Henry Grey Bennet

“ The scoria at the surface is remarkably thick, and all the upper parts of the lava appear to be cellular. The general dip of the lava on the coast near Funchal is to the north, but near the fort of Illhoo, it forms with a mass of pumice that is intersected with slight veins of carbonate of lime and zeolite, a rapid angle or curve of declination to the east. To the westward of the fort, the lava is not found for a little distance, and there is nothing but deep beds of pumice and the agglutinated mass above mentioned. ”

“ There is also in the vicinity of Funchal, to the eastward of the town, a fall of water, which, independent of the romantic beauty of the situation, merits being visited on account of the exposure of the two strata of lava in their relative position. The hills are composed wholly of lava, sometimes of a confused, sometimes of a prismatic formation, the red and grey lavas being visible on both sides of the valley. ”

“ In different cavities of the pumice bed, there are large deposits of black ashes. Towards the extremity of the strata the red stone appears on the surface in a more solid state, and lies in prismatic masses, the prisms being small, and not exceeding a few inches in diameter. Their substance is brittle and crumbles with ease. This stratum of red lava is of a short continuance. Passing a small brook, it dips rapidly to the westward, and in its place. ”