A Voyage in the Sunbeam | Page 7

was that he first conceived the project
of exploring the hitherto unknown ocean and of discovering what new
countries might bound its western shores.
An hour later we saw Fora and its light, at the extreme east of Madeira,
and could soon distinguish the mountains in the centre of the latter

island. As we rapidly approached the land, the beauty of the scenery
became more fully apparent. A mass of dark purple volcanic rocks,
clothed on the top with the richest vegetation, with patches of all sorts
of colour on their sides, rises boldly from the sea. There are several
small detached rocks, and one curious pointed little island, with an arch
right through the middle of it, rather like the Percé Rock on the coast of
Nova Scotia. We steamed slowly along the east coast, passing many
pretty hamlets, nestled in bays or perched on the side of the hills, and
observing how every possible nook and corner seemed to be terraced
and cultivated. Sugar-canes, Indian corn, vines, and many varieties of
tropical and semi-tropical plants, grow luxuriantly in this lovely climate.
Nearly all the cottages in the island are inhabited by a simple people,
many of whom have never left their native villages, even to look at the
magnificent view from the top of the surrounding mountains, or to gaze
on the sea, by which they are encompassed.
We dropped our anchor in the bay of Funchal at about twelve o'clock,
and before breakfast was over found ourselves surrounded by a perfect
flotilla of boats, though none of them dared approach very near until
the health-officer had come alongside and pronounced us free from
infection. At this moment all are complaining much of the heat, which
since yesterday has been very great, and is caused by the wind called
'Este,' blowing direct from the African deserts. It was 79° in the coolest
place on board, and 84° on shore in the shade, in the middle of the day.
The African mail steamer, 'Ethiopia,' last from Bonny, West Coast of
Africa, whence she arrived the day before yesterday, was lying in the
bay, and the children went on board with some of our party to see her
cargo of monkeys, parrots, and pineapples. The result was an
importation of five parrots on board the 'Sunbeam;' but the monkeys
were too big for us. Captain Dane, who paid us a return visit, said that
the temperature here appeared quite cool to him, as for the last few
weeks his thermometer had varied from 82° to 96° in the shade.
We had service at 4 p.m., and at 5 p.m. went ashore in a native boat,
furnished with bilge pieces, to keep her straight when beached, and to
avoid the surf, for it was too rough for our own boats. At the water's

edge a curious sort of double sleigh, drawn by two oxen, was waiting.
Into this we stepped, setting off with considerable rapidity up the steep
shingly beach, under a beautiful row of trees, to the 'Praça,' where the
greater portion of the population were walking up and down, or sitting
under the shade of the magnolias. These plants here attain the size of
forest-trees, and their large white wax-like flowers shed a most
delightful fragrance on the evening air. There were graceful pepper
vines too, and a great variety of trees only known to us in England in
the form of small shrubs. This being a festival day, the streets were
crowded with people from town and country, in their holiday attire.
The door-posts and balconies of the houses were wreathed with flowers,
the designs in many cases being very pretty. One arcade in particular
was quite lovely, with arches made of double red geranium, mixed with
the feathery-looking pepper leaves, while the uprights were covered
with amaryllis and white arum lilies. The streets were strewn with roses
and branches of myrtle, which, bruised by the feet of the passers-by and
the runners of the bullock sleigh, emitted a delicious aromatic odour.
The trellises in the gardens seem overgrown with stephanotis, mauve
and purple passion-flowers, and all kinds of rare creepers, the purple
and white hibiscus shoots up some fourteen to sixteen feet in height;
bananas, full of fruit and flower, strelitzias, heliotrope, geraniums, and
pelargoniums, bloom all around in large shrubs, mixed with palms and
mimosas of every variety; and the whole formed such an enchanting
picture that we were loth to tear ourselves away.
A ride of about twenty minutes in the bullock sleigh, up a steep hill, by
the side of a rocky torrent, whose banks were overgrown with
caladiums and vines, brought us to our destination, Til, whence we had
a splendid view of the town and bay stretching beneath us. During the
ascent we passed