The Nome daily nugget., 1936-05-30
Prepared by National Geographic Society. Washington, D. C.-WNU Service.

W asDlnRtOn h. b.--" .NO oei f'SS. r TITLE more than 1000 stat
 ute miles from European - mainland and about 1,3OO miles from Newfoundland, in lati- tude a little north of Lisbon, a lit- tie south of New York, lies the most westerly of the nine Azorian islands.
 Fast steamers from New York reach Ponta Delgada, metropolis of the Azores, in five and a nall days. Seaplanes have flown across from Newfoundland between dawn and dusk. Three hospitable har' bors in this friendly archipelago await the coming of commercial seaplanes, which will form another link between the New world and the Old.
 Closely allied as they are with Portugal, of which they form an integral part politically. these fer. tile green islands, with their lush pastures and mist-wreathed noun tains, long ago turned their faces toward the West, sending their frugal, industrial sons to the United States, where, before 1929, there was probably one Azorian to every two left at home. Most of them are found in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and California. More than once on the streets Of Azorian towns, a traveller Is ap preached by a stranger who dOffs his hat and politely inquires: "You are an American?"
 When you assent, your new ac' quaintance informs you he voted in New England or California, but was born in the Azores; was "back home to see the old folks," or "here until times are better in the States
 From a rounded hilltop back of a ralnbow-tinted town, one looks past oblong fields bordered by high stone walls of dark gray lava to tile roofed, many-windowed building stretching between gardens and parks along the curving coast. All about Is the trilling, piping, and futing of birds. In the fields bare foot men sing as they toll.
 Portugai's TsIands Adjacent"
 In the Fifteenth century, the val. iant ocean-mapping Portuguese col onized these islands and, save for 60 years of Spanish rule, have gov. erned them ever since.
 The islands, of volcanic origin, stretch for about 375 miles from northwest to southwest, in three severed groups with clear channels between. Corvo, smallest and by far the most primitive, lies farthest north; Flores, beautiful and well watered farthest west.
 To the southeast, across a tem- pestuous stretch of sea, Is the cen. tral group: Fayal, seat of the ocean conical mOuntain; Sac Jorge, with it's rich pastures, exporting excel. lent cheese; Graciosa, with 'more wine than water"; Terceira, most interesting historically, preserer of old customs.
 Another wide channel and the traveller reaches Sac Miguel. which the British and Americans call st. Michaers, largest and most impor. tant of the group, with Ponta Del gada. chief city of the archlpelago; and, again to the south. Santa Maria, first to be discovered and colonized.
 Islands adjacent" Is Portugals official designation of Madeira and the Azores, the last named. u one wit has remarked, being adjacent only to one another. In Portugese the name Is Azores, which signifies hawks"
 The wide expanse of ocean on every side and the force of the en. composing winds tend to give the newcomer feeling of isolation This lessens as the weeks pass, in spite of .the provoking sight of many big ocean liners, which steam past the Azorian capital with only the blast of the siren as a nod of recognition.
 Portuguese mail boats. leaving Lisbon twice each month, come by way of Funchal, Madeira md reach Ponta Delgada in four days One Of these ships goes only as far north as Fayal; the other goes beyond Fayal to Flores. touching six times year at lonely, storm-harassed lit. tie Corvo. The round trip from Pon' ta Delgada to the northern islands can be made in one week.
 Motor boats and sailing vessels also ply, when weather permits be. tween insular ports.
 Independent of the World
 There is a fruit and p.sepser line of small ships, with semi. monthly service between Popta Del.