Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-10-08
FACTS ABOUT The AZORES
Interesting and Exhaustive Report by
Hawaiian Consul General.
Home Rule In Principal Group Wonderful
Results Of lndustry-Cable and Free
Hospitals Discount Hawaii.

Senior Bernardo Machado de
Faria Maria, Hawaiian Consul
General for the Azores, has made
an elaborate report on that archi-
pelago to the Foreign Office. He
begins with a geographical sketch,
showing the situation of the three
distinct groups forming the archi
pelago. They are the Formigas,
Santa Maria and st. Michael isl.
ands, and lie in a north westerly
and southeasterly direction, at
27:20 W. longitude and 81 40 N.
latitude.
Gonsalo Nelho Cabral, com
msnder of Almorol Castle, was in
the year 143l ordered by the In
FAINT d. Henrique to make sail in
discovery of new lands in the
western seas. In the middle of
the ocean he discovered group of
rocks disposed in a right line, to
which he gave the name of For
migas ('snts"j, because they
looked like ants crawling in a row.
The next year Cabral sailed again
and, fifteen miles from Formigas,
he discovered one island and
called its name Santa Maria.
Twelve years later, 1444, the same
voysger ran against another island
and named it st. Michael. The
other islands were discovered be
tween 1444 and 1850. All of the
islands are Of volcanic origin, as
proved by an enormous number
Of extinct crsters they contain.
Santa Maria has a population
of 1000. Game and fish are very
abundant. Commerce is very
limited and exports are light. The
island produces enough grain and
cattle for the subsistence of it's
people.
st. Michael is the most con-
siderable of all the islands of the
archipelago, and is situated at a
distance of 636 miles from the
Cape of Espichol in Portugal. 1t
forms with the island of Santa
Maria one district named District
of Ponta Delgada, where abides
all the civil, Judicial AID military
authorities. Its capital is the
town of Ponts Delgada. The po-
pulstion of the island is about
10000. Agriculture is we'll de-
veloped in many villages, all of
which are joined by firstrate car
risge road. There is no railroad
yet, but one is being considered.
The district is governed by a
civil Governor appointed by the
Government of Portugal. He
superintends all the other func
tionsries in the execution of the
laws and keeps the home Govern
ment informed of everything.
There are five judges in the dis
trict, one being at the capital and
the others at other towns. There
is besides an appellate court of
seven judges.
The district was granted home
rule, to a certain extent, by the
Government of Portugal in 1896.
All the villages elect members to a
local parliament, whose laws are
executed by a commission com
posed OF the president of the par
liamep', the secretary and three
members elected by the parlis
ment. The parliament, called the
Junts Geral, meets annually in
April, and has revenue of about
$500, 900, which is voted for the
support of an insane asylum,
roads and lighthouses. Great
liberty is enjoyed in this island.
The climate is very mild. Neither
cold nor hot weather is known.
Senior Maria infinitely des-
cribes the harbor, whose works
were begun in 1861. Enormous
difficulties have been surmounted
in its construction, storms many
times destroying part of the works.
Now the harbor, protected by a
solid mole, offers to ships a
safe shelter against all winds. II
is 300 meters wide at the entrance
with depth of from 8 to ls
meters at low water. Its basin
comprises 100000 square meters,
whereof a third is intended for
ships drawing l8 to 81 feet, and
two other equal sections for two
smaller classes of vessels. Along
the breakwater are quays where
the water varies in depth from 8
to l0a meters. There are six tugs,
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