177*. Ju l y .
Tûefday 2 8.
when we fliewcd ours, fhe hauled them down, fired a gun
to leeward, and hoifted the Spanifh enfign. Soon after fhe
fired a fliot at the Adventure; but as we kept Handing on,
the Spaniard put about, and fired another Ihot juft a-head
of her. In' confequence of this, our vettel brought to, and
the Adventure now feemed only to follow our example. . The
Spaniard then hailed the Adventure in Englilh, and alked
“ what frigate that was a-head,” (meaning our floopj ; and
having been fatisfied in that particular, he would not an-
fwer a queftion of the fame nature, which was put to him,
but always replied, “ I wifh you a good voyage." We continued
our courfe, after a fcene fo humiliating to the matters
of the fea, and patted Cape I'inijlerre during night.
Several porpefies patted us on the 25th, all fwimming
againft the wind, which had been north-eafterly ever fince
we had left Cape Finifterre. At night the fea appeared
luminous, particularly the tops o f the waves and part of
the fliip’s wake, which were illuminated by a mafs of
pure light: but, independent of that, there appeared numerous
little fparks infinitely brighter than any other part
of this phsenomenon.
On the 28th, at fix of the clock in the morning, we
difcovered P o r t o - S a n t o , which is about five or f ix leagues
long, barren and thinly inhabited. It has only onz Villa
or town, of the fame name, fituated on the eaftern fide,
in a valley which is entirely cultivated, and appeared to
have
have a fine verdure from the numerous vineyards it con- ju” y.
tains. This little ifland is under the orders of the governor
of Madeira, and the number o f its inhabitants amounts
to about feven hundred.
Soon after we made M a d e ir a and the I lhas De se r t as,
corruptly called the Deferters by' our feamen. The town of
Santa Cruz in Madeira was abreaft of us at fix in the after-
noon. The mountains are here interfecled by numerous
deep glens and vallies. On the floping ground we ob-
ferved feveral country-houfes pleafantly fituated amidft
furrounding vineyards and lofty cypreffes, which give the
country altogether a romantic appearance. We were
towed to the road of Funchal in a perfect calm, and came
to an anchor in the dark.
Early on the 29th, we were agreeably furprifed with wedncHay»*
the pifturefque appearance of the city of Funchal, which
is built round the bay, on the gentle afcent of the firft
hills, in form of an amphitheatre. All its public and private
buildings are by this means fet off to advantage.
They are in general entirely white, many of them two
ftories high, and covered with low roofs, from whence
they derive that elegant eaftern ftile, and that fimplicity, of
which our narrow buildings with fteep roofs, and numerous
Hacks of chimnies are utterly deftitute. On the fea
Tide,are feveral batteries and platforms with cannon. An
old caftle, which commands the road, is fituated on the
V ol. I. G top