93


Port
3559
7
THE
hermit
OF
WESTMINSTER
WANDERING
ABOUT
MADEIRA
BY
1883
R.P. SPICE C.E
F.R.G.S.



Port 3559.7
Harvard College Library
ADEKIAL
VERO
TAS
ECCLESI
EIN
ΚΟΛΟΝ
FROM THE
SUBSCRIPTION FUND
BEGUN IN 1858








THE WANDERINGS OF THE HERMIT
OF WESTMINSTER IN 1883.





With the Authors Compliments
THE WANDERINGS
OF THE
HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
HERMIT OF WESTMINSTER
ON THE ISLAND OF
MADEIRA
IN
1883.
BY
R. P. SPICE, C.E., F.R.G.S.
Printed for Private Circulation.
honderd.
1884.


Port 3559.7
TIETE
"
HARVAND
COLLEGE
JUL 16 1910
LIBRARY.
Subscription fund
Metchim & Son, 20, Parliament Strect, S.W., & 32, Clement's Lane, E. C.






THE HERMIT OF WESTMINSTER.
From a Photograph by Maull & Fox.
E & CO LONDON.


RAKVARE
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY
THE WANDERINGS OF THE HERMIT OF
WESTMINSTER IN 1883.
CHAPTER I.

O attempt a description of a visit to a
small island in the North Atlantic,
which has, in modern times, been
visited by thousands of the human race
from less genial climes, in search of
pleasure, or health, or both, and which
has been described by such explorers of
odd corners of the earth, may be thought
to be a work of supererogation. But yielding
to friendly importunity, and prompted by
a desire to afford some degree of pleasure to those
who stay at home at ease, and are curious to know
where he has wandered and what he has seen in his
holiday rambles, the Hermit of Westminster once more
ventures to employ his pen in describing his travelling
experiences.
Be it known then, to all who may care to know, and
for whom a Hermit's simple story may have any interest,


6
that on the 18th of October last the Hermit started
from Waterloo Station at 9 a.m. for Southampton, and
thence for a voyage to Madeira; an island which is one
of the brightest spots of the Portuguese dominions.
The ship chosen for the voyage was the "Athenian,”
belonging to the Union Line; known, as he afterwards
learned, as the "Rolling Athenian,”—the prefix having
been suggested by its strong tendency to roll. This
proclivity is a nuisance too common in modern steam
ships, and, in the opinion of the Hermit, it is due to two
causes;-one being the want of breadth of beam, and
the other, the fashion of building cabins on the upper or
hurricane deck-which induces a top-heavy condition;
and to these defects combined, it may reasonably be
conjectured, that the loss of many a modern steam ship
may be attributed. It is indeed to be feared that
stability is too often sacrificed to economy, the prime
objects being, increased speed and diminished cost of
propelling power.
However, notwithstanding the rolling style of pro-
gression over the waste of waters, the Hermit felt, at the
end of the voyage, grateful to all concerned in the
management of the ship, and thoroughly satisfied with
all that pertained to the ministration of creature comforts
in the dining saloon, which were provided with unstinted
hand, and served by obliging stewards with the regularity
of clockwork.
On the fourth day out, a startling incident occurred,
which painfully excited the feelings of all on board;
the cry being suddenly raised," a man overboard."
This cry must be heard, and the scene witnessed, to
enable any one fully to realize in all its intensity the


7
shock which it occasions in every breast in which kindly
feelings dwell.
In this case we soon learnt that the man had a wife and
several children depending upon him as their bread
winner; and this knowledge led naturally to deep
sympathy and sad reflections, while the utmost exertions
were called forth to rescue the poor fellow from a watery
grave.
Life buoys were thrown overboard, with the hope that
he might get hold of one, and boats were lowered as
quickly as they could be, but minutes seemed hours,
while a heavy sea was running and the man had dis-
appeared from the eyes of all on board, except those of
an officer who had mounted aloft, and from the shrouds,
by the aid of a glass, managed to keep on his track and
by signs to indicate to the boats in what direction to
steer; and in a few minutes under half-an-hour he was
rescued. The ship having meanwhile been put “about”
and kept in the wake of the boats, the poor fellow was
soon on board.
This accident was due to some tackle giving way,
while some half-dozen sailors were shifting the position
of the ship's boats, one by one, from the inside to the
outside of the ship; the boat in which this man was
employed, suddenly went down by the run at one end,
while the other remained suspended, and he was conse-
quently shot out into the sea.
Having witnessed these operations, the Hermit feels
bound to utter his protest against the continuance of the
primitive and barbarous method of suspending ships'
boats by the old-fashioned davits, now that mechanical
contrivances of a high order of merit are available for


8
the purpose. And when it is considered that it must
often happen, that the saving of many lives must depend
upon the readiness with which a ship's boats may be
lowered, it can only be regarded as inexcusable and
culpable neglect for shipowners to ignore, and fail to
apply, the methods which modern ingenuity has placed
within reach of all, for effecting with precision, readily,
and effectively, the operation which by the old method
is done clumsily, with much waste of labour, and often
with melancholy results.
Well, as the old saying has it, "All's well that ends
well," and this incident having been wound up by a
generous subscription among the passengers, to console
the poor sailor for his involuntary immersion, and to
reward the two boats' crews who had risked their own lives
in a heavy sea to save his, all who witnessed the scene be-
came joyous and buoyant; the ship's course was again
directed towards the rocky shore of the Portuguese
island, whither we were bound.
The next morning, after breakfast, the Island of Porto
Santo was sighted, this being about forty miles from the
eastern end of Madeira. This island cannot be called
a pleasing object, but all such objects are pleasing to
travellers on the sea, when they are looked for from a
ship's deck as evidences of the position attained to, and
in this instance our glasses were in constant requisition,
-to scan the distant shore, and search the landscape
o'er-as we neared it, for traces of the handiwork of
man.
We were rewarded in our search by observing several
windmills, and these we learnt were used for raising
water from wells. This element is so scarce at times as


9
to be a luxury, and the few inhabitants of the tiny spot
depend on the working of the mills for the supply
of it for their daily wants; poor things, what would
they not give to have it laid on by one of the much
abused London Water Companies under the constant
supply system!
Except that we saw signs of farming operations,
these little windmills were all we could discover of the
application of the energy of mankind, on the hill-sides
and plains, as we passed the island, which is some ten
miles or so in length. Some of us wondered whether
life could be worth living on such conditions as exist at
Porto Santo, and pitied the lilliputian colony of human
beings whose lot was cast there; and yet, why should we
pity them? they may be very happy in their isolation
from the outside world, about which they, perhaps, know
nothing, and the old saying has it, "Where ignorance
is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise."
After feasting our eyes and seeing so little, we turned
to an authority on Madeira, and there we found that
things were not so bad at Porto Santo as they appeared;
-how often is this the case!
We found it on record that the population is about
1,800, that vines and grain are successfully grown,—the
grain being consumed on the island, and the wine made
from the grapes sent over to Madeira soon after the
vintage. Cattle are also raised, and find a ready market
in Madeira. But it is added, as a serious drawback,
"Water is scarce and droughts are frequent." Those
who want to know more are advised to consult the
statistics concerning the facts.
We were now enjoying a warm and genial atmosphere,


