1768. it in great plenty ; yet moft'of what is confumed by the in-
September., jlap)jrants js imported. The mutton, pork, and beef are alfo
very good; the beef in particular, which we took on board
here, was-univerfally allowed to be fcarcely inferior to oui-
.own; the lean part was very like it, both in colour and grain,
though the beafts are much fmaller, but .the fat is as white
as the fat of mutton.
The town of Funchiale derives its name from Funcho, the
•Portuguefe name for fennel, which grows in great plenty
-upon the ^neighbouring rocks, and by the obfervation of
Dr; Heberden, lies in the latitude of .33° 33' 33" N. and long
i tu d e ^ 0 49' W. It isfituated in the bottom of a bay, and
though larger than the extent of the ifland feems to deferve,
is very ill built; the houfes of the principal inhabitants are
•large, thofe o f the common people are fmall, the flreets are
•narrow, and worfe paved than any I ever faw. The churches
are loaded with ornaments, among which are many pictures,
and images of favourite faints, but the pictures are in
general wretchedly painted, and the faints are drefled in
laced clothes. Some of the convents are in a better taflc,
efpecially that of the Francifcans,; which is plain, Ample,
and neat in the higheft degree. The infirmary in particular
drew our attention as a model which might be adopted in
other countries with great advantage. It confifts of a long
room, on one fide: of which are the windows, and an altar
for the convenience of adminiftering the facrament to the
fick: the other fide is divided into wards, each of which is
juft big enough to contain a bed, and neatly lined with
gally-tiles ; behind thefe wards, and parallel to the room in
which they ftand, there runs a lqng gallery, with which
each ward communicates by a door, fo that the fick may be
. feparately fupplied with whatever they want without disturbing
their neighbours. In this convent there is alfo a
3 ' Angular
Angular curiofity of another kind; a fmall chapel, the whole g >768^
lining of which, both fides and cieling, is compofed of hu- >-----—
man fculls and thigh bones; the thigh bones are laid acrofs
each other, and a fcull is placed in each of the four angles.
Among the fculls one is very remarkable; the upper and the-
lower jaw,..on one fide, perfectly and firmly cohere ; how
the oflification which unites them was formed, it is not
perhaps very eafy to conceive, but it is certain that the patient
muft have lived fome time without opening his mouth:
what nourifhment he received was conveyed through ahole
which we difcovered to have been made-.on the other fide,,
by forcing out feme of the teeth, in doing which the jaw -
alfo feems to have been injured..
We vifited the good Fathers of’this convent on a Thurfday
evening, juft before fupper-time, and they received us with,
great politenefs; “ We will not afk. you,.faid they, to fup-.
“ with us, becaufe we are not prepared, but i f you will;
“ come to-morrow, though it is a faft with us,, we will have
i a turkey, roafted for you.” This invitation, which Ihewed S
a.liberality of fentiment not to have been expected: in a convent
of Portuguefe. Friars at this place*, gratified us much,,
though it was not. in our power to accept it.
We vifited alfo a-convent of nuns,, dedicated to Santa Clara,.
and the Ladies did-us the honour-to exprefs a particular
pleafure in feeing us there: they-had heard that there were -
great philofophers-among us, and not at all knowing what
were the objects of philofophical knowlege, they afked us,
feveral queftions- that were abfurd aad extravagant in the:
higheft degree; one was* when it would thunder ; and another,
whether a fpring of frefh water was to be found any
where within the walls of their convent, of which it feems
they were in great want. It will naturally be fuppofed that?
ouranfwers to fuch queftions were neither fatisfaftory- to >
the.