12 SEPTEMBER 1840, Page 19

coorEn's INVALID'S GUIDE TO M APEIRA. MR. COOFER is a

surgeon, who was recommended a sojourn at Madeira for the restoration of his health ; and having. visited Teneritfe and Lisbon on his return, he has puhlish,:.1 the result of his experienco in the form of' a guide ii 'r other invali;is. Con- sidering the author as a professional m itt resi.ling for some time :tt 1010 of the mos! celebrated spots f,sr the asneli:,rat ion of pulmo- nary disorders On she face of the globe, and n.tt•trAllv ...tit:mitt:ed to exact observation bv the interest he would take in Isis own Cat,e. the 'le little scion- \V popu- ttre n front s, t, :lisle de- it.scriptions. tl,le t,, procure ,,rl;.; but we .ttl■ ;•,ttili have tt celebrated !here in

• daring

11 ge tic" " tutu V0111,1ICS. ill I`, uttc•i to the island, anti in being Of II SI11111 utumil i:0111p.t.1 It has, nmre- Oyer, tile literary merit. Of bt'ing t■I'.11%II trout the writer's ( .11(mh'ira is singularly To, tilic information Coorrn imparts, ami lar direction,: he gives fol. a patient's 5c11-gy,',;:;!;, C. other writcrs. Nor does he make up Inc usedt,:cti it' ti by any tic Ii or comprehensive top ‘arapilic The author assi...uts the scanty information a w Ste: at starting as a reason for the itniblient :1:-.

..,Iispoet he wai: unf(wttinate in his applicati. or told him something; snore about .Madeira t is tact•' 1.,r its NN 111:1t roses and tle.1

r.yeat But it such ignor.wc,'

N% mot: s rotinaze tile present ■..tv, ocumhi litu-e sufficed to own observation; so that many things are pleasant enough reading, though they have no relation to the ailing or to medicine. Some facts of utility to the tourist may also be drawn from the little 'volume, as regards the best mode of getting to the island and the probable expenses when there ; but the subject most thoroughly investigated is

THE WINES OF MADEIRA.

1. Madeira-commonly so called-which is the produce of a variety of grapes-Verdelho, Baal, Tints, Negrinha, &c., which are all pressed together, and make the choicest wine, or London Particular. 2. Malmsey. A very rich sweet wine, highly esteemed. It derives its luss emus flavour from the grapes being permitted to bang a considerable time after they are ripe before they are gathered. It is greatly improved, and acquires a darker colour by age. 3. Tinta. A delicious red wine, very seldom exported. When new, the colour is as deep as that of claret, and it is then usually drunk; when older, it becomes about the colour of tawney port. It is the produce of a particular grape; and the colour is fixed and peculiar flavour acquired by permitting the Skills of the grapes to remain in the cask during the process ot fermentation. 4. Sercial. This is a dry wine, and possesses much body, flavour, and a fine aroma. It is the most expensive of the Madeira wines, of a lighter colour than Malmsey, and requires to be kept a considerable time before it arrives at per- fection. 5. Bead. An agreeable light wine, not possessing so much body as the others. 6. VerdeMo. A pleasant full-bodied wine, the produce of a white grape. The grape is much used as one of the component parts of Madeira, and the wine is seldom exported. 7. Negrinlia. A rich cordial wine, made from grapes dried in the sun. 8. Bastard°. A wine of very rare occurrence, being made from a peculiar grape seldom pressed separately.

PRICES OF MADEIRA.

The export price of the best Madeira is from 45/. 10s. to 50/. per pipe; 12/. 10s. per quarter pipe ; and I find that this wine can be taken a voyage round by the West Indies-all the duties and collateral expenses paid-and it can be deposited in a cellar in London under 45s. a dozen ; and yet this, or an inferior quality, is often charged 7es. or 80s. a dozen! The price per pipe of the Malmsey and other wines averages 70/. or SOL CAUSE OF TUE DEPRECIATION or MADEIRA.

The whole quantity of wine produced on the island is about 25,000 pipes annually; of which not more than 6,000 are of the best quality. During the war-time there was an immense demand for wine, from the large number of vessels calling, so that all the fine wines were soon disposed of, leaving in the stores the tines of the North, which are very acid and poor, and not worth more than 20/. per pipe. The demand, however, continued, and the tempta- tion of obtaining 70/. or 801. per pipe, which was readily offered, was irresistible, so that the merchants were content to pass off these inferior wines for the best, keeping them previously for three months in c lu fits, or rooms heated to 100 degrees, which diminished in some degree the acidity and newness of flavour, Imparting an artificial age to the wine. 1Vhat serve the natural consequence? Nothing but complaints poured in from all quarters of ihe bad quality of the wine, and down went the reputation and demand below zero; and the sale Las ever since been so moderate, that fuse wines have accumulated, and can be bought at the prices I have mentioned. Such is, I believe, the correct explanation of the loss of character of this wine: and there is every reason to believe that if such another run upon the supplies does not take place, and nothing but the genuine Madeira is shipped, it will in time regain its anmer high character.