ΙΟ
in sight of the main object for which we left Old
England; and as we neared it, rounded its eastern end,
with its lighthouse on Ponta de São Lourenco, and
voyaged along its southern shore, we were gratified by
the pleasing panorama as it was unfolded to our gaze.
Viewed from the sea, the mixture of bright and dark
vegetation in small spots in the valleys and up the hill
sides was a novel feature, the bright green being the sugar
cane, which is extensively cultivated, and the darker tints
were due to other crops and to trees. The island seemed
to be all hills and valleys, no level land appearing
anywhere; in fact, a most varied and picturesque
succession of mountain peaks, hills, gorges and valleys,
very charming to behold from the deck of our good
ship; and very refreshing, after our little voyage of
five days. This beautiful panorama banished at once
all recollections of our experiences in the Bay of Biscay,
where the first difficulty at dinner was to restrain the
soup within the bounds of one's plate, and to keep
things generally from going astray and getting mixed
up disagreeably in all directions.
At about five o'clock in the afternoon of the 23rd
October, everything being bright and clear, and all
nature smiling, we dropped anchor in the Bay of
Funchal; the next thing to be done after that, is—
to do nothing, but wait the arrival of an important
officer whose business it is to determine whether
the ship has a clean bill of health; and after him
the Customs' officers come, with their symbol of
authority hoisted on a little pole at the stern of their
boat; and while these regulations are being duly ob-
served, we passengers, whether for the island or the


II
Cape, which is the ultimate destination of the "Athenian,"
are amused by the performances of a number of the am-
phibious natives, young men and boys, of all sizes and
sorts down to about six years of age.
The
The chief occupation of this motley gathering is to
show their skill in diving for sixpences thrown into the
sea by passengers; these divers are each clad in a pair
of close-fitting trousers, buttoned tight just above the
hips; they are rowed from the shore to the ship, a
distance of about half-a-mile or a mile, in small boats,
each boat containing a diver and his rower.
business of diving for small coins is carried on amidst
great clamour from those in the boats-for silver six-
pences to be thrown from the ship, and it is perfectly
marvellous how these bits of silver are dived after and
caught before they have fallen many yards beneath the
surface of the lumpy, choppy, kind of sea on which the
boats are tossing. When the diver returns, all his actions
having been seen in the clear blue water, he shows the
coin, and putting it between his teeth, he scrambles
into the boat again, and is ready and anxious to repeat
the performance any number of times.
This amusement having been gone through, sorting
the personal baggage was the next work to be done, and
each passenger having got his pile, pointed it out to
the obliging representative of the particular hotel which
he might intend to patronise. These agents or managers
of the several hotels come on board to find their patrons,
and take charge of their belongings—a very sensible
arrangement, and one which saves the voyager a world
of trouble and anxiety.
The Hermit's destination was the Santa Clara Hotel,


12
which is situated at about 150 feet above the level of the
sea. This hotel is owned by Mr. Reid, as is also the
Royal Edinburgh Hotel, and a more worthy man it
would not be easy to find. The Santa Clara Hotel is
managed for him by Mr. Cardwell, and the Hermit feels
that he cannot do less than place on record his opinion,
that the arrangements are very satisfactory, the house is
scrupulously clean, and its business is carried on with
unremitting care and attention to the comfort of the
guests.


CHAPTER II.
OW, after this slight digression, let
us return to the point we had
reached, when the baggage was
handed over to the representatives
of the several hotels. The pas-
sengers' disembarkation is effected
by boats, which are held on to the foot of
the companion-way of the ship, and a little
agility under ordinary circumstances-some-
times more than a little is required in
springing from the last step into the boat; but the Hermit
and those who were with him had no difficulty, and in
due time reached the shore, which is composed of water-
worn basaltic rock. This rock is just so steep as to render
it impossible to run a boat on to it stem first, as on a flat
sandy beach; so these boats are turned stern on when
near the shore, and the rowers wait for a big wave to
carry the boat with its living freight as high up as
possible, and at the moment of its touching the shingle,
a body of men, on the watch for it, lay hold of and


14
haul it up out of the way of the next wave.
And thus
we landed at Funchal, quite thankful to find ourselves
once more on dry land.
The Hermit then sat down on a low wall close by, and
took stock of the busy scene around him, and when the
party, of which he was one, were gathered together, all
set out for a short walk to the Custom House to wait
the arrival there of our several lots of moveable pro-
'perty; these, in half-an-hour or so, arrived on bullock
sledges at the door of the Government Inquisition, and
were taken in, but we soon learnt that it was too late to
take them out again that night! What a trap for the
unwary traveller! Didn't we growl and grumble! But
what was the use of saying severe things to Portuguese
Government officials who didn't understand homely
English?
Fortunately for him, the Hermit had all he wanted
for the night in the hand-bag which he carried, and was
allowed to keep; but it was otherwise with his friends
and fellow-travellers, who wanted to shave their chins
and otherwise to get themselves up in good form before
breakfast the next morning, as if they had just stepped
out of band-boxes.
However, as grumbling and growling would not avail
to produce, a clean shirt, we turned our backs on the
Funchal Custom House, and started, some in a bullock
car and some walking up the hilly street to the Santa
Clara Hotel, where we soon found comfortable quarters ;
and after due attention to our toilet ceremonials, we sat
down to a good dinner with the other guests of the house,
and soon made ourselves at home. Opposite this page
is a view of the southern front of this hotel, with its open



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & C! LONDON.
FRONT OF SANTA CLARA HOTEL, WITH BALCONY.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





15
balcony and flag-staff at the western corner, showing also
the steep and narrow street leading to it.
After dinner we found our way to the upper floor of
the hotel, and thence to its extensive balcony on the
same level; the plan of this was triangular, or nearly so,
two of its sides being at right angles, and the third was
slightly curved, two sides being open, and the whole
covered with a light roof supported by iron posts. Two
views of this balcony are given at pages 16 and 18,
done, as are all the illustrations of this little brochure, by
Sprague & Co.'s Ink-Photo. process. At page 20 is a
view of part of the garden of the hotel, taken from one
of its windows.
The first day after our arrival was devoted to an
exploration of the town, its novelties and its specialities,
and in this we found much to interest us; we soon
found the way to lighten our purses, and to become well
acquainted with the cost of acquiring a stock of the
special manufactures of the place. Want of knowledge
of the Portuguese dialect proved to be no impediment
whatever to business transactions between us English
and the natives, the flow of the circulating medium
being all one way,-we doing all the buying, and they
all the selling; this suited them admirably and amused
us. However, we were contented with our shop-
ping experience, for we found the tradesmen civil and
obliging, and not by any means unreasonable in their
charges, our experience being confined to shops of the
best class.
The special productions of Madeira are its various
manufactures, its wine and its sugar; and as regards
manufactures they are all literally handiwork, for the


16
natives have not taken to machinery. The natives are
very industrious and ingenious specimens of humanity,
and have nothing of the restlessness of modern impetuous
radicalism in their proclivities-that which suited their
fathers suits them—they jog along on the old lines, earn
what little they can, and live on less if possible, a very
good rule certainly; and if riches take wing and fly away,
these poor hard-working people can only hope, if they
hope at all, that some may fly their way-for they need
not fear the loss of riches as they have none to lose.
Their special manufactures are cabinet work-basket
work-walking sticks, lace, embroidery-plaited straw
hats and bonnets, and feather flowers. And in all these
industries great excellence is attained; the cabinet manu-
facture is carried on in numerous small shops, in which
the various processes may be seen as one walks along a
street, the work being carried on by two or three men in
each; no factories for wholesale production, no machinery,
no combinations of workmen, trade unions, nor strikes.
The business done in basket work is considerable;
it seems indeed that no ships call at Funchal without
taking boatloads away,—nor is this astonishing when its
excellence and cheapness are considered. The Hermit
had no idea of the almost unlimited application of basket
work until he walked about the city of Funchal-where
nearly all the requisite furniture for a house of moderate
pretensions, may be found manufactured in the neatest
and strongest manner by the use solely of peeled twigs ;—
chairs, tables, sofas and baskets, of great variety and
beauty, are to be had for very little money.
The manufacture of walking sticks is an industry
successfully cultivated, the sticks being grown on the



