Funchal

Évora overcast today, 14 degrees, rising to 24 later.

19 degrees currently in Funchal, Madeira, rising to 24 later.

Mainly clear is the expectation.

And light drizzle in the Azores.

On the 24th of June, 1859, I departed from Liverpool on board the African SS quote-unquote Ethiop, Captain French.

On the 2nd of July, we arrived at Funchal, Madeira.

The 4th was spent at Santa Cruz, Tenerife, four days after leaving which we came in sight of Cape Verde, Africa.

the next day we anchored in the port of bathurst on the gambia this little town is built on one of those great deposits of sand commonly found on the deltas of large rivers it is said to be surrounded by very unhealthy influences although the american consul with whom i enjoyed an hour's conversation assured me that he had not known a case of fever among the white inhabitants of the place for six months the trade is chiefly in ground nuts arachis hypogea except perhaps freetown there is not a better-looking place on the west coast the largest houses are built along the river-side and present a handsome appearance heightened by some fine large trees grown before them and a fine avenue is left between the trees and houses the streets are wide and regularly intersect at right angles with sewers for draining the town which from being low would otherwise be swampy is thus kept dry the white inhabitants including the officers of the garrison and the missionaries comprise about thirty persons there is another small town about one hundred and fifty miles up the gambia called mccarthy's island the settlements on this river are british and are garrisoned by african soldiers from the west indian regiment the natives are chiefly jollofs and mandingas many of the latter who are mohammedans read and write arabic both comprise some very active and successful traders on the twelfth we were at anchor in the harbour of freetown sierra leone latitude eight degrees twenty nine minutes north longitude thirteen degrees fourteen minutes west said to be the best harbour on the west coast of africa affairs were in a bad condition the yellow fever or as some say a malignant form of bilious fever had appeared there and swept off more than a third of the white inhabitants while the small-pox was busy amongst the natives during the two days that the ship continued in the port i had frequent opportunities of conversing with several of the natives men of respectability and in some instances of education they complain bitterly of some of the europeans on account of their laxity of morals and unblushing disregard of the demands of decency it is fortunate that the number of this class of persons is small compared with the number of high-minded worthy men who are deservedly much esteemed on the seventeenth sunday we arrived at cape palmas our stay there was short i contrived to spend about three hours on shore and was fortunate in meeting the rev alex cromwell who conducted me to the two or three places of interest which could be visited in that time amongst the rest he took me to the church in which he sometimes officiates i was much gratified to witness more than one hundred natives including an old chief listening with deep attention to the word of god i regret exceedingly not being able to accompany my reverend friend to mount vaughan his school and dwelling a little way from the town where he is doing efficient service in training some promising native boys a few of whom i met in his company Here I received intelligence of the arrival of the bark, quote-unquote, Mendy, in Monrovia, with my colleague Dr Delaney on board.

Nice-looking day, 14 at the moment, rising to 24.

Funchal, Madeira, where we spoke of that toboggan accident.

They pushed people up and down the hill there in those things, and sadly, one of them spilled.

20 degrees in Madeira, Funchal, 26 later.

21, the high in Ponte del Garde, in the Zoros, 17 at the moment.

A little bit of rain over there.

A lot of, you know...

That's where the great thing, even though Nacional is obviously in Madeira, there's obviously a lot of fans in Funchal that are going to be glad that they're going to have the opportunity to see Porto play at Marítimo.

And that's a very good match this weekend.

Casa Pia will be playing Santa Clara.

Rain also expected there.

Funchal, clear sky over there in Madeira, 20 degrees, rising to 25.

Later, best of the weather in Portugal, it would appear.

And the Azores, 18 at the moment, rising to 21.

A perfectly irrelevant story comes to mind here.

Do you know that in Madeira once they had a revolution which lasted just long enough for the national poet to compose a national anthem, and then was put down? All that is left of the revolt now is the song that you hear on the twanging nanshet, the baby banjos, of a moonlight night under the banana fronds at the back of Funchal.

And the high-pitched nasal refrain of it is, Constitucion.

Since that auspicious date, it seems that the questions have impertinently come up, and the first and the last of them is that of treaty revision.