importance of the country, and the consideration that it had been the
asylum of the government during the stormy days of the revolutionary
war, would have induced the cortes to have considered it no longer as a
colony, but as an equal part of the nation, and that it might have
retained its separate courts, civil and criminal, and all the consequent
advantages of a prompt administration of the laws.
Such was the state of Brazil, generally speaking, on our arrival in that
country, on the 21st of September, 1821. Much that might be interesting
I have omitted, partly because I have not so correct a knowledge of it,
as to venture to write it; much, because we are too near the time of
action to know the motives and springs that guided the actors; and much,
because neither my sex nor situation permitted me to inform myself more
especially concerning the political events in a country where the
periodical publications are few, recent, and though by law free, yet, in
fact, owing to the circumstances of the times, imperfect, timorous, and
uncertain. What I have ventured to write is, I trust, correct as to
facts and dates; it is merely intended as an introduction, without
which, the journal of what passed while I was in Brazil would be
scarcely intelligible.
[Illustration]
JOURNAL.
At about six o'clock in the evening of the 31st of July, 1821, after
having saluted His Majesty, George IV., who at that moment went on board
the Royal George yacht, to proceed to Dublin,--we sailed in the Doris, a
42 gun frigate, for South America. After touching at Plymouth, and
revisiting all the wonders of the break-water and new watering place, we
sailed afresh, but when off Ushant, were driven back to Falmouth by a
heavy gale of wind. There we remained till the 11th of August, when,
with colours half-mast high, on account of the death of Queen Caroline,
we finally left the channel, and on the 18th about noon came in sight of
Porto Santo.
We passed it on the side where the town founded by Don Henry of
Portugal, on the first discovery of the island, is situated, and
regretted much that it was too late in the day to go in very near it.
The land is high and rocky, but near the town there is a good deal of
verdure, and higher up on the land, extensive woods; a considerable
quantity of wine is made there, which, being a little manufactured at
Funchal, passes for true Madeira. As usual in Portuguese colonial towns,
the church and convent are very conspicuous. When we passed Porto Santo,
and the Desertas, and anchored in Funchal roads, I was disappointed at
the calmness of my own feelings, looking at these distant islands with
as little emotion as if I had passed a headland in the channel. Well do
I remember, when I first saw Funchal twelve years ago, the joyous
eagerness with which I feasted my eyes upon the first foreign country I
had ever approached, the curiosity to see every stone and tree of the
new land, which kept my spirits in a kind of happy fever.
"Sweet Memory, wafted by thy gentle gale,
Oft up the stream of time I turn my sail,
To view the fairy haunts of long lost hours,
Blest with far greener shades, far fresher flow'rs." ROGERS.
Now I look on them tamely, or at best only as parts of the lovely
landscape, which, just at sunset, the time we anchored, was particularly
beautiful. Surely the few years added to my age have not done this? May
I not rather hope, that having seen lands whose monuments are all
history, and whose associations are all poetry, I have a higher taste,
and more discriminating eye? One object never palls--that ocean where
the Almighty "Glasses himself in tempests," or over which the gentle
wings of peace seem to brood. The feeling that there was a change,
however, either in the scene or in me, was so strong, that I ran to my
cabin and sought out a sketch I had made in 1809. I compared it with the
town. Every point of the hill, every house was the same, and again Nossa
Senhora da Monte, with her brilliant white towers shining from on high
through the evening cloud, seemed to sanctify the scene, while a few
rough voices from the shore and the neighbouring ships chaunted the Ave
Maria.