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
THE BALCONY OF SANTA CLARA HOTEL, FUNCHAL.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





17
island and prepared for use in a style which Piccadilly
would not be ashamed of.
-
As for lace, well, after an insight into the beautiful
machine-made lace of Nottingham, which is popularly
supposed to "lick all creation," one need not be sur-
prised at anything in the way of lace production, but
when you are shown for the first time the hand-made
silk shawls of Madeira manufacture, you are simply
amazed to find that such delicate, cobweb-like work can
be done by human fingers. Such shawls seem designed
and fitted specially for the Queen of the Fairies to
wear, when she "curls herself inside a buttercup❞—vide
"Iolanthe."
Embroidery is an industry of great importance to the
island, large quantities being sent to the London market,
and it also finds its way to nearly all parts of the world;
its production gives employment to girls and young
people in all parts of the island, so much so that its
introduction has proved to be a great blessing to many a
humble home.
So much for the first day of residence in Funchal; the
next day afforded new experience, and gave us visitors
an idea of what a tropical downpour of rain is like.
After breakfast we saw, on looking up the mountain side,
that something of a vapoury character was coming, and
it very soon came in a very pronounced form-showers
of rain are generally composed of drops, but on this
island the mountain peaks tap the clouds and the
showers become, in the twinkling of an eye, sheets of
water, inspiring one with the idea of holding on so that
you don't get washed away into the North Atlantic, which
is a sort of receiver-general of all solid matter; and till
B


18
one o'clock that day solid matter came down so fast and
furious that the clear blue sea, for half-a-mile or so from
the southern shore of the island, became discoloured so
as to resemble yellow pea soup. But in about half-an-
hour after this downpour, the streets of Funchal did not
show a trace of it, and we walked about without soiling
the soles of our boots.
That afternoon the Hermit took a photographic view
of the Governor's house and the old battery by the sea-
shore, of which a copy is given at page 22, and after-
wards visited and walked about a sugar plantation.
This visit caused some consideration to be given by him
to the vexed question of Free Trade versus Protection,
the production of sugar being a protected industry; and
as things are ordered by the Portuguese Imperial autho-
rities at Lisbon, it must be admitted by the most ardent
free-trader that the cultivators of the soil of Madeira are
entitled to all the protection which an all-absorbing,
grinding, and oppressive tax-exacting government can
give them.
The Hermit was informed by a citizen that amongst
other taxes is an income tax of two shillings in the
pound, and, when it was found that no other taxes could
be contrived by the Government financiers, for raising
money to meet the necessities of the Imperial Exchequer,
the simple device was resorted to of imposing an increase
of six per cent. upon all existing taxes.
all existing taxes. Let us hope we
shall never have foisted upon us a Chancellor of the
Exchequer capable of following such a brilliant example.
And let us be thankful that, although our governmental
machinery is not quite perfect, we have, as the song says—
"Resisted all temptation to belong to another nation."



INK-PHOTO. SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
THE BALCONY OF SANTA CLARA HOTEL, FUNCHAL.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





19
Perhaps we are not entitled to much praise for resist-
ing such temptation, considering that if we left our own
old country we might go a long way before we found a
better; and certainly from what the Hermit has seen of
Portuguese government he cannot say much in its praise,
and, as we read that
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall,"
the wonder is that destruction has not yet come, and
the whole system of government at Lisbon fallen to
pieces; for it seems that pride and corruption are as
much products of the soil as grapes and onions and
tropical fruits. Judging by his observations of men and
manners among official personages in the island, it
appeared to the Hermit that, as a rule, they are as poor
as Job and as proud as Lucifer.
As for the lower stratum of society, they command.
one's kindly sympathy-
These sons of the soil
Seem born to toil-
and toil they do, most industriously and laboriously, in
the cultivation of little patches of land, retained as
these small portions of earth are everywhere on the hill
sides, and in nooks, corners, and crannies, by dwarf
walls composed of broken-up basaltic rock, of which the
entire island was originally formed by upheaval from the
bed of the Atlantic Ocean. These patches of cultivable
soil have been gradually formed by the disintegrating
action of the elements; air and water, cold and heat,
having split the masses of rock, and ultimately reduced
the fragments to a pulverized state, ready for the recep-
tion of vegetable life; and age succeeding age, the work
B 2


20
has gone on, till now we see the whole island has been
made subservient to the wants of man.
The crops raised from the soil thus formed and culti-
vated are wheat, barley, sugar cane, maize, grapes,
bananas and mangoes, sweet potatoes, onions, cabbages,
pumpkins, yams, and other vegetables, coffee, and several
varieties of semi-tropical fruits, very fine pine apples
being grown under glass and sent to our Covent Garden
Market. Preserves made in Funchal from Madeira fruit
stand high in estimation.
Looking about while performing journeys into the
interior, the idea is forced upon one that it is a land of
peace and plenty, every cottage having its garden, and
every peasant being a gardener; but although the inhabi-
tants can almost subsist on sweet potatoes, which grow all
the year round, they cannot do without imported food;
they import chiefly maize, and upon this they are com-
pelled to pay a heavy tax. This burden might be spared
them by their rulers, if instead of keeping 6,000 soldiers
the number were reduced to 600, which would be twice
as many as the island requires for its protection.
Burdensome expenses are not however imposed solely
by the Imperial Government; they are added to by the
Municipal authorities of Funchal most shamefully, and
apparently owing to administrative incapacity, or cor-
ruption, or both. On several occasions the Hermit spent
a quiet half-hour in watching the doings of some work-
men and a surveyor engaged on the formation of an
additional public garden, and he found that it is a
common mode of procedure to build a wall that its
appearance may be judged of, and, if it is not approved,
to take it down and build it up in some other way—and in



SERE
INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
THE GARDEN OF SANTA CLARA HOTEL, FUNCHAL.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





21
this way public improvements are generally made to cost
about three times as much as they need do. Some trees
for this garden were pointed out as having been bought
in Paris, and costing three times as much as they could
have been bought for in Madeira, the presumption being
that some Portuguese official had a finger in the pie and
pulled out a plum. Concerning this kind of patriotism,
the Hermit heard some strange stories while wandering
about and increasing his stock of historic lore; but he
abstains as much as possible from letting dangerous cats
out of bags, because nobody knows whom they might
scratch.



CHAPTER III.
"T is time, however, to get on with our story
of country life in Madeira. On the third
day, at about ten o'clock, we started in
hammocks to see something of it; this
is the most comfortable way of getting
about the island outside Funchal; a view
of one is given at page 24. But in the town,
and for short journeys a little way out, bullock
cars, one of which is represented at page 26,
are most convenient, and for any greater
distance those who prefer it may travel on
horseback; but wheeled vehicles are out of
the question.
Our first object was to call on a family (to
whom the Hermit had an introduction), who
were then living in a quinta up the hills, and who gave us
a kind reception. After this short and pleasant visit, our
journey was resumed to the little. Curall; we rested and
lunched at a charming spot on our way and took a photo-
graph of the view from the high level we had reached;
this is given at page 28, and is named "Among the Hills."



