1768. the Ladies.! nor in their eftimation, honourable to us ; yet
‘ their difappointment did not in the leaft lefien their civility,
and they talked, without ceafing, during the whole of our
■ vifit, which lafted about half an hour.
The hills of this country are very high; the higheft, Pico
Ruivo, rifes 5,068 feet, near an Englifh mile, perpendicularly
from its bafe, which is much higher than any land
that has been meafured in Great Britain. The fides o f thefe
hills are covered with vines to a certain height, above which
there are woods of chefnut and pine of immenfe extent,
and above them forefts of wild timber of various kinds not
known in Europe; particularly two, called by the Portuguefe
Mirmulano and Paobranco, the leaves of both which, particularly
the Paobranco, are fo beautiful, that thefe trees would
be a great ornament to the gardens of Europe.
The number o f inhabitants in this illand is fuppofed to be
about 80,006, and the cuftom-houfe duties produce a revenue
to the King of Portugal of 20,000 pounds a-year, clear
of all expences, which might eafily be doubled by the pro-
duft of the illand, exclufive of the vines, i f advantage was
taken o f the excellence of the climate, and the amazing
fertility of the foil,; but this objedt is utterly negledted by
the Portuguefe. In the trade of the inhabitants of Madeira
with Lilbon the balance is again!! them, fo that all the Portuguefe
money naturally going thither, the currency of the
illand is Spanilh ; there are indeed a few Portuguefe pieces
•of copper, but they are fo fcarce that we did not fee one of
them: the Spanilh coin is of three denominations ; Pifte-
reens, worth about a Ihilling; Bitts, worth about fix pence;
and Half-bitts, threepence.
The tides at this place flow at the full and change o f the
moon, north and fouth; the fpring tides rife feven feet perpendicular,
pendicular, and the neap tides four. By Dr. Heberden’s ob- 1768.
fervation, the variation of the compafs here is now 15" 30' ■SepKmber'.
Weft, and decreafing; but J have fome doubt whether he is
not miftaken with refpeffc to its decreafe: we found that the
North point o f the dipping needle belonging to the Royal
Society dipped 77° 18"
The refrefhments to be had here, are water, wine, fruit o f
feveral forts, onions in plenty, and fome fWeetmeats; frelh
meat and poultry are not to be had without leave from the
governor, and the payment of a very high price.
We took in 270 lb. of frelh beef, and a live bullock,
charged at 613 lb. 3,032 gallons of water, and ten tuns o f
wine; and in the night, between Sunday the 18th and Mon- Sunday 1»,"
day the igth of September, we fet fail in profecution o f Monday 19.
our voyage.
When -Funchiale bore North, 13 Haft, at the diftance o f 76
miles, the variation appeared by feveral azimuths to be
x6°3o'Weft.
Von. II. G CHAP.