X. CHA P. roses. The gardens produce all the European fruits, with, now and then, fome tropical ones, as bananas, goavas and pine-apples. MADEIRA. 225. All the domeftic animals of Europe are found at Madeira. The mutton and beef are small, but well tafted, The horses, though not large, are fure footed; and climb with agility, the difficult paths of the island. There are no wheel-carriages of any kind; but in the town, they convey heavy goods on fledges drawn by oxen.-The only wild quadruped here is the grey rabbet.—Many wild birds, common in Europe, are found in Madeira; but very few hens, or other tame birds, owing perhaps to the scarcity of corn. -There are no fnakes whatever in this ifland; but the vineyards and gardens, and even the houses, fwarm with lizards. The fhores are not without fish; but, as they are not in fufficient plenty, for the Lent season, "herrings" fays. Dr. Forster," are brought from Gothenburg, in English bottoms, and cod from North America*: On this head, I cannot *My author may be right in ftating that herrings are brought from Gothenburg to Madeira, in English bottoms; but I have the best reasons to believe that the greater part are fent there in Swedish bottoms. It is true, payments at Madeira are not made in money; but in produce, viz. wine, a great part of which the English very conveniently dispose of in their colonies, an advantage which I should think is more than balanced by the lower rate of Swedish freight, and the numerous advantages of the free port of Gothenburg; and they are obliged, at any rate, to go to the fouthward for falt; they pack the herrings full as hard, and fit for hot climates, in Sweden, as any where else; and, upon the whole, the Swedes can certainly fend herrings, not to mention other articles, to Madeira, at leaft as good and cheap as the English. I do not mean, however, to say, that the exportation commerce of Sweden is in a state unfufceptible of better regulations. There is in that country a board, called COMMERCE COLLEGIUM, confifting of a prefident and eighteen members; and whose business it is, or ought to be, to watch over the commercial interests of Sweden, I am fenfible that this board contains a few men of real worth, and who have the good X. MADEIRA, cannot omit an observation of my learned author. learned author. "Afri- CHAP. ca," fays he, p. 27, " which we vifited during this voyage, ~ in a few weeks, fupplied us with a great variety of quadru peds, reptiles and infects, whilft all the other lands where we touched, afforded no new discoveries in thofe claffes." 226. The common people of Madeira are tawny, with dark eyes and black curling hair, which, in fome individuals, begins to crisp, owing, perhaps to intermarriage with negroes. The inhabitants of the towns are more ill-favoured than the country people. The gentry are a fort of petite nobleffe, whofe genealogical pride makes them unfociable and ignorant, and causes a ridiculous affectation of gravity. 227. The country people are very fober and frugal; their diet being generally bread and onions, or other roots, with little animal food. Their drink is water, or a fermented infufion of the refufe rind of the grape; for the wine, which their own hands prepare, they seldom, if ever, taste.-Their chief occupation is raising vines; but as this requires not much attendance, for a great part of the year, they naturally incline to idlenefs. Indeed, warmth of climate, where great provision against inclemency of weather is unneceffary, and where hunger is easily fatisfied, will probably produce indolence, where the legislature does not counteract it by encouraging induftry. But, it feems, the Portuguefe legiflators are not thus difpofed; for, though they have lately ordered olive-trees to be planted here, on spots too dry and barren for vines, they have given the labourers no temporary affistance, and have offered no premiums, to overcome their reluctance to innovation, and to labour. good of their country very much at heart; but, whether, upon the whole, it anfwers the end of it's original inflitution, I beg leave to fave myself the mortification of enquiring. T Add X. MADEIRA. CHA P. Add to this, that the landed property is in the hands of a few ancient families; the vineyards are held only by an annual tenure; and the farmer reaps but four tenths of the produce; four tenths being paid in kind to the landlord, one tenth to the king, and one to the clergy. Such small profits, joined to the thought of making improvements for others, preclude all alterations for the better, under the present system. But, oppreffed as they are, they are chearful and contented. Their labours are commonly alleviated with songs; and, in the evenings, they dance to the drowsy guittar. Military. 228. The governor is at the head of all the civil and military departments of Madeira, Porto Santo, the Salvages and the Ilhas Defertas, which laft contain only the temporary huts of fishermen.