. They are, however, well fhaped, 
and of hard, but not difagreeable, features. Their faces 
are oblong, their eyes dark, and their black hair generally 
falls in ringlets. Their women are too frequently ill-fa¬ 
voured, and want the florid complexion, which, when 
united to a pleating aflemblage of regular features, gives 
the more northern fair the fuperiority of all their fex. 
They are in general fmall, have prominent cheek-bones* 
dark complexion, and large feet, owing perhaps, to the 
efforts they are obliged to make in climbing the craggy 
paths of this mountainous country; but the juft propor¬ 
tions of the body, and their large and lively eyes, in fome 
meafure compenfate for thofe defeCVs. 
The country-women wear blue petticoats bound with 
red ; a fhort corfelet, generally red or light blue, clofely 
fitting their fhape, which forms a fimple and often not an 
inelegant drefs; and a fhort red cloak, bound with blue 
ribbon, with a blue pointed cap; thofe that are unmar¬ 
ried tie their hair on the crown of the head, on which 
fome wear no covering. The labouring men wear wide 
linen trowfers, a coarfe fhirt, a blue cap, white boots, 
fhort jackets made of blue cloth, and in winter they ge¬ 
nerally wear Ippg cloaks, which, when it does not rain, 
§ tjiqy 