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
THE GOVERNOR'S HOUSE AND BATTERY, FUNCHAL.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





23
This having been done, we trudged on to the little
Curall, the scenery there and on the way to it being
very beautiful. On our way back by another route
we were not quite so fortunate, for the rain came down
in earnest; this however failed to damp our spirits,
although it drenched our waterproofs, the enjoyment
of the novel experience and the ever-changing views
was more than any quantity of rain could possibly mar.
It is the practice on returning to Funchal from some
excursions to finish the last two miles or so of the
journey in a basket carriage called a carro, as shown
at page 30; the basket is wide enough to seat two
passengers, and is fitted securely to two pieces of hard
wood, one being on each side; these being smooth and
kept in a greasy condition, and the road being a steep
decline nearly all the way, a very small amount of
propelling force is sufficient to cause the sledge, with its
load of two people, to slide down the closely-paved road
at a rapid rate. Two men take their station at the back of
the carriage, and assume the control of it by each one
taking firm hold of a strong cord attached to the front, so
as to be able to direct its course, retard its motion, or
stop it entirely; then, all being ready, a start is made by
both men pushing the vehicle forwards, and in a very
short time a speed is attained of about twenty miles an
hour. The men stand one on each side, with one foot
on the frame of the sledge, while the other is used in
striking the ground after the fashion of propulsion
employed by skaters on ice. During these flying trips
down to the town, the men call out lustily for all
pedestrians to get out of the way and avoid being run
over; the curves of the road are passed at reduced


24
speed, and a halt is made at the entrance of the first
street.
The next day was spent in quietly strolling about the
town and the sea-side; we did a little more shopping,
and the Hermit got measured for a pair of Madeira
boots, which are better adapted than English boots for
walking up or down the steep rock-paved streets, the
soles being just so pliable as to enable the wearer to
secure a better foothold of the rock pavement than with
English made boots, and so to avoid the assumption of
lateral positions of an undignified character. These
boots, made after the fashion of "Wellingtons," are
only 135. 4d. English money per pair, and are very com-
fortable to wear; they are not blacked, and are made
with the rough side of the skin outwards.
The next day being Sunday we attended Morning
Service at the English Church, which the Portuguese
Government permitted to be built on two conditions—
one being that the structure should be as little like an
ecclesiastical building as possible, and the other that it
should be erected where it could be seen as little as
possible. These conditions were complied with; the
first by the erection of a building resembling a Greek
temple, which might be supposed to be a museum or
anything but what it is; and the second by the structure
being placed in the rear of a line of houses forming
one side of an obscure street. And there it is, designed
and planted so as to avoid offending the suscepti-
bilities of those who are not Protestants; but nothing,
according to the Hermit's thinking, could be nicer
than the simple and unaffected serenity of the sur-
roundings of this little church within the inclosure



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & C LONDON.
A HAMMOCK, WITH BEARERS.
From a
Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





25
of its own grounds. The grounds are not exten-
sive, but they are in very good taste; the garden
in which this Christian temple stands, is planted with
choice trees and beautiful flowering shrubs, indicating a
state of quiet repose, and calculated to raise one's
thoughts to that better land of pure delight, and that
"House not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."
The Morning Service that day was conducted by the
resident clergyman, assisted by the Bishop of Sierra
Leone, who preached an excellent sermon, in harmony
with the evidences we have of the changing character,
not only of the surface of our own globe, but of all
the worlds which Science has revealed to us as existing
in infinite space; systems of suns and families of worlds,
which, in inconceivably long bygone ages, have been
brought into existence by the almighty power of the
Grand Geometrician of the Universe.
The Bishop's text was, "Heaven and earth shall pass
away, but my words shall not pass away." Appropriate
and telling reference was eloquently made to the rocks
under our feet and all around us, the suggestion being
that change was legibly written on all; these rocks had
existed for ages past, and might continue for countless
ages yet to come, but whether by gradual decay or sudden
changes caused by the action of subterranean forces, the
conviction must be forced upon reflective minds, that all
created bodies, whether on the face of the earth or in
the heavens, are finite. That the vast energy constantly
being expended by our sun, must inevitably lead to
change of its structure and volume, which indeed the
telescope and the spectroscope reveal to our senses;


26
and as with ours, so with those vastly greater suns and
worlds existing in boundless space, millions on millions
of miles beyond the range of our planetary system;
all are subject to laws which involve progress and
decay.
Reflections upon the conclusions propounded by
astronomers, concerning the material infinities of the
universe, must lead to the belief that suns, planets and
comets, all have their periods of birth, maturity and
death; our own moon, with its huge cavities and entire
state of desolation, being an example.
"Yet doubt not thro' the ages one increasing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are widen'd with the process of the suns."
TENNYSON-Locksley Hall.
Such thoughts as these were suggested by the Bishop's
sermon, and were present to the mind of the Hermit as
he strolled back to Santa Clara; after which he and his
friends paid a visit to a family at their quinta, a thousand
feet or so up the hills, and a most agreeable visit it was.
The situation on the hill side commanded a view of the
cultivated slopes between it and Funchal, with the
Atlantic beyond; the whole scene being a perfect
panorama of natural beauty, combining mountain sides
and peaks, separated by gorges and water-courses; the
water in the latter being most cunningly conveyed by
channels, and industriously applied to irrigation purposes
on its way down to the ocean. Having partaken of our
friends' warm-hearted hospitality at lunch en famille, we
returned home to dinner at our hotel.
Next day we started for a trip to the Curral das
Freiras, or Grand Curral, which took us some six or



28
INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
A BULLOCK CAR, WITH DRIVER AND ATTENDANT.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





27
seven hours to accomplish there and back; the scenery
being for the most part very fine. The arrangements for
these trips always include provision for sustaining one's
vital energies, in the shape of solids and liquids,—such
as cold roast fowl and ham, cold boiled eggs, bread and
cheese, the wine of the country, or French wine, or both,
and fruit; a good appetite being the best of all sauces,
and the salubrious air of the mountain is pretty sure to
secure that; besides which, there is added the pleasure of
revelling in matchless scenery all the way out and home;
and it seemed perfectly wonderful to the Hermit, whose
wants are not numerous, and whose appetite for food, as
a rule, is not great, that on returning to his domicile.
he still had a relish for the good dinner which he sat
down to as a matter of course.
Our next excursion was to Cabo Girão, or Cape Giram,
where there is a cliff which is nearly vertical, rising to
about 2,000 feet above the sea shore; said to be
the highest sea cliff in the world. And here, amidst
grand scenery, we had our mid-day pic-nic, the only
inconvenience we felt being from the too close attentions
bestowed upon us by the beggars who infested the
spot; not, indeed, the only spot on the island where
beggars have a footing and ply their craft, for they are a
nuisance in Funchal, and many of them trade on their
physical deformities, by which they seek to excite the
compassion of visitors to their shores. The Hermit
moralised or speculated on the question, which was
suggested by these poor wretched looking supplicants for
crumbs from the rich man's table, whether a doubled-up
foot, or a cranky kind of leg, was not an actual advantage
to the owner of one or the other of such appendages,