Early in the morning of the 19th, we took a large party of the
midshipmen on shore to enjoy the young pleasure of walking on a foreign
land. To them it was new to see the palm, the cypress, and the yucca,
together with the maize, banana, and sugar-cane, surrounded by
vineyards, while the pine and chesnut clothe the hills. We mounted the
boys on mules, and rode up to the little parish church, generally
mistaken for a convent, called Nossa Senhora da Monte. My maid and I
went in a bad sort of palankeen, though convenient for these roads,
which are the worst I have seen; however, the view made up for the
difficulty of getting to it. The sea with the Desertas bounded the
prospect: below us lay the roadstead and shipping, the town and gardens,
and the hill clothed with vineyards and trees of every climate, which
deck the ashy tufa, or compact basalt of which the whole island seems to
be composed. Purchas, who like Bowles, believes the story of the
discovery of Madeira by the Englishman Masham and his dying mistress,
says, that shortly after that event, the woods having taken fire burned
so fiercely, that the inhabitants were forced out to sea to escape from
the flames. The woods, however, are again pretty thick, and some
inferior mahogany among it is used for furniture. The pine is too soft
for most purposes. In the gardens we found a large blue hydrangea very
common: the fuschia is the usual hedge. Mixed with that splendid shrub,
aloes, prickly pear, euphorbia, and cactus, serve for the coarser
fences; and these strange vegetables, together with innumerable lizards
and insects, tell us we are nearing the tropics.
We spent a very happy day at the hospitable country house of Mr.
Wardrope, and our cavalcade to the town at night was delightful. The
boys, mounted as before, together with several gentlemen who had joined
us at Mr. W.'s, enjoyed the novelty of riding home by torch-light; and
as we wound down the hill, the voices of the muleteers answering each
other, or encouraging their beasts with a kind of rude song, completed
the scene. The evening was fine, and the star-light lovely: we embarked
in two shore boats at the custom-house gate, and, after being duly
hailed by the guard-boat, a strange machine mounting one old rusty 6
lb. carronade, we reached the ship in very good time.
20th. We walked a good deal about the town, and entered the cathedral
with some feelings of reverence, for a part of it at least was built by
Don Henry of Portugal, who founded and endowed the college adjoining.
The interior of the church is in some parts gaudy, and there is a silver
rail of some value. The ceiling is of cedar, richly carved, and reminds
me of some of the old churches at Venice, which present a style half
Gothic half Saracenic. Near the church a public garden has lately been
formed, and some curious exotic trees placed there with great success.
In rambling about the town, we naturally enquired for the chapel of
skulls, the ugliness of which had shocked us when here formerly, and
were not sorry to find that that hideous monument of bad taste is
falling fast to ruin. I cannot imagine how such fantastic horrors can
ever have been sanctified, but so it is; and the Indian fakir who
fastens a real skull round his neck, the Roman pilgrim who hangs a model
of one to his rosary, and the friar who decks his oratory with a
thousand of them, are one and all acted upon either by the same real
superstition, or spiritual vanity, craving to distinguish itself even by
disgusting peculiarities.
Of late years superstition has been used as an instrument of no small
power in revolutions of every kind. Even here it has played its part. A
small chapel, dedicated to St. Sebastian, had been removed by the
Portuguese government in order to erect a market-place, where all
articles of daily consumption were to be sold, a small tax being levied
on the holders of stands. This innovation was of course disagreeable to
the people, and on the night of the revolution, in November last, some
of their leading orators accused the market-place of having, by rudely
thrusting out St. Sebastian, occasioned the failure of the vineyards,
and threatened the ruin of the island. The market-place was instantly
devoted; it was down in a few seconds, and a chapel to St. Sebastian
begun. Men, women, and children worked all night, and the walls were
raised to at least two-thirds of the intended height; but day brought
weariness, and perhaps the morning breeze chilled the fever of
enthusiasm. The voluntary labourers worked no more, and no subscription
adequate to the hire of workmen to complete it has yet been raised: so
that the new St. Sebastian's stands roofless, and the officiating priest
performs his masses with no other canopy than the heavens.
Other and better consequences have, however, arisen from the revolution
of November. The grievances of the inhabitants of Madeira were severe.
