The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1924-02-29

prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety, Washington. d. CO
The Azores, historic halfway house
Of the Atlantic, come into their own as
n traffic station in the winter when the
Europe-bound stream Of tourists runs
TO the Mediterranean countries rath-
er than to northern Europe. Just as
Columbus, plying between a port near
the Strait Of Gibraltar and America,
passed among the Azores, so modern
steamer lanes touch the islands; and
the tourists refresh themselves by
hasty visits to its picturesque towns
and countryside as the really ocean
weary world explorers cheered and
revived their spirits by setting foot
nee more on terra frma.
These quaint bits Of land almost in
mid-Atlantic are we'll worth more than
the hasty, passing visit that most tour
lists give them. The central cluster Of
Fayal, Pico, Sac Jorge, Graciosa and
Terceira, lies more than $40 miles di-
rectly west OF Lisbon. About 80 miles
northwest of this centrally located
group are Flores and COrvo, and APP
proximately the same distance to the
southeast Santa Maria, and the larg-
est and most important Of all, st.
Michaels (Sao Miguel).
The Azores are not, as is generally
supposed, a colonial possession, but
form an integral part Of Portugal. For
political and administrative purposes
they are divided into three districts,
each sending it's representatives to the
congress at Lisbon.
Owing to their location, the Azores
have played a very important part in
the history of sea navigation, and even
in aerial navigation, for they were the
halfway house in the epochal trans
atlantic flight by American naval off,
GERS in the seaplane NC-4.
The keen interest that the Azoreans
manifested in the first transatlantic
flight had a d Der cause than mere
curiosity. The. remember that the
first sailin~ vessel that crossed the
Atlantic, over four hundred years ago,
landed at one of their islands. They
were the first to receive from Column
bus the news Of the discovery Of a
new world, and they hailed with de-
light the opportunity to welcome TO
their shores the first man to win the
title Of columbus Of the Air"
Discovered by CabraI.
The discovery Of Madeira, the Ca
naries and the Azores islands was a
direct result Of the persistent efforts
Of Prince Henry the navigator, of
Portugal, to double Cape BojadOr and
to discover a new route to India. 1t
Portuguese explorations that Goncalo
Velho Cabral discovered Santa Maria,
the most sOutherly Of the Azores, in
1882. In the course of succeeding
years, covering a period Of more than
a decade, the other islands were dis
covered.
From hat time on down to modern
days the Azores, or Western islands,
became the scene Of many an historic
event.
Violent earthquakes have disturbed
the Azores during the centuries since
their discovery down to the Eight
zenith. The annals Of the islands vie
with those OF Italy in graphic accounts
of the ever-interesting and terrible vol
canic phenomena. Cities were buried,
mountains disappeared and sent their
ashes to unbelievable distances; is
lands hundreds OF feet high suddenly
appeared and as suddenly disappeared,
and flames OF fire illuminated whole
islands and their intervening waters.
There is perhaps no country In the
world that has such a heavy tide Of
emigration. in proportion TO the num-
her Of its Inhabitants, as the Western
islands. Some Of the emigrants go TO
Brazil, but by far Nhe majority to the
United States. During the year be
fore the World war. 5000 Azoreans
emigrated TO the United States, and IT
Is estimated that there are $4,000
Azorcans in California and over co.
900 in New Bedford, Mass, Providence,
II. T.. and other parts Of New England,
making n total Of almost 100000. The
population Of all The Azores Is scarce
" 100000. Many OF the 0mlgrants re-
turn home. and almost all of the in
habitants OF some OF the islands have
been In the United States