Do you know why the first discoverers in 1419 called Madeira, Madeira?

Well, Madeira is the portuguese word for wood and it was named that because the island was so densely wooded that they were even afraid to come on land the first few days as they stared at the lush green depths of the forest and imagined the dangerous creatures the foliage could be hiding. There are even written reports that they caught a glimpse of a two meter tall rabbit with long fangs hopping around in the shadows! A testimony to what months at sea combined with rum and a healthy imagination can do.