The sons of the best families were seized arbitrarily, and sent to serve
in the armies of Europe or Brazil: scarcely any article, however
necessary, or however coarse, was permitted to be manufactured; the very
torches, made of twisted grass and resin, so necessary for travelling
these mountain roads after sunset, were all sent from Lisbon, and every
species of cultivation, but that of the grape, discountenanced. Thus
situated, every class joined heart and hand in the revolution: deputies
were sent to the Cortes; petitions respecting the state of agriculture,
manufactures, and commerce, were presented; and many, perhaps most, of
the grievances were redressed, or at least much lightened.
Till the year 1821, there had never been a printing-press in Madeira;
but the promoters of the revolution sent to England for one, which is
now set up in Funchal; and on the 2d of July, 1821, the first newspaper,
under the name of PATRIOTA FUNCHALENSE, appeared. It contained a well
written patriotic preface; and the first article is a declaration of the
rights of citizens, and of the pretensions of the Portuguese nation, its
religion, government, and royal family, as adopted by the Cortes for the
basis of the constitution to be formed for its government. The paper has
continued to be published twice a week: it contains a few political
addresses and discourses; all foreign intelligence; some tolerable
papers on distilling, agriculture, manufactures, and similar topics;
some humorous pieces in prose and verse; poems _on several occasions_;
and, at the end of the month, a table of the receipts and expenditures
of government. Among the advertisements I observe one informing the
public where _leeches_ may be bought at about two shillings and sixpence
a piece.
I thought it curious to observe this first dawning of literature and
interest in politics in this little island. There are certainly enough
anglicisms in the paper, to point out the probable country of some of
the writers; and there are, as might be looked for, some traces of the
residence of British troops in the colony; but on the whole, the paper
is creditable to the editors, and likely to be useful to the island. I
hear the articles on the making of wines and brandies very highly spoken
of. Madeira, lying in the finest climate in the world, beautiful and
fertile, and easy of access to foreigners, ought not to be a mere half
civilised colony.
23d.--We sailed yesterday from Funchal, and soon lost sight of the
"Filha do oceano
Do undoso campo flor, gentil MADEIRA." DINIZ.
At night, I sat a long time on the deck, listening to the sea songs with
which the crew beguile the evening watch. Though the humorous songs were
applauded sufficiently, yet the plaintive and pathetic seemed the
favourites; and the chorus to the Death of Wolfe was swelled by many
voices. Oh, who shall say that fame is not a real good! It is twice
blessed--it blesses him who earns, and those who give, to parody the
words of Shakspeare. Here, on the wide ocean, far from the land of
Wolfe's birth, and that of his gallant death, his story was raising and
swelling the hearts of rough men, and exciting love of country and of
glory by the very sound of his name. Well may _he_ be called a
benefactor to his country who, by increasing the list of patriotic
sailors' songs, has fostered those feelings and energies which have
placed Britain's "home upon the mountain wave, and her march upon the
deep."
The charms of night in a southern climate have been dwelt upon by
travelled poets (for I call Madame de Stael's writings poetry), and even
travelled prose writers; but Lord Byron alone has sketched with
knowledge and with love, the moonlight scenery of a frigate in full
sail. The life of a seaman is the essence of poetry; change, new
combinations, danger, situations from almost deathlike calm, to the
maddest combinations of horror--every romantic feeling called forth, and
every power of heart and intellect exercised. Man, weak as he is,
baffling the elements, and again seeing that miracle of his invention,
the tall ship he sails in, tossed to and fro, like the lightest feather
from the seabird's wing--while he can do nothing but resign himself to
the will of Him who alone can stay the proud waves, and on whom heart,
intellect, and feeling, all depend!
25th.--Nothing can be finer than the approach to Teneriffe[39],
especially on such a day as this; the peak now appearing through the
floating clouds, and now entirely veiled by them. As we drew near the
coast, the bay or rather roadstead of Oratava, surrounded by a singular
mixture of rocks, and woods, and scattered towns, started forth at once
from beneath the mists, which seemed to separate it from the peak, whose
cold blue colour formed a strong contrast to the glowing red and yellow
which autumn had already spread on the lower grounds.
