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Island of Porto Santo -Madeira-The Desertas Islands- Town of Funchal -The Physalia, or Portuguese man of war -Description of that animal -An experiment-Ef- fects of the Physalia's sting-Method of preserving the animal -Land in sight-Approach to the Cape Verd Islands -Islands of Mayo and St. Jago-Anchor at Porto Praya -The town -Famine-Novel method of Fishing-Tropical trees and other plants -Valley of St. Trinidad -The monkey bread-tree -Springs of water -Severe drought-Negro Huts-Plantations-The gigantic boa- bab-tree-Residence of Don F.Melo-TheOrchillaweed-Date palms-Leavetheisland.On the 15th ofMay1832, the island of Porto Santo, in latitude SS'' 5' north, longitude 16' 5' west, was seen bearing south-west, half-south, at the distance of forty mik^s from the ship " Bro- thers," Captain Towns, bound to New South VOL.I. B * On the 5th of April, 1834, in latitude 29o 17' north, and longitude 42° 57' west, temperature of the atmosphere GB** to 72*', I caught in my towing net a very fine specimen of Physalis pelagica, adorned with the usual beautiful tints, but not so vivid as I have usually seen them.The specimen was the largest I had before witnessed.During the month of April, 1834,1 observed specimens of this moUusca as far north as lati- tude S80 32' north, and longitude 34° 30' west.The lowest range of the thermometer being 58", and highest 72*'.In March, 1831, 1 had seen them as far north as the latitude of the Azores or Western Islands.Often when we had very strong westerly winds, with a heavy sea running at the time, I sawthem ; yet not, to use a nautical expression, " furling sail" and sinking ; this was sufficient to prove the absurdity of the opinion that they collapse and sink during stormy breezes.I have frequently seen them capsized by a wave, but almost instantly after regain their natural position.* " Praya" signifies, in the Portuguese language, " a beach or shore.''1(3 PORTO PRAYA.After dinner we paid a visit to tlie shore ; the landing-place is very inconvenient, and often dangerous, from the surf, which at this time was fortunately not high.After landing we had to walk over a soft sandy road, varied only by large stones coming in contact with our feet, and assuring us of their presence by the pain F. Melo, (who speculates in orcliilla weed,) situated in the Plaza, which displays taste and neatness both in the exterior and interior of its arrangement : on the lower land, behind the house, he has laid out with much labour an ex- tensive garden, well irrigated, and in which European and tropical vegetables, fruits, and elegant flowering plants, were thriving in luxuriance, and sufficiently proved that even in that sterile spot, industry and perseverance could surmount almost any difficulty.At the house of this gentleman, I had an opportunity of seeing some excellent specimens of the orchilla weed ; this valuable production of the vegetable kingdom is indigenous to this and other islands of the gi'oup, as well as to Madeira, the Canaries, and the coast of Barbary; it is the Roccella tinctoria of botanists,* and is held in high estimation for the purplish dye it yields, and I believe, excepting the cochineal, is the only dye that possesses a mordant in itself.This * (In June, 1831.)" Canary orchilla fetches in the Lon- don market from 2701. to 290/.per ton, while that which is brought from Madeira fetches only 140/., and Barbary not more than from 30/. to 45/.The total quantity imported in 1829, amounted to 1,813 cwt.or 90^tons."-"Archil is generally sold in the form of cakes, but sometimes in that of moist pulp."-M'-Culloclis Did. of Commerce.DATE PALMS.lichen is of a gray colour, and those plants which are of the darkest hue, long and strong, are considered the best ; it grows to a great length, but is rarely obtained so, as the natives gather it before it comes to any size, on account of its high value.The quantity collected in one year, among the whole of this group of islands, was 537, 600 lbs.; but sometimes a larger quantity is obtained, when, not having much work upon the plantations, the negroes can be employed for the purpose.*It is found on the steep rocks in the interior of the islands, and growing in the crevices ; the finest orchilla is collected at the island of St. Antonio, where it grows in some places so inaccessible as to be only procured by lowering the gatherer down the cliffs by ropes.This lichen is exported only to Lisbon, there being an order from the Portuguese go- vernment to that effect, but quantities were often smuggled direct to some foreign port.'f* At the time of our arrival a Portuguese brig was lying in the bay, having a cargo of this weed on board, which was estimated at a low calculation to be worth 30,000/.-f-" The dyer's lichen was first exported from the islands of the Archipelago to Venice, Genoa, France, and England, for the use of the dyers.Towards the commencement of the last century it was discovered in the Canary Islands, and * Cuvier enumerates five species ; but at the same time says, " On a observe divers albatrosses plus ou moins bruns ou noiratres, mais on n'a pu encore constater jusqu'a quel point lis forment des varietes ou des esp^ces distinctes."-Regne Animal^torn.i. p. 555.
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