point from which you have the first view of the valley, ascending from the Jardim, he states to be 3,700 feetthat of the higher ridge, dividing the Curral from the Serra d'Agoa, at 4,161 feet.

The internal communications of Madeira have been much improved of late years. Roads have been made connecting the north and south coasts of the island, and often under circumstances of great difficulty. This is particularly the case with the St. Vicente road, which in passing through the Serra d'Agoa, has in parts been carried along the face of an almost perpendicular cliff. Don Jose d'Alfonseca is the name of the engineer. Another road, leading to St. Anne's, has just been finished. It rises from the Roxinha, and forms by much the most easy and practicable ascent of the mountains. A certain number of days' labour (five I think in the year) are required from every individual for the support of the roads, which corvée, however, may be commuted for a small sum of money.

In my former visit to Madeira I made the tour of the island, including the western part, which is of a character considerably different from that about Funchal. The northern descent of the Paul, indeed, is much the same throughout-the mountains are uniformly steep, and the ravines wooded; and the road descending to Ribeiro de Janella, passes through a tract of scenery inferior to few in the island, in respect of variety and grandeur. At the head of the ravine of the Ribeiro de Janella are the Agoas de Rabesal, a spot remarkable for the manner in which the water filters through the rock-the springs come through in fifteen or sixteen different fissures, in a cliff of about 250 feet high.

The plain of the Paul itself bears always the same aspect, except in one part, the Campo Grande, which is wholly without brushwood.

On turning the point of Porto Moniz, to the south, the coast and the mountains lose all interest in respect to scenery. The descent of the mountains is not so

steep, and they are quite bare of wood. Between them and the coast are hills of a moderate height, which are cultivated to the summit. The chief part of the corn of

the island is grown here. There are no vines.

Even the costumes of the peasantry, and the structure of the cabins, presents some point of difference from the fashion prevailing in those respects in the east of the island. In one or two places the surface admits the use of carts.

The towns on this side offer nothing deserving of particular remark. Paul de Mar, Calheta, &c. are seated on slips, or depressions, under the hills, like Ponta Delgada. The area of the Arco de Calheta is a complete half crater; but the heights around are not as precipitous as those that encircle the arco of St. George.

During the course of the same season, I made an excursion to Porto Santo; which is about thirty-five miles north-east of the nearest point of Madeira. We took our passage in one of the large boats, which trade between the two islands. The prevailing wind here being north-east, is of course adverse to the voyage. The place is miserable enough, and hardly deserves the effort. 'The hills (the highest of which rise to about 1600 feet) stand at the two extremities of the island, divided by a sort of plain, or depression, in the centre. They are perfectly barren. The whole island, indeed, has a parched, burnt-up aspect, especially after havest; suggesting the notion rather of an African than of an European climate. A considerable quantity of corn is grown in the more level district, and near the town a narrow band of vines stretches along the shore; the plants are not trained, but drawn on the hot sand, and the fruits thus ripen earlier than at Madeira *.

* Mr. Bowdich states the produce of these vines in 1813 to be 695 pipes. I should not have expected it to be so considerable. He gives also 3768 bushels of wheat, and 1628 of barley, as the amount of corn grown. The population I have heard variously estimated at 12 or 1400.

The island has but one fountain of good water; it is on the north coast, and conducted to the town by a levada. The other springs are all brackish.

Porto Santo is quite destitute of wood, with the exception of a few pines and palms. The dragon trees, spoken of by Cordeyro, are extinct: there is not even brushwood. The inhabitants depend altogether on Madeira for fuel.

There is but one town, (the whole island indeed is but six miles long, and not three broad), which in every respect is worthy of the miserable region of which it forms the capital.

The chief use of Porto Santo seems to be as a place of punishment. Individuals, whether civil or military, who have incurred the displeasure of the government of Madeira, are often condemned to a residence of some length in the island. This was the case of several of those who had more obnoxiously distinguished themselves in the cause of the constitution.

I should not forget the Desertas, which always form so conspicuous an object in the sea views from Funchal. They are distant about twenty miles, or four hours' row, from Santa Cruz. There are three of them, all very difficult of access, both from the heaviness of the surf on the beach, and the headlong steepness of the cliffs. I could not hear that the southernmost islet had ever been scaled. A party of us made an excursion to the middle, or great Deserta, and passed the night there. Its interior surface forms a hollow, or valley, and is composed of loose rock; on which all vegetation disappears during three-fourths of the year. The only symptom of such was a few ferns on the northern exposure. There is abundance of sea-fowl.

A short time ago one of the governors of Madeira took it into his head that these rocks were made use of as depots for smuggled goods; and, in consequence, thought proper to establish on the great, or central Deserta, a guard of three soldiers. This precaution is still

continued. We found the garrison quartered in a wretched hut. Provisions are sent over every month; and they are themselves replaced every quarter. It is to be hoped that a little consideration will some day relieve the soldiery altogether from this cruel, and, I should imagine, unnecessary service.

From the cliffs at the northern extremity of our rock, we looked down on the comparatively low and flat surface of the Table Deserta. It was covered with a marine grass; and, I understand, is farmed of a noble Portugueze family, for the sake of the lichen roccella, or orchilla weed, which it produces. There is also great plenty of shell-fish-limpets and cracas-which are here collected for the Funchal markets. Rabbits, too, abound.

We slept in a tent which we had brought with us. All night long there was a singular noise, like that of children crying, which we found proceeded from the mother Carey's chickens. During the day these birds hide in the rabbit burrows.

At day-break next morning we had a magnificent view of the whole mass of Madeira; from the peaks of Ruivo and the Torrinhas to the beach, and extending from Point St. Lorenço, as far as Cape Giram on the west. Our passage returning took us nearly eight hours. The chief objection to an excursion to the Desertas is the danger of being kept there by adverse weather rather longer than might be agreeable: on that account, it would be prudent to take provisions for a day or two.

The population of Madeira is estimated at 102,000 inhabitants; but Mr. Bowdich states that he learnt from the best Portugueze authority, that in 1823 it was 98,000 and a fraction, being an increase of 14 per cent. above the census of 1813. The following is a list of the parishes of the island, with the number of fires (Fogos) or families in each. It was taken from official sources-of the perfect accuracy of which we have no means of judging. Nor can I altogether account for

B b

the slight difference which appears in the results in different years. Allowing what I believe is the ordinary average, five persons to a family, the sum will not much differ from that given by Mr. Bowdich.

I have procured also an account of the annual number of births, marriages, and deaths in the four parishes forming the city of Funchal.