We had hitherto had little else than sunshine and light winds, so that my introduction to a sea life was most favourable.  Gloriously rose the sun over the blue sparkling waters, when, on coming on deck, I found the ship steering south-west, and standing in for the Bay of Funchal in the lofty island of Madeira.  On one side of us were the Desertas--rocks which Gerard told me gravely were so-called because they had once belonged to the mainland, and were now making the best of their way off to Africa; but the doctor differed with him, and observed that they obtained their name from being desert or barren rocks, especially compared with the fertile island near which they are placed.  Lovely as is the interior of our dear old country, few parts of its shores are attractive; and as this was the first land we had made after leaving home, it seemed doubly beautiful.  It appeared, as it rose before us, like one vast mountain extending from east to west, with a bay in the centre, and covered in the richest profusion with beautiful trees of many different sorts, among which, I afterwards found, are the cedar, chestnut, orange, lemon, fig, citron, the vine, the olive, the mulberry, banana, and pomegranate, while generous nature sprinkles with no lavish hand the myrtle, the geranium, the rose, and the violet in every open space.  The geranium especially grows in vast quantities; its scent is most powerful, and the honey which we got in the island was strongly flavoured with it.  But I forgot; we are not on shore yet.  How bright, and beautiful, and rich, and fertile, and romantic everything looked! What charming white-washed cottages!  What lovely villas, surrounded by gardens filled with flowers of every hue!  What a pretty town stretching away round the shores of the bay!  How clean, and neat, and comfortable all the dwellings! and how grand the churches and public buildings. Gerard and I agreed that we should like to come back there some day after we had done our wanderings, and take up our abode for the rest of our days.