[Note 39: The Chinerfe of the Guanches.]
We anchored in forty fathoms water with our chain-cable, as the bottom
is very rocky, excepting where a pretty wide river, which, though now
dry, rolls a considerable body of water to the sea in the rainy season,
has deposited a bed of black mud. There are many rocks in the bay, with
from one to three fathoms water, and within them from nine to ten. The
swell constantly setting in is very great, and renders the anchorage
uncomfortable.
26th.--- I went ashore with Mr. Dance, the second lieutenant, and two of
the young midshipmen, for the purpose of riding to the Villa di Oratava,
which is situated where the ancient Guanche capital stood. We landed at
the Puerto di Oratava, several miles from the villa: it is defended by
some small batteries, at one of which is the very difficult
landing-place, sheltered by a low reef of rocks that runs far out, and
occasions a heavy surf. I took my own saddle ashore: and being mounted
on a fine mule, we all began our journey towards the hill. The road is
rough, but has evidently once been made with some pains, and paved with
blocks of porous lava; but the winter rains have long ago destroyed it,
and it does not seem to be any body's business to put it in repair.
The first quarter of a mile on either hand presented a scene so black
and stony, that I was surprised to learn that we had been passing
through corn land; the harvest was over, and the stubble burned on the
ground. The produce here is scanty; but being so near the port, it
repays the labour and expense of cultivation. We saw the botanical
garden so much praised by Humboldt; but it is in sad disorder, having
been for some time entirely neglected. However, the very establishment
of such a thing brings in new plants, and perhaps naturalises them.
Here, the sago-palm, platanus, and tamarind, as well as the flowers and
vegetables of the north of Europe, flourish so well as to promise to add
permanently to the riches of this rich island. As we ascended towards
the villa the prospect improved; the vineyards appeared in greatest
beauty, every other crop still standing in the luxuriant valleys, the
rocky cliffs of the mountains clothed with wood, and every thing glowing
with life. Wheat, barley, a few oats, maize, potatoes, and caravansas,
all grow freely here. The food of the common people consists chiefly of
Polenta, or maize flour, used nearly as the Scotch peasants use their
oatmeal, in cakes, brose, or porridge, which last is suffered to grow
cold, and then most commonly cut in slices and toasted. After the maize,
potatoes are the favourite food, together with salt fish. The potatoe is
always in season, being planted every month, and consequently producing
a monthly crop. The fishery employs from forty-five to fifty vessels of
from seventy to ninety tons' burden, from the island of Teneriffe alone;
the fish are taken on the coast of Africa, and salted here.
To a stranger the sight of the long walls of black porous lava, built
terrace-wise to support the vegetable mould, is very striking; but the
walls cannot be called ugly, while the clustering vine and
broad-spreading gourd, climb and find support on them: these, however,
soon disappeared, and were replaced by field and garden enclosures.
After a pleasant but hot ride, we arrived at the villa about noon, and
went to the house of Señor Don Antonio de Monteverde, who accompanied us
to M. Franqui's garden, to see one of the wonders of the island, the
famous Dragon Tree. Humboldt has celebrated this tree in its vigour;
it is now a noble ruin. In July, 1819, one half of its enormous crown
fell: the wound is plaistered up, the date of the misfortune marked on
it, and as much care is taken of the venerable vegetable as will ensure
it for at least another century. I sat down to make a sketch of it; and
while I was drawing, learned from Mr. Galway the following history of
the family of its owner, which a little skill in language and a little
adorning with sentiment might convert into a modern novel.--About the
year 1760, the Marquis Franqui, upon some disgust, made over his estates
in trust to his brother, and emigrated to France, where he remained
until 1810, regularly receiving the proceeds from his estates in
Teneriffe. Meantime, during the early period of the revolution, he
married; and his only child, a daughter, was born. This marriage,
however, was only a civil contract, such being then the law of France,
and with a woman divorced from another, who was still living. But
neither the validity of the union nor the legitimacy of the child was
ever questioned; and the Marquis Franqui returning to his native
country, brought with him his daughter, introducing and treating her as
his heiress. She appeared to be received as such by his family; and at
his death he appointed trustworthy guardians to her and her estates, one
of whom is her husband's father. No sooner, however, was the Marquis
dead, than his brother claimed his property, alleging that the church
had never sanctioned the Marquis's marriage, and that the daughter
consequently, as an illegitimate child, could have no claim on his
estates. He therefore commenced a lawsuit against her and her guardians,
and the suit is still pending. Meantime the court receives the rents;
the garden, the chief ornament of the town, is running wild, and the
house is deserted.
