Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume X.djvu/824

 818 MADEIRA England, whose products are received into the island at one half of the usual duties. Many kinds of Canary wines and enormous quantities of wine manufactured in Europe are sold under the name of Madeira, which com- petition was in a degree instrumental in de- termining the decadence which reduced the insular production from 22,000 pipes in 1813 to 3,000 in 1844. The devastations of the oidium, however, reduced the islanders almost to absolute penury, and gave rise to a regular tide of emigration from the shores of Madeira to the West Indies and Guiana. The disease became apparent in 1851, diminished the pro- duction of juice, and at length nearly destroyed the vines themselves. The sulphur remedy was tried in 1857, and so successfully as to have produced a marked improvement in the vintage of 1861 ; since which time the favorable signs have continued in regard to both the quantity and the quality of the wine. Catawba and Isabella vines from the United States were used for grafting, and found productive of good, although no wine was obtained from the original stocks. The following statement shows the rapid decrease in the vintages from 1847 to 1855: 1847 to 1850, 16,000 to 17,000 pipes; 1851, 12,000; 1852, 1,000; 1853, 754; 1854, 187; 1855, 29. On the failure of the vine, the sugar cane, which had formerly been extensively cultivated, again became an object of care ; and an attempt was made to employ in cochineal rearing as many as possible of the laborers who had been suddenly deprived of occupa- tion. The cane, however, will not flourish in Madeira at a greater elevation than 1,000 ft. above the sea level ; it grows best in the vi- cinity of Funchal and Sao Jorge. Coffee, which was plentifully produced, and of excellent qual- ity, before the prosperous era of viticulture, has been almost totally abandoned; and nu- merous attempts to grow tobacco have been thwarted by the government, although its cul- tivation in the island has not been prohibited since 1864. Maize, for which the soil is pecu- liarly favorable, is grown in large quantities ; as are also wheat, barley, arrowroot, potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, onions, beans, and pumpkins. Among the fruits, besides the grape, are oranges, peaches, guavas, figs, man- gos, pineapples, yams, pomegranates, custard apples, bananas, and nearly all the fruits of the temperate zone ; walnuts and chestnuts grow- ing in great abundance in the woods on the mountains, and forming an important article of food for the people. The island produces 80 or 90 indigenous plants, but the greater part of the flora resembles that of the Ca- nary islands and of the Mediterranean basin. Hedges of geraniums, fuchsias, and heliotropes fringe the roads and narrow paths in every part of the island. The most remarkable forms of the native vegetation are the dragon tree and a species of cactus, the latter of which exists in great abundance in the lowlands. The aloe, agave, and hydrangea flourish in the elevated regions ; and heaths, pines, and brilliant flower- ing plants crown the loftiest summits. The laurels, of which there are four kinds, are also conspicuous ; and the juniper attains the height of 50 ft., and yields a valuable aromatic wood. Madeira has no indigenous land mammals ; the cattle, goats, horses, asses, rabbits, rats, and mice were introduced by the Portuguese. The horses are small, but active and hardy ; they are used only for riding, oxen being employed for draught, and asses for carrying. The only bird peculiar to the island is a wren, but about 30 species breed there, among which are the kestrel, buzzard, and barn owl, the blackbird, redbreast, goldfinch, quail, partridge, wood- cock, two kinds of swallows and three of pi- geons, and the green Canary bird from which the domesticated species is derived. There are very few reptiles, and none poisonous; a small lizard is seen in hosts basking on the rocks. About 190 species of fish are found near the island, many of which are peculiar. Among them are the torpedo, the stag-horned horse fish, striped remora, flying fish, sword fish, trumpet fish, and several curious species of shark. About 1,200 species of insects have been enumerated, and about 119 species of shells have been found, most of which are pecu- liar to the island. The people of Madeira are of mixed Portuguese, Moorish, and negro de- scent. The men are well formed and strong, with black hair and eyes ; but the women are generally far from comely, though they have fine eyes and hair. The lower classes are gay, polite, respectful to their superiors, industri- ous, and capable of long continued labor ; the upper classes are indolent ; neither have much intellectual culture; the morals of both are extremely lax; and illegitimate children are numerous. The Portuguese, the language of the country, is spoken with little purity ; and French and English are pretty commonly un- derstood by the commercial classes and the hotel keepers. The manufactures are insignifi- cant, consisting chiefly o* baskets, straw hats, coarse linens and woollens, shoes, artificial flowers, sweetmeats, and some needlework embroidery. The imports, which are mainly from Great Britain, consist of cotton, wool- len, and linen fabrics, fancy and dress goods, hardware, breadstuffs, salt fish, and coal, the last mostly for the use of ocean steamers. The main article of export is wine, of which 49,413 gallons were sent to England in 1868, 53,667 in 1869, 71,590 in 1870, 86,800 in 1871, and 93,588 in 1872. The other articles of export are cochineal and embroidery and other needlework. The value of the exports to Great Britain for five years was as follows : 1868, $264,465; 1869, $269,965; 1870, $283,- 735; 1871, $456,680; 1872, $419,095. The total value of the imports from Great Britain during the same period was : 1868, $421,525 ; 1869, $464,000; 1870, $467,440; 1871, $469,- 355 ; 1872, $560,085. The total value of the exports and imports to all countries in 1872