fis 
MADEIRA. 
intending the kitchen. To prevent fea-ficknefs, no ge¬ 
neral rule can be offered. Some advife to ftruggle as 
much as poffible againft it, by being continually on deck 
in an ere£l or fitting pofture. Others, on the contrary, 
prefer a horizontal poiture, till frequent and fliort expe¬ 
riments enable them to remain ereft. At all events, eat¬ 
ing (hould by no means be attempted, till the repugnance 
to it in fome degree fublides ; or voyagers ffiould only 
begin with fuch quantities of food as will be ieait likely 
to affefit the ftoinach. Perfons of property eafily procure 
letters of credit on Madeira; but the exchange is fo much 
to their difadvantage, that it is always defirable to bring 
guineas or dollars with them. 
The falubrity of the climate of this ifland, fo highly 
extolled, is greatly to be attributed to the uniformity of 
its temperature. A regular fucceflion of land and fea 
breezes cool and purify its atmofphere during the whole 
year, and efpecially during the hotteft months. Hence, 
a dew-drop feldom falls except in the higher parts of the 
ifland ; and deleterious effluvia, which may arife from any 
l'ource, are diflipaled as loon as produced. The fcorch- 
* ing heat of fummer, and the icy chill of winter, may be 
laid to be here equally unknown. Spring and autumn 
reign together, and produce flowers and fruit throughout 
the year. Indeed, thele may be faid to be the only feafons 
here; as no degree of heat or cold has, in this climate, 
been found unpleafant. It is true, that during July 
and Auguft, which are here the hotteft months, the heat 
does lometiines become excefiive in low fituations; but 
then it is very moderate on the higher parts of the ifland, 
whither the better fort of people retire during that feafon. 
It is alfo true, that the Sirocco vifits the ifland, for a few 
days at a time, twice or thrice every year. The effefts 
of this wind, on both the animal and vegetable creation, 
are peculiar. In man, it occalions diminilhed perfpira- 
tion, fucceeded by langour and general reftlefinefs; in 
immediate expofure to its influence, the body is felt as if 
parched, and the air blows on the furface with a warmth 
like the blaft from a furnace. In the fame manner, vege¬ 
tables become dry and parched, and an interruption is 
put to their future growth. But, at this time, the lower 
fituations of the ifland are found the cooleft and molt 
bearable. It is moreover true, that during the coldeft 
months of the year, January and February, the winds ge¬ 
nerally blow from the north-north eaft ; and, in the moun¬ 
tainous parts of the ifland, heavy falls of fnow are alfo 
apt to take place. This fevere Itate of weather, during 
fome feafons, continues to occur occafionally till the end 
cf April. On one or two occafions, the winter has even 
been diftinguifhed by a fevere ftorm. Still, however, the 
winter of Madeira may be faid to be known in general 
only perhaps by a gale of wind, which may drive the 
veflels in the roads from their anchorage, or by a torrent 
of rain, which produces a rapid flow of the rivers down 
the ravines. But, even during fuch periods, fnow is ne¬ 
ver known to continue above a day in the lower parts. 
At Funchal, when the tops of the hills are covered with 
fnow, the temperature is about 64. The other months 
of the year are always attended by refrefliing land and 
fea breezes, which, at ftated periods, fet in regularly, un- 
lefs during the prevalence of the hot and fuftbcating eaft- 
erly wind, already mentioned. In the town of Funchal, 
as in all other low fltuations, at all feafons of the year, 
the temperature is, except during the Sirocco, 10 or 11 
degrees greater than it is found to be in the higher parts 
of the ifland. During the lummer months, the thermo¬ 
meter, in the courfe of the day, ranges from 63 to 76 ; its 
medium heat in the (hade being from 7 % to 74. In the 
courfe of the fummer, it fometjmes riles to go and up¬ 
wards ; and, during the prevalence of hot winds, it Hands 
even fo high as 84. Indeed, during the Sirocco wind, it 
has at time's rifen much higher. In winter, it ranges 
from 57 to 65 ; its medium in the (hade being from 60 to 
64. In the courfe of this feafon, it falls below 57 only 
..jthen the northerly winds, with falls of fnow, prevail on 
the heights, ft feldom rifes above 65, except when there 
are eafterly winds. 