-The law department is under the corregidor, commonly fent from Portugal, and holding his place during the king's pleasure. To him appeals lie from the inferior courts, each of which has a fenate, and a prefiding judge chosen by them. The merchants elect their own judge, or providor, who collects the king's revenue, amounting annually to about £120,000 sterling, arising (1) from one tenth of all the produce of the island; (2) from 11 per cent. on all exports; and (3) from 10 per cent. on all imports, provisions excepted. Far the greater part of the revenue is applied to the fupport of the civil and military establishments, and of public buildings. 229. The island has but one regular company of 100 men; but the militia confifts of 3000, who are annually embodied for one month, under the Sergeanté Mor. Neither privates nor officers receive any pay; and yet the places of the latter are much sought after, on account of the rank. X. MADEIRA, 230. The fecular priests are about 1200, many of them CHA P. employed as private tutors; for, fince the expulfion of the Jefuits, there have been no regular public schools here, except one, where a priest educates 10 ftudents, at the Priests. king's expense*. Those who intend to go into orders are obliged to study at the university of Coimbra, in Portugal. There is a dean and chapter at Madeira, headed by a bishop, whose income, which confiderably exceeds the governor's, consists of 110 pipes of wine, and 960 English bushels of wheat, amounting, at a mean, to £3000 fterling. births, 231. In 1768, the inhabitants of the 43 parishes of Madei- Population, ra, amounted to 63,913, of whom 31,341. were males, and deaths. 32,572 females. But, in that year, the deaths were exactly 5243, and the births 2198. It is highly probable that some epidemical distemper prevailed in that year, as such a mortality would foon depopulate the island: a fuppofition which is ftrengthened by the excellence of the climatet. Climate. In fummer, the heat is very moderate on the higher parts of the island, whither the better fort of people then retire: in winter, the snow lies there for several days, while, in the lower parts, it never continues above a day or two. 232. In 1449, Antonio Nolli, a Genoese in the fervice of CAPE VERD Don Henry, Infanté of Portugal, difcovered fome of the ISLANDS I. Cape Verd Islands; and in 1460, another voyage was under * There appears to be a priest in Madeira for every 53 inhabitants; exclufive of about 70 friars and 300 nuns. + My author's fuppofition is farther ftrengthened, by Dr. Heberden's obfervation, that the inhabitants of Madeira double their own numbers, by the births, in 84 years, under all their oppreffions; for nothing fhort of Weft Indian oppreffion can prevent mankind, when once fairly fettled in a tolerable climate, from keeping up, or increafing, their numbers by births-See Price on Annuities, p. 204. Abridged from Forster's Voyage round the Word, Vol. I. p. 33 et feq, X. CAPE VERD CHAP. taken to fettle them, when the reft were discovered. Santiago, (as Colonel Bolts writes it) is the largest of them, and about 17 leagues in length. The capital, of the fame name, lies in the interior, and is the fee of the bishop of all these iflands. This ifle contains 11 parishes, the most populous of which has about 4000 houfes. Oppreffed by monopoly. Inhabitants. 233. The Cape Verd Islands are generally mountainous ; but their lower hills are often covered with verdure, and have a gentle declivity, with extenfive vales between them. They are ill fupplied with water; but Santiago has one tolerable river. The hills are covered with ftones, which are a fpecies of lava. The foil, which is fertile enough in the vallies, is a kind of rubbish of cinders and ochreous afhes: hence it is probable that all these islands have contained volcanoes; especially as Fogo ftill confifts of a burning mountain. 234. Porto Praya ftands on a steep rock, and contains only a few cottages. It's fortifications are old walls towards the fea, and low fences of loofe ftones, towards the land. A tolerable building, at a little distance, belongs to a company at Lisbon, who monopolize the trade to all these islands, and keep an agent here. "The company," fays Forfter "perfectly tyrannizes over the inhabitants, and fells them wretched merchandize, at exorbitant prices."-It is believed, however, that those poor people have lately been delivered from this cause of their wretchedness, by the abolition of that most odious and oppreffive monopoly. May Heaven preserve every colony in Africa, efpecialty thofe profeffedly undertaken on humane principles, from the cruel clutches of such unfeeling companies! 235, The natives of Santiago are middle fixed, and almost black, with frizzled hair, and thick lips, like the ugliest ne groes. |