28
when considered from a purely financial view of the
subject. Before leaving Cape Giram we obtained some
specimens of the ferns with which the district abounded,
and then returned to Funchal.
After the expedition to Cape Giram, we chose to
spend a day in town,-looked a little into the wine
business, visited a photographic studio, and also did
some photographic work, for we felt that riding in
hammocks every day was not the all-in-all of existence,
charming as it was in its way. As to the wine of
Madeira,—in the Hermit's opinion, nothing superior has
ever been produced, always assuming that the best of
it is taken as a standard of comparison; but instead of
spinning a yarn, giving a long account of its history,
characteristics and peculiarities, the author advises those
who want to know all about it, to get into the way of
obtaining a constant supply of it from the well-stocked
cellars of Funchal; to buy the best only, and never
mix it with any other, either at dinner or after that
all-important meal.
"Since Father Noah first tapped the vine,
And warmed his jolly old nose,
All men to drinking do much incline,
But why, no drinker yet knows."
JOHN STUART BLACKIE.
The Hermit drank very little other liquor than the
wine of the country during his stay on the island, and
after his return to Westminster was constantly greeted
by his friends with the congratulatory exclamation--
"How well you look!" the natural outcrop of good food,
drink and air.



INK-PHOTO. SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
AMONG THE HILLS WITH HAMMOCK BEARERS.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





CHAPTER IV.

ITH regard to photography, the
Hermit's stock of appliances in
that line not being quite equal
to the opportunities presented on
all sides for taking charming views, he
obtained from Senhor Comacho, a
photographic artist of high repute, a liberal
selection of his published views, and at
page 32 is a copy of one of these, show-
ing a characteristic bit of scenery, with
two hammock men carrying a hammock on
the roads traversed by the Hermit; and at page 34 is
another tit-bit, showing a waterfall with inexpressibly
lovely surroundings; but to give anything like a just
conception of the endless variety and richness of the
scenery abounding on the island, would require a goodly
volume of photographic views.
one of
Thursday, the 1st November, we found was a Saint's
day, and these days are very strictly observed at
Funchal; the shops are closed and business suspended,
the bells of all the churches and monasteries being tolled


30
at intervals all day and all night. We walked about
the city and noted the manners and customs of the
people-some of us attending the grand service at the
Cathedral; after which guns were fired in the square,
martial music was played by a military band, and a pro-
cession being formed of high functionaries, our own Consul
being one, in front of the Cathedral, all walked to the
Governor's house. The Hermit could only imagine that
when these mighty officials arrived there, such hospitality
would be displayed as the Governor's moderate official
stipend would afford. Unfortunately this stipend has
dwindled down of late years from about £5,000 to the
very moderate and nominal sum of £250. The Hermit
was informed that about the same sum is allowed in
addition for entertainments,-which, as a matter of
course, are not given.
The present Governor is a gentleman of property, and
presumably fills the office patriotically for the honour
of the thing; but what a farce for proud people to play-
the wonder is that they can do it without blushing.
How much better it would be for Portugal to sell the little
island, "stock, lock and barrel," to England, if our
present non-enterprising Government would only buy it,
as we once upon a time bought the much less important
island of Cyprus, and a considerable interest in the
insufficient Suez Canal, for which Rothschild provided
the Government of that day with four millions sterling in
about two or three days, so that the then ruler of Egypt
might have the immediate financial assistance which he
required.
The French have got Algiers for a health resort, why
should not we have Madeira as a health-recruiting ground



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
SLEDGE, OR "CARRO."
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





31
of our own, that we might there have another English
home for the winter residences of our invalids and our
over-worked middle class to retire to when the cold
winds and cruel fogs of the old country drive so many
away for a season to more sunny and genial climes ?
Probably, as a speculation, it would pay if a Joint Stock
Company bought it at twice what it is worth to Portugal.
Of course the Hermit knows very well that this is an
idle dream; but why may not a Hermit dream in idle
moments, especially when his dreams are of a pleasant
character, concerning the imaginary addition to Old
England of a lovely island abounding in fruits and
flowers, plants and trees, scenery of rapturous beauty,
and balmy, light, and pure air, soft enough for delicate
lungs and tempered by the invigorating breezes of the
North Atlantic Ocean?
Another quiet Sunday afforded us a second opportunity
of hearing the Bishop, and enjoying a stroll after the
service, but we had no sooner reached our hotel than a
heavy downpour of rain began and lasted all the
remainder of the day and until past noon of the next,
confining us to the house, obliging us to seek repose
in reading and writing till the afternoon of that day,
when for a brief period it ceased raining and permitted
us to indulge in an hour's walk.
But on the following day the Hermit availed himself
of the bright sunshine for taking some quaint little bits
of scenery about the bye streets of Funchal by the aid
of his camera. These streets strike the mind of a visitor
as novelties, exhibiting unmistakably the very primitive
character of the people; the little mills for grinding corn
are especially interesting objects; they have an exterior


32
resembling an ordinary cottage, with only a ground floor,
a door and a window, the roof being tiled; the motive
power is water, conveyed from a natural source by a
small trough to a vertical wooden tube formed of staves,
like a barrel with iron hoops, this being connected with
an opening below to a small chamber in which a kind of
turbine wheel receives the falling water, and thus the
simple machinery of the mill, consisting solely of a very
small pair of stones, is impelled. The Hermit looked
into one of these mills on the north side of the island,
and found the business of it conducted by a woman,
while her daughter, seated on a stool, was employed in
embroidery work.
After making another small excursion, which embraced
a visit to the little Curral and the Mount Church, we made
arrangements for a more formidable undertaking than we
had yet attempted, namely, to cross the island from south
to north; we contemplated starting next morning, after
an early breakfast, for Santa Anna, expecting to arrive
there at about five o'clock, spend the next day there, and
return on the day following; our starting was to depend
on the weather being fine.
The eventful morning came, and our host, after looking
round, and, so to speak, taking stock of the weather,
came to the conclusion that it would do; so provisions
for the journey were duly packed, and, the Hermit's
camera, with its legs, cases, and plates being all stowed
away, forward we went-two of us only-with seven ham-
mock bearers, besides one man and a lad to carry our
traps-each of us bonâ fide travellers carried a walking
stick, a waterproof coat and an aneroid.
How absurd it seems; two men want to go a distance,



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
A MOUNTAIN PASS.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





33
as the crow flies, of about twelve miles, and they must
employ eight men and a boy to enable them to do it!
The explanation is, that the distance to be traversed is
twenty-five miles; hills and valleys, mountain sides and
gorges having to be traversed between the two places,
and experience proved that we had not one man too
many.
Thus equipped and provided, we started, but we had
not been an hour on the road before rain began to fall,
and obliged us to don our waterproofs; we found that
the higher we went on our way the heavier the rain fell,
and at the height of 4,400 feet we were just 2,000 feet
in the clouds, for we observed that we entered cloud-land
at 2,400 feet above sea level, but for our waterproofs we
should have been drenched to the skin, and the cold at
our halting-place was by no means agreeable after being
accustomed to the genial atmosphere of Funchal.
Our principal resting-place was on the Poizo, 4,400
feet above the sea, at a kind of hovel, which might
be imagined to be a suitable residence for a stockman,
but is called an inn. However, we were grateful for its
shelter, and pleased with the obliging manners of its
rustic managers; our men carried us into this shelter so
that we might get out of our hammocks under cover,
and get into them again without exposing our travelling
beds to the rain, the hammocks being stowed away inside
until we were ready to resume our journey.
Here, seated, one on a plank and one on a cask, we
had our mid-day meal in the best room in the house, and
although it may be doubted, it is the plain truth, we
enjoyed our simple meal of cold fowl and eggs, washed
down as it was with the best part of a bottle of whole-
C