The winters of Madeira may be compared to the fum- 
mers of England in every thing but the length of days, 
and thofe fudden changes from heat to cold to which 
England is fubjett. To afford the invalid a fynoptical 
view of the average temperature he is to expert, during 
every month in the year, in the ifland of Madeira, the 
following table is inferted from a work, on the tempe¬ 
rature of different latitudes, by Richard Kirivan, F.R.S. 
It exhibits the mean height of the thermometer at Funchal 
for every month, taken from an average of four years’ ob- 
fervations: 
January, 
February, 
March, - 
April, 
May, . - 
June, 
64° 18. 
64, 3. 
65> 5- 
65 , 5- 
66, 53. 
69, 74. 
July, - 
Auguft, 
September, 
Oftober, 
November, 
December, 
73, 45- 
75, 02 . 
75, 76. 
72, 5. 
69, 08, 
6 5- 
During theday the whole rangeofthe thermometeiTeldom at 
any feafon exceeds a, or at molt 4, degrees ; and frequently, 
for feveral days together, the.lame degree of heat is indi¬ 
cated. The greateft height of the barometer in Madeira 
is in general 33 inches ; its lead 29 ; and its medium 30, 
Many invalids, after feeling the benefit of a winter 
paffed in Madeira, are anxious to return to England, 
being alarmed at the profpeft of fpending an iutenfely 
hot lummer in a country which is lb warm even during 
the winter. But, as the fpring in England is frequently 
a very trying period, it is advifeable that cofivalefcents 
(hould at lealt continue long enough in Madeira not to 
arrive in England before the end of June. It is alfo very 
unlikely that thofe who have had conlumption in its more 
advanced ltage, (hould be able, after a fingle winter fpent 
in Madeira, to bear the fucceeding winter in England. 
Moreover, the fummer climate in Madeira is really of all 
others the molt delightful. The invalid from England 
will never indeed complain of heat when not in exercife; 
and that, his own prudence will teach him to avoid dur¬ 
ing the hot part of a funny day. In the more elevated 
fituations a convalefcent may often continue even till 
near Chriftmas. During this period, he may vifit the 
town as often as the arrival of a veil'd induces him to en¬ 
quire after news, and may return on horleback, if his 
lungs have not acquired ftrength to encounter the fatigues 
of the hill. From that time, his ltay in the country mull 
be entirely regulated by his health and feelings ; and, if 
both thefe are really capable of bearing the coolnefs of 
his fummer refidence, there he certainly may remain, 
without living in Funchal, till the advance of fpring ren¬ 
ders it fafe for him to return to England. 
In the mean time we muff remind the invalid who ven¬ 
tures to vifit abroad, that, though the evenings are milder 
here than in many regions farther louthward, yet there 
muff ever be a difference between the temperature of a 
crowded room and the open air ; and that thefe inconve¬ 
niences are much increafed by the nature of Englilh fo- 
ciety in Madeira ; the parties being always large, and the 
invitation for dinner ul'uajly not breaking up before flip¬ 
per. If an invalid be feen at one of them, an invitation 
to others is the confequence, which he can then with dif¬ 
ficulty decline. It is perhaps better that an invalid 
(hould, till fome time after his arrival, avoid all vifits, un- 
lel's his houfe be fo fituate as to induce fingle people, or 
flnall tea-parties, to pay their vifits to him. Neither mull 
a laudable anxiety of feeing the ifland be rendered pre« 
judicial to health. The pageantry of religious proceffions 
of nuns, ceremonies in the churches or convents, are all, 
it has been juftly oblerved, attended with a fatigue highly 
injurious to fuch as have made fo long and expenfive a 
voyage for health. The proceffions, too, are moltly in 
the evening, a little before funfet. The invalid is, there¬ 
fore, invited by fome friend to dine at his houfe where 
the fpeftacle may pafs ; here he meets a large party j waits 
with an impatience which often produces a degree of ir- 
ritatio* 
