From the 8th to the 17th of June, 1857.
First Impressions.—Difficulty in Landing.—Description of the Island.—History.—Unfavourable political circumstances connected with the cultivation of the ground.—Aqueducts.—First Planting of the Sugar-cane.—Culture of the Vine.—Its Disease and Decay.—Cochineal as a compensation for its loss.—Prospects of Success.—Climate.—A favourable Winter Residence for the Consumptive.—Strangers.—First Appearance of the Cholera.—Observations with the Ozonometer.—Great Distress among the Lower Classes.—Liberal Assistance from England.—Decline of Commerce.—Inhabitants and their Mode of Life.—Decrease of the Population, and its Causes.—Benevolent Institutions.—Public Libraries.—The Cathedral.—Barracks.—Prison.—Environs of Funchal.—Excursion to St. Anna.—Ascent of the Pico Ruivo.—Singular Sledge Party.—Return to Funchal.—Departure.
Delightful and striking is the first impression of Funchal, its luxuriant gardens smiling with gorgeous flowers, and its mountain sides cultivated almost to their summits; and although the grander and more gigantic forms of true tropical vegetation are wanting, and the landscape displays rather the character of an island off the shores of Italy than of the torrid zone—still Nature exhibits herself here with such varied charms that imagination can scarcely conceive a sweeter or lovelier scene. The most beautiful plants of the temperate and sub-tropical zones meet here in their highest development, whilst some representatives of the tropics intermixed enhance the richness of the wonderful picture. Odoriferous magnolias, large flowering tulip trees, plane trees, laurels, myrtles, acacias, passion and trumpet flowers, tree-like fuchsias with immense blossoms, gaudy hortensias, sweet-smelling roses, blooming oleanders, aloes, 40 feet high, in full flower, imposing camellias with shining green foliage, covered with beautiful rose-like flowers, chestnut trees, Brazilian pines, cypresses—all delight the eye, together with pomegranates, tamarinds, bananas, sugar-canes, coffee-shrubs, gigantic dragon trees, pine-apples, mangroves, papayas, and aquacatés. Certainly, at a later date, we met in the primitive forests of the Nicobar islands, or in Java, Luzon, and the Caroline islands, with grander and more imposing scenery; but none that surpassed in fragrance, luxuriance, and loveliness the floral beauty of Madeira.
The anchorage of Funchal[12] is merely an open, exceedingly unsafe roadstead, which affords so little protection to ships that often in southerly winds they are obliged to get under sail. This is especially the case in the winter, when the sea often rushes into the small unprotected bay with fearful violence. In October, 1842, five vessels were cast on shore within the space of a few hours, and another sank whilst at anchor; a similar violent gale from the south raged in December, 1848, when a like number of ships met with the same fate, and were dashed to pieces. The British sloop of war Daphne only escaped by making the open sea in time. In order to run less risk of being surprised by such gales, sailing vessels generally cast anchor to the south of the Loo Rock, where there is tolerably safe anchorage at a depth of twenty-five to thirty fathoms. In that position they are clear of the rocky headlands, and can therefore more easily set sail before the sea rushes in with all its irresistible violence. Steamers, which are better able to resist the force of the waves than sailing vessels, generally cast anchor nearer the shore, so that passengers may be more easily landed, and coals shipped with greater facility.
[12] The Portuguese for fennel-field, because the first discoverers of the island found this plant in great abundance.
The Portuguese Government has done nothing to compensate for the shortcomings of nature with regard to safe landing-places in this island, otherwise so highly favoured. Though the rocky condition of the Funchal roads, (the only anchorage for larger ships which the island possesses,) offers sufficient means for the construction of a harbour for boats and small vessels, yet the Government has hitherto done so little, that the landing of passengers can only be effected by small, peculiarly-built boats, which, whilst tossed by the waves, have to be drawn on shore by the natives wading knee-deep in the water. If, therefore, the ship remains any length of time at Funchal, the communication with the land is attended with considerable expense. We laid out, in payments to the boatmen, during a stay of nine days, the sum of forty-five Spanish piastres[13] (£9 15s. sterling), although they had not over-charged us.
[13] Spanish piastre = 4s. 4d. at par.
The formalities at the custom-house, which strangers—even those belonging to a ship-of-war of a friendly Power—have to go through, are extremely annoying, and entail a great loss of time. Before landing, passengers' boats are boarded in the open roads by officers, who are stationed a few cable lengths from the shore. On landing, the stranger is obliged to repair to the custom-house, where even small and open packages are subjected to a second rigid examination. The time lost during this process, unnecessarily minute, is exceedingly unpleasant. The reason assigned for these vexatious regulations is the extent to which, of late, smuggling has been carried on in the island, and which, in the opinion of the Governor, required these measures of precaution. It seems, however, that this system rather promotes contraband trading, by making it very lucrative. The Austrian consul, Charles Bianchi, Esq., did all in his power to diminish the frequency of the continual examinations, and likewise, in all other respects, endeavoured to promote the objects of the Expedition.
The greatest length of the island of Madeira, from Ponta Furado in the east, to Ponta do Pargo, in the west, amounts to 30 miles; its greatest breadth, from Ponta do Cruz in the south, to Ponta do Saõ Jorge in the north, is 12½ miles, and its area is about 240 square miles. This volcanic and mountainous island is intersected by innumerable deep ravines and defiles, and its whole surface is so much broken and irregular, that the representation Columbus once gave to Queen Isabella, of the Island of Jamaica, when she asked him for a description of its configuration, might perfectly be applied to the aspect of Madeira also. The great navigator, after having crushed a sheet of paper in his hand, and partly opened it again, placed it on the table, saying, he could convey to Her Majesty no clearer idea of that island than that crumpled piece of paper afforded.
A large portion of the island is not susceptible of cultivation; for the heathy region which constitutes nearly one-third of its surface, and rises to a height of about 2500 feet above the level of the sea, is extremely steep, and too much exposed to winds and rains in summer, to admit of any kind of cultivation, even that of grain; whilst another not less considerable tract is too rocky and precipitous for that purpose. In the south of the island, the highest limit of cultivation is estimated to be at a height of 2500 feet, though in several places rye and barley grow at 2800 feet. In the north of the island, where a better system of irrigation prevails, the extreme boundary of cultivation reaches a higher altitude, and on the declivities of the Ribeiro Frio, it is met with at an elevation of above 3000 feet.