34
some Madeira wine. Our men at the same time had
their refreshment in the grand hall, with the innkeeper
and his family. We then went on our way towards
Santa Anna, the rain continuing until we had descended
to 1,000 feet below our highest point on the Poizo, and
here we emerged from the clouds and could see where we
were going. The scenery was sublime beyond descrip-
tion; we went down one mountain side and up another,
wondering sometimes what would become of us if one of
our hammock bearers should happen to slip and fall,
when on the edge of one of the winding rocky paths, and
precipitate us down the steep declivity into the depths
below. The sight of these precipices, as we went along,
reminded us of our experience two years previously,
when travelling across the Sierra Nevadas of California,
on our way from San Francisco to the Yosemite Valley.
However, nothing of that sort happened, nor has any
thing of the kind ever happened so far as we know, but
it did happen that one of the Hermit's men had two falls,
and another fell once during the latter half of the journey,
owing to the extremely slippery state of the paths, which
was occasioned by the heavy rain. The Hermit's fellow
traveller was less fortunate, for his hammock came to
grief on the summit of the pass owing to the fastenings
giving way, and this obliged him to walk some two miles
or so, wet and slippery as the road was, till a habitation
was reached where a hammer or some implement could
be found for driving a nail into the hammock pole.
These being the only exciting events of the day we
felt thankful for our good fortune, notwithstanding our
soaking, when we arrived safe and well at our haven of
rest, Senhor Acciaioli's hotel, where we were welcomed



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
A WATERFALL AND POOL AMONG THE HILLS.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





35
by the aged proprietor, who is an important personage
in that district, and has the honour of being the oldest
magistrate in the Portuguese dominions.
Upon entering this hotel we were conducted into a
large room, which by courtesy might be called a drawing
room; it was not carpeted, because carpets are supposed
to be superfluous, but it contained three tables, two sofas
and some chairs, a supply of ancient illustrated news-
papers and books, and a photographic album, to say
nothing of some prints and photographs on the walls;
this apartment was lighted by two candles. After
looking over the books and papers, and so giving the
domestics time to make the needful preparations for us,
we retired to our rooms to dress for dinner.
It need not be said that we did not assume evening
dress, or put on war paint, in that latitude, nor did we
require it. A tinkling little hand-bell, sounded in the
dining room by the one servant who attended to us
during our residence there, was the intimation that dinner
was ready, and we, ready also, sat down to our quiet
evening meal at 7.30, the Hermit's memorandum of it
being entered in his note book as follows: "Boiled fowl,
ham and eggs, sour bread, potatoes and Madeira wine;
sauce-a good appetite." After dinner, a cigar, a mild
dose of spirits and water, reminiscences of travel, and to
bed, our motto being "early to bed and early to rise;"
not too early to rise, however, for fear the days should
become wearisome-seeing that we had the whole of
the house to ourselves, and were weather-bound.
Next morning we found the weather had not changed
perceptibly for the better. We were about 1,000 feet
above the sea, and full in our view, and yet not at all in
C 2


36
view, was the highest mountain peak on the island,
namely, Pico Ruivo, 6,056 feet above sea level; we could
not see it because the clouds concealed it, and all knew
that this portended rain-therefore excursions to places
of interest round about Santa Anna were out of the
question.
66
Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day stands tiptoe
on the misty mountain tops.”—Romeo and Juliet, Act iii. Sc. 5.
Under these circumstances we could only venture to
a short distance from the hotel, the Hermit however
took opportunities of adding slightly to his stock of
photographs, by taking three views, one of which he gives
a copy of opposite this page, the object being a beautiful
camelia tree seventy years old, with myriads of buds upon
it, flourishing and full of vigour, in Senhor Acciaioli's
garden in front of the hotel, the proprietor obligingly
taking a seat on a garden chair under the shadow of its
branches.
Unfortunately rain continued at intervals all day and
all night, and although the weather improved in the
morning travelling was not practicable, the roads being
considered by our men to be in a dangerously slippery
state, we did not however give up all hope till noon time,
when it was too late to think of setting out on our return
journey.
In the afternoon, however, we ordered our hammocks
for a three hours' trip to the headland of São Jorge, that
being on about the same level as our hotel, but to reach
it, the São Jorge river had to be crossed by a stone bridge
very near where it enters the sea, the way from the one
hill to the other being by the usual zig-zag path or road



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
A CAMELIA TREE IN SENHOR ACCIAIOLI'S GARDEN, AT SANTA ANNA;
THE TRUNK 4 FEET 6 INCHES IN GIRTH.
From a Photograph by the Hermit.





37
cut on the mountain sides, under the direction of primi-
tive engineers. The roads here are very precipitous,
the scenery grand, and the old rocks stupendous, in
several places overhanging the narrow and steep paths;
their surfaces being liberally and prettily besprinkled
with plants of the same class as our house leeks, but
much larger, and a traveller might guess they were fixed
on by some kind of marine glue.
How three men can carry one in a hammock, up
and down such mountain sides, beat the Hermit's com-
prehension; and it often occurred to him that if he
could have got about the island in any other way he
would gladly have done it, so as to avoid the revulsion
of feeling occasioned by the idea of his thus innocently
contributing to a species of slavery, but reflection brought
him to the conclusion that after all, hammock bearers are
considered a superior class of Madeira men amongst
those who earn their living by the sweat of their brow,
and as such they earn much better wages than those who
simply cultivate the soil.
Thus, then, we finished the week, and having, on reach-
ing our hotel, restored ourselves to our personal comfort, we
dined, spent a pleasant evening, and retired, the Hermit
indulging in meditations concerning the progress in
material development which had taken place since the
upheaval of the rocky island on which we were then
resting under the care of Him who cares for all.


CHAPTER V.
HE next day being Sunday, we felt
our isolation. Our hammock men
came for orders but we had none
to give them, they had, however,
our advice to make themselves com-
fortable for the day, to make it a day of
rest, and to go to their church, and this
they thanked us for. There was no one
in the place who could speak English, we had
no knowledge of Portuguese, and the only
person with whom we could exchange ideas
was Senhor Acciaioli, who could speak French.
However, we found some mental food in books, and
what with these and one or two pleasant walks in the
village and its vicinity, we managed to enjoy a decided
day's rest. In our walks, we observed evidences on all
sides of the surprising fertility of the soil, which seems
to admit of constant cropping, and of the mildness of
the climate, which is indicated by roadside hedges of
hydrangeas and fuchsias, always in bloom.
Early next morning we were glad to see the


