18 June 1809
On Sunday the 18th.. We walk'd about the Town a good deal, and went by chance into a church where a [young?] woman was taking the veil! It was a sight of too much interest to admit of our quitting the spot till the ceremony was over. The poor young woman was attended by two noble Ladies in full dress, she was also adorn'd with flowers in her head, &c. [S]he sat on the steps opposite the alter, [sic] one of the Ladies on each side of her, who endeavour'd to support her spirits with cheerful conversation; she seem'd to do her best to second their efforts, but with a visible struggle. I sat or rather crouch'd, very near her -- A long time interven'd before the arrival of the Priest; as we waited for him those Ladies next to me told me, that the Convent to which this poor girl was so soon to belong, was the strictest ever known; something in resemblance to that of La Trap. [T]hat it was so poor, that the nuns were obliged to labour very hard for their support, and withall that the situation of the Convent was so extremely damp & unwholesome, that the nuns died at a very early period. The Lady Abbess at the time being only thirty years of age, a dignity which is never confer'd at so early a period, except from necessity. I felt so extremely sorry for the young woman that if it had been possible, I should have most gladly offer'd her my [**indecipherable] if she would have desisted from her dreadful intention -- at last the Priest attended by a member of his order arrived; he was a very old Man,he went up to the alter, [sic] the Nun knelt at his feet, he was so blind that a Friar held a very large heavy candlestick so low, as to enable him to read. The weight occasion'd an unsteadiness in the hands which held it, the old man finding himself like to be burnt, express'd great indignation; the ceremony then went on. The Priest read for some time in Latin, when that was over the young noviciate was led in procession to the door of the convent, which was open'd to receive her; the Nuns within appearing all dress'd in black with a large piece of black cloth thrown over their heads, which was so thick as to conceal even the form of their Bodies; they had really an appearance not human. --- A second ceremony took place at the door of the convent, but the crowd was so great that I could not see it, at this moment there was a noise made by a Person pressing forward thro' the mob, she was soon known to be the Mother of the young woman, there was room made for her to pass, & she arrived at the spot where her Daughter stood, to take her last embrace! -- till that moment the Nun supported herself, but the sight of her Mother totally overcame her; her head fell on her breast, & she sob'd aloud in an agony of grief; she was then hurried forward, & I saw her walk on follow'd by those dreadful looking black nuns, who threw rose leaves at her. ---I saw her no more! but I understood that her head was immediately to be shaved, she had a great quantity of fine hair, and I saw the dress carried in which she was to change for that she had on, it was an extreme coarse brown heavy stuff, which I suppose she was to wear till she took the black veil. ---I cannot say that I ever felt so much distress at the fate of a stranger, as I did on this occasion; the impression was not that I could not hear the subject mention'd without considerable emotion for sometime after. I hope her situation does not feel to her, as it appear'd to me. ---While we were at Madeira Captain Curtis gave a spendid Ball on board the Mageciane, [sic] my bad state of health obliged me to decline going, & Coll.. M. was so good as to remain with me. We had the pleasure of seeing General and Mrs.. Mead, Mrs.. M. was an old acquaintance of Coll.. Ms; and an extreme [sic] pretty woman -- I admired the style of her house and Garden much ----
The Island of Madeira is certainly one of the most beautiful & romantic places to look at which I have ever seen, to Persons who have been long at Sea, & who have suffer'd illness, and bad weather, the sight of Funchal is the most gratifying which can well be imagined; but by the time one has been a few days on shore, the want of air, and great heat; the total exclusion from all kinds of exercise, from the hardness of the roads; which are very steep, and paved with small stones; and above all the filth of the Inhabitants is so disgusting, that I think no time could reconcile one to witness it with indifference -- all this serves to shew how many comforts are necessary to render life agreeable to a person who has been accustom'd to live in England. ----
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