According to Mr. COOPER, the number of English in Madeira is about three hundred ; and for three years past the visitcrs who have resorted to the island to winter there has exceeded two hun- dred. The price of' et furnished house for the season, from Sep- tember to June, is

1st elaes. Large family house £150 to X200 2.1 - Moaerate size 100 „ 150 31 - Small 50 „ 100

The furniture in thee houses is most likely of a primitive kind ; and they are not provided with bells, so " that a few hand-bells will be found useful." The price of provisions seems somewhat more reasomble than the house-rent, the demand for which very probably exceeds the supply.

s. d. s. d. Beef, per pound 0 4

Mutton, per pound 0 5 }'owls and Ducks, her couple 9 6 to 4 6 Turkies 7 0 „ 15 0 Geese (very rare) Fish (a small plate) 1 0 ,, 3 0

Oraeges, per hundred 2 0 „ 4 6 Eggs, 10 to 14 far 0 5 Vegetables ac-cording to the season. The climate of Teneriffe is dryer than that of Madeira, though in other respects very similar. In certain pulmonary affections it will, therefore, be f;ifind preferable, Sc, far as atmosphere is con- cerned ; but there are not the accommodations for invalids which Madeira possesses, and a very limited English society. Prices, however, are proportionately low.

I.RicES AT TENLRIFFE.

Living is remarkably cheap at this island. A gentleman who had lately taken up hie re.,idem •, there, Mformed flue that he Lad an excellent house and a comideruhle quaetity if !awl, fir which he ;atilt but 214. per annum. 'fhe return of 11.e vine; ;;rd alone paid the mutt . The 1:Xpell,,e4 at the hotel, in- cluding lodgieg, baard, and aim!, e.:ru but a dallar per dee, filai th.tt W:04 (eat- sidered ra?lwr A it the 'edamh has not been iann,a,.e.1 w1,1: If that vhould be the eeoe tl,e natural con'qunce still I.e that pro; aions and every thing do: will ri.e in feurfold ratio.

From the reiscellane,ms sketches and anecdotes, which are by no rnea ns Ilio wor t part of the book, we will take one indieative of' the doings of the Flavers awl the systematic mode in which they carry on thuir bet profitable trade. " A Slit! a- i orelltr4:(1 at the vible d'iade at which I WOS present, It sit hh.pia that the pnaiderit and vice-president were both of them eaptsins co. it, al.,1 the permit, alto sat on toy It was a r,lave-owner. The fal:fi,ing iv( v; the timer:0.411AM/ connected with OM of the said captains and the iwo. r.

" In tl:e tontb of A ege:t preceding, a heaut HUI brig ceme inte the road- Stead, oetentibly for tbe porvoie of end repairieg her bow- sprit, which was >prung. Mit vosel was a chaser, which, wa having been tkit to complete her cargo at the coast, had retired to Tnnerille to be out of the way until a sufficient number of unhappy Negroes had been collected for that purpose. Whilst at Teneriffe, the crew quarrelled, and some of them gave information to the authorities as to these facts, and also that there were three different captains and crews on board-American, Spanish, and Portu- guese-who took charge of the vessel according to the flag under which she was then sailing; for she had also papers fur three flags; the other captains and sailors being then passengers if the vessel should happen to be overhauled To the occupation of a slaver they occasionally added that of pirate as oppee. tunity °tiered, having a short time before they arrived at Teneriffe plundered a Portuguese packet. The Spanish captain had fully intended to have attacked one of our small cruisers; but the American loaded his pistols, and swore he would shoot him dead if he attempted it, as the vessel was then under Ame- rican colours; and independent of the risk they would run, he was deter. mined the flag should never be disgraced by such an act. I heard the Awed. can relate this himself, and it was fully corroborated by a seaman belonging to the vessel, who joined our ship.

" The vessel was now awaiting the decision of the authorities as to whether she shoultt be condemned tea not, and a beautiful craft she was.

"I never saw such a letermined-looking fellow as this American. Such eyes! black, deep-set, and restless, bright and fierce as a serpent's, and seeming to read your very thoughts."