MR. WILTON.  “I see not the slightest objection to the plan; and we will call at all the islands which lie in our way, beginning with Madeira.  This name is a corruption of Madera[10], so called by its first discoverers on account of the uncommon luxuriance of its foliage.  It is an exquisitely beautiful island, with every variety of climate in various parts:  the soil is volcanic, though there has been no eruption within the memory of man.  Madeira belongs to the Portuguese, and lies north of the Canaries.  Madeira is about sixty miles long, and forty broad:  its chief town is Funchal.

[Footnote 10:  Madera signifies wooded.]

“The Canary Isles, formerly called Fortunate Isles, belong to Spain.  The three largest are Grand Canary, Teneriffe, and Ferro.  These islands are famous for wine, and those pretty little singing birds called Canaries.

“Teneriffe, the second in size, is remarkable for a volcanic mountain, called the Peak.”

CHARLES.  “Are we not going out of our way, sir, to look at these islands?  Baffin’s Bay is much more to the north.”

MR. WILTON.  “You are right, Charles; but on voyages of discovery we are permitted to wander hither and thither at will, so long as it be for the advantage of all parties.”

GEORGE.  “But ships of war, papa, may not go out of the way:  they are obliged to be very orderly, are they not?”

MR. WILTON.  “So long as the winds will allow them, they keep on their course together, but adverse winds will send them far asunder at times, as in the case of the destruction of the Spanish Armada ‘He blew with His winds, and they were scattered,’ was the motto inscribed on the medal Queen Elizabeth caused to be struck in commemoration of that great victory.”

MR. BARRAUD.  “England can never forget the destruction of the Spanish Armada, for it was the immediate cause of the acquisition of so many colonies to England.  The signal success which attended Sir Francis Drake and others, induced them again to sally forth with sanguine hopes of extending the kingdom of their sovereign.  This was providential; at least, that is my view of it:  all this was wisely arranged that England might, by obtaining dependencies, strive to enlighten, moralize, and spiritualize the people who acknowledged the same temporal sovereign with herself, that in due time they might also acknowledge the same spiritual sovereign.”

GEORGE.  “I should like to go on board a man-of-war, and see all the arrangements; because so many men on board one ship must need close packing, I should think.”

MR. WILTON.  “You shall be gratified, my boy.  Put on your coat and hat:  we will go on board one of Her Majesty’s ships before the gentlemen have dined.”

EMMA.  “Papa is only joking, George; you may sit still.  I can guess what you are going to say, papa.  ’Is not our voyage imaginary, and should we not be consistent?’ Am I right?”