39
mountain tops clear of the clouds which had concealed
them, and we sat down to breakfast at 7.30, in good spirits,
corresponding very much with the rise of the mercury
in the barometer. We asked for our hotel bill, and
were amused when we got it-short and sweet, modest
and moderate, on a card just about the size of a lady's
visiting card, the account being stated in French, and
this translated into English and Portuguese was—
"Four days, 16,000 reis."
A perfect model hotel bill, given in three words and
five figures-not another word nor another figure; the
charge for two men therefore was 4,000 reis per day for
two bedrooms, with the use of a sitting room, three
good meals each day, and good Madeira at lunch and
dinner. The cost therefore was only 2,000 reis for each
individual, which in English currency is equal to 8s. 10d.
per day.
This, however, is not to be taken as indicative of the
rate of our daily expenditure while on the island; for
moderate as hotel charges are at Funchal, they may be
estimated at about double the expense of living at Senhor
Acciaioli's simple hostelry at Santa Anna; to say
nothing of the expense of hammock locomotion which
costs much more than hotel expenses amount to if
indulged in to any great extent.
One lesson we learnt in Portuguese cookery at Santa
Anna, which appeared to the Hermit to be worth re-
cording as a model for imitation by English cooks,
because it shows how a very savoury dish may be pre-
pared for lunch out of inexpensive materials and with


40
very little trouble.
Here then is the recipe for this
genuine Portuguese dish-
Take a good-sized Portugal onion,
Cut off its crown
A little way down,
Scoop out its inside,
Don't hurt its outside,
Then fill it quite up,
As you might a tea-cup,
With finely cut meat
Deliciously sweet,
And, if you like it,
Well, you may spice it,
Then replace its crown
And bake it, till brown.
Served up hot, this will be found so savoury as to
tempt an appetite and charm an epicure.
After breakfast we paid our moderate bill, then with
our lunch packed up and all duly arranged for our
return journey we started for Funchal at 8.15, well
satisfied with what we had seen and the polite attentions
of our host, Senhor Acciaioli. But don't let any gentle
reader of this little brochure go to Santa Anna, or any-
where else on the island, outside Funchal, expecting to
find an advanced state of civilization in hotel accommoda-
tion; for elegancies, refinements, or luxuries, in the way
of furniture or appointments, have not yet found a
home in those latitudes. Travellers who can, when
occasion requires, dispense with such superfluities, may
be very comfortable in such circumstances, as we then
found ourselves.
Had it been practicable we should have returned by
another route, which would have given us extended
opportunities for observation, but the heavy rains of the



INK-PHOTO. SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
GARDEN FRONT OF THE "CARMO" HOTEL, FUNCHAL.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





4I
This,
last three days had rendered the alternative road im-
practicable, some of it having indeed been washed away;
therefore we had to return by the way we came.
however, appeared new to us, as we saw each bit of
beautiful scenery from a direction opposite to that in
which we had first approached it, so that it was, to a great
extent, fresh experience. Indeed, such is the enchanting
character of much of the scenery of Madeira, that however
often observed it must always be fresh in its beauty, as seen
by the lover of nature; and thus we felt it at every turn
of the way as we were carried along in our hammocks,
up or down the steep hill sides and across all the gorges,
till we arrived safely at the Mount Church again, where
we exchanged our hammocks for a sledge or carro, on
which we rode as usual, down the last 2,000 feet or so
to Funchal, at the rate of about 20 miles an hour, and
then we strolled at our leisure up to our hotel.
Here we again felt at home,-enjoyed our dinner and
spent a pleasant evening on the balcony recounting to
some friendly acquaintances our recent experiences of
the north side of the island, and then to bed.
The next day we made further acquaintance with
Madeira productions, visiting the shop or store called the
"Burlington," kept by Mr. Payne. This establishment
does not in any sense resemble our Burlington Arcade,
nor does its surroundings correspond with our Piccadilly;
it is, however, an extensive concern well stocked with a
variety of goods, chiefly the produce of Madeira, though
some are imported. One important native article is jam ;
whether Mr. Gladstone had an eye to Madeira-made jam
when he recently addressed the tenants on his estate,
and feared that fresh complications might arise from


42
competition in the supply of that article, to the detriment
of English Agriculture, the Hermit does not know; and
as Hawarden Castle has not yet been connected by
telephone with the Hermit's cave he cannot conveniently
inquire of the G. O. M.; but for the comfort of the British
farmer it may be confidently stated that the Portuguese
duty on sugar, imported into Madeira, is so heavy, that
competition in jam with English manufacturers of the
article, is quite out of the question.
The "Burlington" at Funchal is situated at a corner,
where one street is intersected by another; and at the
opposite corner is the City Prison. This establishment
struck the Hermit as being worth a study, outside.
The ground floor is occupied by prisoners engaged in
the manufacture of baskets for the trade, and is opened
to the gaze of all who may be passing by, and of any who
may choose to stop to satisfy curiosity by looking in
through the windows, which are merely large openings
in the wall securely fitted with strong iron guards; the
spaces between the bars, of which these guards are con-
structed, are about 5 or 6 inches square, and through
these the prisoners are allowed to chat with their friends,
apparently at their own sweet will; they are also per-
mitted to receive supplies of food, tobacco, &c., from
them through these openings.
One of the prisoners is said to have been in confine-
ment there about 20 years, and before he was thus com-
fortably provided for, he had murdered six men. This
looks like taking care of the bad, and leaving the good
subjects of the State to take care of themselves.
We purchased at the Burlington some specimens of
native industry and a few pots of jam, the pots being of



I-PROTU, OPRAGUE & C LONDON,
QUINTA, "THE VIGIA," FUNCHAL.
From a
Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





43
red earthenware made on the island; then we wandered
to the fish market and looked at the odd fish which were
on view there, and decided that they could not hold a
candle to such as we are accustomed to obtain from the
seas around our tight little island; in fact we thought
they looked repulsive in comparison.
The fruit market had our attention next day, and here
we rather envied the Madeiranese their liberal supply of
semi-tropical fruits-the custard apple being of all others
our favourite. These, when nearly ripe, are sometimes ex-
ported, and may be found in our Covent Garden Market
and in Regent Street; the price being about 4s. each-but
in the fruit market at Funchal they may be purchased at
8s. a dozen; of these and some other native fruits we
bought a stock for home consumption, and then we
strolled down to the pebbly sea shore, to watch the way
in which the work of hauling cargo boats from the sea
to land is effected.
Here we mused on the advantages derivable from the
proper application of mechanical force, and the waste of
power, when mere muscular exertion is allowed to exclude
scientific labour-saving machinery. We stood and saw
about twenty labourers working at a rudely constructed
and lumbering windlass, the friction of the machine being
so considerable as to absorb apparently about half the
power expended in hauling up and landing a boat with its
freight; the utmost exertion of every man employed on
the operation being barely sufficient to effect that object.
Having witnessed this example of barbaric industry,
which at Funchal is a matter of daily routine, we wan-
dered on to the landing-place for passengers from ships,
which is a favourite place for visitors to congregate at


44
and spend an idle half-hour in observing passing events,
there being always something to see, especially in rough
weather, when the big waves of the Atlantic come in
with enormous force.
And here we mused on the very interesting project of
a sheltered pier, at which visitors to the island might
land from boats, for it seems to be beyond the reach of
speculation to entertain the idea of the construction of a
pier alongside which ships might be secured for disem-
barking passengers or freight.
It seems that something of the sort has been attempted,
and the remains of the work, consisting of large masses
of stone cemented together, are all that is left of it on
the shore, the other portion, whatever it was, having
been washed away.
Nevertheless, the project has not been abandoned, a
merchant prince and banker of Funchal having concocted
a plan for overcoming the obstacles, and providing a
means of making the operation of landing and re-
embarkation, much more easy and less disagreeable than
it is at present.
This plan will shortly be submitted to the Imperial
Government at Lisbon for approval, with a view to its
being carried out as a national undertaking; failing
which, an alternative proposition will be made, to carry
it out by private enterprise, the capital to be found by
the promoter on terms which may be sanctioned by the
Government.
On the last day of the Hermit's residence on the
island, he had the pleasure of lunching with a gentleman
and his family, at their quinta up the hill, at some dis-
tance from the city; then after enjoying the proffered



INK-PHOTO, SPRAGUE & CO LONDON.
A SUMMER HOUSE OR MIRANTE IN THE GROUNDS OF THE VIGIA.
From a Photograph by Senhor Comacho.





