A Voyage to the East Indies: Page 10

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A Voyage to the East Indies: Page 10

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Evening when we were reducing things to their proper Order, & thinking ourselves secure for that Night, another Sail would appear, and put us again in the same Embarrassment. This Scene was continued till we arriv’d in sight of Porto Santo, an island belonging to the Portuguese situate on Lat ___ Long. ___ This island appears like a Number of Pyramids rising in oblique directions, each terminating in an almost Acute Apex. It was formerly barren, but is now in some Parts fertile & cover’d with a pleasant verdure. Several of the Inhabitants of Madeira, have Plantations here which produce Grapes, Figs, and all the tropical Fruits. Within Sight of this Island are several others all very contiguous, call’d the Deserters; each of which appears to be an entire Rock void of Soil or Inhabitants, but on our arrival at Madeira from which they may be plainly seen, we were inform’d that those Islands are made a kind of Habitation, for those Criminals, whose Offences not meriting death, doom them to be transported hither for Life, or an appointed Term of Years. One Part of them is habitable, & that they cultivate with utensils given them for that Purpose & sow a Quantity of Grain, with which they are supplied when put on Shore according to the Heinousness of their crimes. This must be a [end page 10]
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