[Illustration]
The dragon tree is the slowest of growth among vegetables; it seems also
to be slowest in decay. In the 15th century, that of Oratava had
attained the height and size which it boasted till 1819. It may have
been in its prime for centuries before; and scarcely less than a
thousand years must have elapsed, before it attained its full size.
Excepting the dragon trees at Madeira, the only many-headed palm I had
seen before was that at Mazagong in Bombay. It is crowned, however, with
a leaf like that of the palmetto; but the tufts of the dragon tree
resemble the yucca in growth. The palm tree at Mazagong, like the
adansonia in Salsette, is reported to have been carried thither by a
pilgrim from Africa, probably from Upper Egypt, where late travellers
mention this palm.
On our return from the garden to Don Antonio's house, we were most
kindly received by his wife and daughter, the latter of whom played a
long and difficult piece of music most excellently. It was, however,
English, in compliment to us, though we should have preferred some of
her own national airs. After the music, we were conducted to a table
spread in the gallery that surrounds the open court in the middle of the
house, and covered with fruits, sweetmeats, and wines, which were
pressed upon us most hospitably; till finding it time to return, the
ladies both embraced me, and we began our journey down the hill, having
first looked into the churches, which are spacious and handsome, a good
deal in the style of those of Madeira, but finer.
As we rode along, we observed a large Dominican convent, the only one
now on the island. The recent law passed by the Spanish Cortes for the
suppression of religious houses, has been strictly enforced here. No
more than one convent of each denomination is allowed to subsist, and
great checks are put on the profession of new members. As to the
revolution here, the inhabitants had known from authentic though not
official authority of what had taken place in the mother country, three
weeks before they received any notification from either court or cortes.
When notice did arrive, the magistrates assembled the people, read their
orders, and took their oaths to support the cortes; the people shouted,
and made a bonfire: next day the forms of law and justice were declared
to be changed, the tribunals proceeded accordingly, and all was over and
quiet.
The Canary Islands boast of two bishoprics, both of which are now
vacant, yet have not one newspaper. The only printing press has been so
long in disuse that there is nobody who can work it in the country. I
could not learn that there are any manufactures in Teneriffe; if there
are, I conclude they must be in the neighbourhood of Laguna or Santa
Cruz. Oratava appears to be the district of corn and wine.
We returned to the port by a longer road than that by which we left it.
In the hedges, the boys, with no small delight, gathered fine ripe
black-berries, which were growing among prickly pear and other tropical
plants. The fields, vineyards, and orchards we had seen from the former
road we now passed through; and as it was a _fiesta_, we saw the
peasants in their best attire, and their little mud huts cleanly swept
and garnished. They seem gentle and lively, not much darker than the
natives of the south of Europe; and if there be a mixture of Guanche
blood, it is said to be traced in the high cheek-bones, narrow chins,
and slender hands and feet which in a few districts seem to indicate a
different race of men. I regret that I had not time to see more of the
people and the country; but not being travellers from curiosity, and
belonging to a service that may not swerve from the strictest obedience,
we dared not even think of a farther excursion.