45
hospitality and a walk about the lovely gardens and
grounds, to describe which would require the talents of
a Tennyson and a Hooper combined, he was taken
by his host to a sugar-mill, to see what private enterprise
could effect in working up the raw material produced on
the island, not only the sugar cane, but wood, for besides
manufacturing sugar with the aid of modern machinery,
a saw-mill was employed for cutting up native timber
into such scantlings as are in demand for packing cases,
(for wines and other produce to be exported in,) at a small
fraction of what the cost would be if cut by hand
labour.
And here, surrounded as we were by machinery operated
by steam and water power, a discussion was started as to
the relative merits of gas and electricity for lighting the
city. Till then, nobody at Funchal knew that the Hermit
had any knowledge of the one or the other; however it
leaked out, and an extempore lecture was there and
then delivered before a select audience in favour of
electric lighting. The reason for the preference being
the superabundance of water power absolutely running
to waste, which might readily be made available for
the production of currents of electricity far beyond the
possible requirements of the city; therefore motive power
would cost nothing beyond interest on the capital
required for establishing the means of conducting it;
so that if electric lighting will prosper anywhere, it must be
at Funchal; but, as the Hermit pointed out, it has not
yet prospered anywhere commercially, not a penny
piece having been realised anywhere as profit resulting
from supplying the light.
Commercial results, however, need not be taken into


46
consideration by any municipal authorities who can
afford to deal with public improvements as they do at
Funchal, where the members of the Council, in their
corporate capacity, are spending money so freely as to
give occasional critics the idea that they are descended
from a branch of the old Irish family of the Squanders of
Castle Squander. Fancy Funchal Bay illuminated at
night by the electric light! and then consider the probable
collateral advantages; of course all the fish in that part
of the Atlantic would be attracted by it and swim
towards it, and the fault would be with the fishermen if
considerable quantities were not caught and sent to
market; besides which, the "Giant Angler” might sit
on the Loo Rock, "bobbing for whales !"—
Watching for a jolly bite,
Aided by Electric Light.
And now, before winding up the last day's record, we
must mention an hotel which we had visited a few days
previously, owing to the fact of our having made the
acquaintance of the enterprising proprietor, Mr. Reid, jun.,
and also that of his obliging manager; this is called the
"Carmo," or Miles' Hotel, and a view of it is given at
page 40. It is situated on a much lower level than
Santa Clara, and for those who object to the rise of 150
feet from the sea, it will be found very convenient; the
character of the garden of this house may be judged of
by what is shown of it in the photograph,—rich in
floral loveliness, and luxuriously agreeable.
Funchal indeed is well provided with comfortable
homes for all who visit the island, whether for health or
pleasure, the charges at the hotels being moderate; and


47
as for the quintas outside the city, sprinkling the hill
sides as they do, and nestling in cozy corners, they give
one the idea of abodes in what the Garden of Eden may
be imagined to have been.
One of these quintas is "the Vigia," situated in a
garden on a cliff overlooking the bay, its beauty is
beyond description in loveliness; the most delicious exotic
creepers cover its trellis work, and are truly profuse in
their luxuriant splendour; a view of this quinta is given
at page 42.
In the garden there is a billiard room, and a
picturesque temple or Mirante stands on a commanding
promontory of the cliff, and a view of this is given at
page 44. This gem, so set, suggests the line by Keats—
"A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,"
and if this temple belonged to the Hermit, he would
cause to be inscribed over its portal, the motto-
"Sacred to love and friendship."
And now the time had arrived for packing up and
preparing to go on board ship, when that ship might
come into the bay on its homeward passage from the
Cape. Aye, there's the rub! It is all very well disembark-
ing at Funchal on arriving there in the daytime, but
embarking there for the return voyage is quite another
thing; no one can tell when the expected vessel may
arrive, whether in the daytime or in the night, in fair
weather or in foul; and it was the misfortune of the
Hermit and the friend who was returning with him that
they had to leave the island at midnight, with a cold
north-east wind blowing and a rather heavy sea running.


48
Well, at a little after eleven o'clock four passengers, of
whom the Hermit was one, assembled on the shore, and
with their personal baggage were duly stowed away in a
boat ready to be launched when a big wave rolled in, to
carry the boat with its passengers and two rowers away
to the ship; and then Byron's words came to the
memory-
My boat is on the shore,
And my bark is on the sea."
Yes, and we hoped that in a few minutes we should be
on board our bark, but alas !
"There's many a slip,
'Twixt the cup and the lip.”
And so it was with us, in regard to the boat and the
ship, for the latter had drifted from her anchorage, and
could not be brought up again till two o'clock in
the morning; thus two hours were lost, and we poor
unfortunates were at sea all that time, pulling about
in Funchal Bay in all directions, endeavouring to
reach the ship, which, all that time, was moving first in
one direction and then in another, we not knowing the
cause of its eccentric movements, till at last we were
taken on board, nearly exhausted by exposure and having
to sit on wet cushions in close quarters.
The name of our ship was the " Tartar," and, although
it is contrary to proverbial philosophy, we were glad
to "catch a Tartar" under those circumstances; having
done this and seen our belongings duly taken on board
and transferred to our cabins, we turned in" at three
o'clock that morning.


49
We had the consolation of hearing that such un-
comfortable experience as ours was very exceptional;
in fact, that such an adventure had never been known
there before; however it taught us a lesson, and if we
should ever visit Madeira again, it must be at a time when
we may be able to wait for a ship arriving in daylight.
As regards our voyage to Southampton very little
need be said; for the greater part of the way we had a
heavy sea, which, in the third week of November, might
be expected; but we found pleasant company on board
and had nothing really to complain of, although, owing
to head winds, we were six instead of the usual five days
in reaching Southampton; but once there, we had
every possible attention from the officials connected with
the Dock Company, who had been requested by the
Hermit's kind friend, Mr. Hedger, the omnipotent and
able administrator of the business of the docks, to render
us all needful assistance in passsing through the Custom
House ordeal, and transferring our personal property from
the ship to the South Western Hotel and the Railway
Station.
We arrived at seven o'clock in the evening, and put
up there for the night. Our first comfort was a cheery
English fire-side, and after a refreshing wash and change
of habiliments we sat down to a genuine English dinner,
consisting of some good soup, delicately fried soles, and a
delicious beefsteak. After dinner we luxuriated before
a coal fire, at perfect peace with all mankind, and in our
innermost souls we agreed with the poet, that-
"Such is the patriot's boast where'er we roam,
His first, best country, ever is at home."
GOLDSMITH- The Traveller.


50
Next day, being the 24th November, at noon we
started on the last stage of our journey; the Hermit
reached his cave in good form, and in time for his
evening meal; was warmly welcomed by kind friends;
and, above all things, thankful for the mercies vouchsafed
him during his holiday rambles.
21, PARLIAMENT STREET, S.W.
February, 1884.












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The wanderings of the hermit of Wes
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