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This Island, at the first Discovery of it by thePortuguese, about the Year 1420, was over-run withWood, whence it’s Name. Divided to the two Discoverers, they set the Woods on fire, whichTravellers sayburnt seven Years; the Ashes giving a vast Fertility to their Sugar-Canes, at the first Planting; till a Worm getting into the Cane, spoiled the Increase,&c.so that it is now entirely planted with Vines brought originally fromCandia, which yield the strongest Wines: That calledMalmseyis a rich Cordial, the best made at the Jesuit’s Garden inFonchial. Their Vintage is inSeptemberandOctober, and make about 25000 Pipes.
Others say, oneMechamanEnglishman, in a Voyage toSpainwas drove on this Island before the Discovery above: That his Crew sailed without him and his Mistress; whom he buried here, left an Inscription on her Tomb, and then in a Canoo of his own building sailed toBarbary; the King presenting him as a Prodigy to the King ofCastile: From whole Account, theSpaniardsoon after made conquest of the neighbouringCanaryIslands. The Island is rocky Mountains, with an Intermixture of little fruitful Plains. The highest Parts, Goat-herds and Woods; the Middle, Kitchen-Gardens; and the Bottom, Vineyards. The Roads bad, which makes them bring their Wines to town in Hog-skins upon Asses; a brownish and a red sort, the latter calledVino tinto, being according to common report stained withTint, tho’ they assure you it is the natural Grape. They are almost alllimed, a Preservative against the excessive Heats of theWest-Indies, where they are for the most part transported by us, and where no other Wine keeps well.
Trade is carried on by Bartering, 40 or 50per Cent.being allowed on an Invoice of Provisions, Cloaths, or Houshold-Goods; of the former sort, Bread, Beef, Pork, Pilchard, Herring, Cheese, Butter, Salt, and Oil, are first in demand. The next are dry Goods, Hats, Wigs, Shirts, Stockings, Kersys, Sagathys, Crapes, Says, Shalloons, and Broadcloths, particularly Black Suits, the usual wear of thePortuguese. The last and least in Expence are Escrutores, Chairs, Pewter, Post-Paper, Counting-books,&c.For these you have in Exchange their Wine at 30Millraysa Pipe; theMalmsey, 60. eachMillrayin present Pay 6s.8d.in Bills 6s.What other little Traffick I had, stands asperMargin.[4]
There is one Caution to be observed; That as there is not much dishonour in Trade to take advantage of a Chapman’s Weakness, it is prudent to see the Wines you have tasted shipped forthwith, or it isodds but the Stranger finds them adulterated: So that altho’ they seem to allow a good Interest on your Goods; yet the Badness of your Wine, or (if good) broke at their Price, lessens the supposed Advantage. Some Goods at particular times, bear an extraordinary Price; not so much by a Call of the Island, as ofBrasil, whither they are again exported.
Fonchialis the chief Town of the Island, the Residence of the Governour and Bishop: Is large and populous, has five or six Churches; three Nunneries, not so strict as atLisbon, we conversing and trading for Toys with them every day; and as manyConvents of Fathers. That of the Jesuits has at present in it only seventeen; a neat handsome Building and Chappel: thisOrderbeing in all Catholick Countries the most respected for their Learning and Riches. Wherever you find a College of them, you may be sure there is good Living. The other Inhabitants consist of a mixed Race;Portuguese,Blacks, andMolattoes, who are civil, courteous, and equally respected in Trade; thePortugueseno where abroad scrupling an Alliance with darker Colours.
They keep no regular Market, but the Country brings in according as they think will be the Demand at any time: Kid, Pork, and now and then a lean Heifer, Cabbages, Lemons, Oranges, Walnuts, Figs, Yams, Bananoes,&c.There is one Curiosity I foundin their Gardens calledthe everlasting Flower, never fading after gathered, or indiscernibly, in many Years; the Herb is like Sage growing, and the Flower like Camomil: I laid by several of them, and found at twelve Months end they were just of the same freshness as when gathered.
FonchialRoad is very open and unsafe against West and S. W. Winds; deep Water also, that there is no anchoring but at the West End, and that in 40 Fathom, a Mile or Mile and half off Shore: So that when a Swell from those Quarters gives notice of a Gale coming, all Ships in the Road slip their Cables and to Sea, returning at a more favourable season for their lading: Which likewise, by an extraordinary Surf on the Beach, becomes troublesome to ship off; commonly done by swimming the Pipes off to the Lanch, or lade on the Beach, and run her with many hands into the Sea. The like trouble Boats have in Watering (by a River at the W. End of the Town) and is most commodiously done before the Sea-breeze comes in.
TheLoomakes a tolerable Harbour for small Vessels against Westerly Winds, that would be unsafewithout. They make fast their Cable to a high Rock called theLoo, whereon is a Fort; but when the Winds veer, opening their Heads to the Sea, allHands go on Shore, and leave the Ship and Storm to contest it by themselves.
Their Lodgings on shore are as uneasy to Strangers, as theRoadto Ships; being prodigiously pestered with Bugs and Fleas. Cotts upon the Floors, is the common way of laying.
Their Strength is in the Militia, computed at 18000 disciplin’d and loyal Fellows; They, theAzores, andCape De VerdIslands soon returning to their Allegiance, after that Revolution inPortugal, 1640.
Before I leaveMadeira, I must relate the surprizing Account just arrived here by several Masters of Vessels, Eye-witnesses of a new Island which sprung out of the Sea the 20th ofNovemberlast, 17 Leagues S. E. fromTerceira, one of the Western Islands.
The Master who took a Survey of it by order from the Governour ofTerceira, lays it down, a League long, a Mile broad, a little above the surface of the Water, and smoking like aVolcano. After the Eruption, the Sea for several Leagues round was covered with Pumice-stone, and half-broiled Fish. I was curious to know what Symptoms (if any) had preceded this Prodigy at the other Islands; and learned thatPico, one of them, a notedVolcano, had ceased to burn for some time, and that they had felt a Shock or two of an Earthquake that had done considerable damage.Corvo, an Island in thisNeighbourhood ([5]Albert de Mandelzotells us) started up also in such manner,June16, 1628. And History relates the like in theArchipelago.
That new Islands should be formed in Rivers, as at the Conflux of theSavewith theDanube, or Sands shifting in any Channels, may be from the Swiftness of the Streams, wasting some and raising others; but that this Effect should happen in deep Water, 50 or 60 Miles from Shore, is truly wonderful: The Phænomenon seems best resolved here, by subterranean Fires, which from a great Depth and Extent have their Vents atVolcanoes; and as the Consumption of their Materials is more, the nigher they are such Vents (observable inItaly,Iceland, &c.) so their Effects in the neighbourhood of Waters (when by any Accident the Mouth is stopp’d, and they meet) must be Concussions of the Earth, blowing the Mountains away in Cinders; and now and then in Ages, such a Wonder as a new Island, the same as we see (if we may compare great things with small) in several Chymical Preparations.ThisIsland has settled, and probably by the Spunginess of its Materials, may sink in a few Years out of sight again. The ultimate End, is perhaps to strike Mankind with a Dread of Providence, and warn a sinful World against the Consequences of angry Omnipotence: Mengenerally taking a deeper Impression from something new and wonderful in Nature, than in the Creation or Conservation of the World it self.