On the 16th land was discovered at four P. M. supposed to be the island of Porto Santo. All this day we sailed at the rate of seven and eight knots an hour. Tuesday the 17th of December we found that during the night we had passed by the island of Madeira; but this morning tacked and stood towards it, and arrived off Funchial, the capital of that island, of which we had a delightful view. As we approached the land the surrounding country had a very beautiful appearance, especially after a long voyage, when the eye has been wearied by the uninteresting sameness of an extended ocean. The town of Funchial, so named from the Portuguese word funcho, fennel, which grows in great abundance on the neighbouring rocks, is situated at the bottom of a bay, and is a large ill-built town: it has many churches and convents; but as we did not go on shore, I can give no particular description of them. Immediately behind the town the hills rise gradually one above the other, terminating in prodigious high mountains, which are plentifully covered almost half-way up with plantations of vines, interspersed with churches and elegant houses. High up in the mountains, in a valley is seen a convent, which we were informed is dedicated to our Lady of the Mountain. All the buildings being white, formed very conspicuous, and not unpleasing objects in the landscape. The mountains in this island are very high. Pico Ruevo is supposed to be from its base near a mile in perpendicular height, much higher than any land in England or Wales. The sides of all the hills are well covered to a certain height with vines, above which, to a vast extent, are woods of pine, chesnut, and a variety of other trees unknown to Europe. The principal refreshments to be procured here are wine, water, and onions; the latter are the finest in the world, and in great plenty. It being the Admiral's determination to lose no time, we only lay-to off Funchial, till the wine intended for the use of the officers and ship's company was taken on board; and it being the birth day of the Queen of Portugal, we saluted the fort in honour of the day with twenty-one guns, which was returned with an equal number. In the evening we made sail for our destination; and fortunately from this time had a fair wind till we got into the trades. On the 24th we passed the tropic of Cancer, lat. at noon 23. 21. N. long. 32. W. The usual ceremony was observed by the crew (having first obtained the Captain's permission): a grotesque Neptune and Amphitrité were drawn by their attendants on the quarter-deck, where, after a solemn ditty chaunted by his aquatic majesty, the usual collections were made, which, from the munificence of the General and his friends, together with the contributions of those officers of the ship who had never crossed the tropic before, amounted to a sum sufficient to supply the ship's company with plenty of vegetables on their arrival at Barbadoes.