AZORES, or Western Islands. These form a range situate in the Atlantic Ocean, extending in an oblique line from north-west to south-east, between the 37th and 40th degrees of north latitude, and the 25th and 32d degrees of west longitude. It has been a subject of some controversy among geographers, to what quarter of the world they ought to be referred. Originally attached to Africa, they were afterwards, with evident impropriety, transferred to America, and are now more generally viewed as part of Europe, although their connection with and general resemblance to the other African groups rather incline us to adhere to the first arrangement.

It does not appear that the ancients had any knowledge of the Azores, or of any group in this sea, except the Canaries, to which they finally applied the celebrated appellation of the Fortunate Islands. But the Arabian geographers, Edrisi and Ibn al Vardi, describe, after the Canaries, nine other islands, situate in the Western Ocean. That these were the Azores is rendered highly probable, by considering that their number is exactly nine, and that mention is made by these writers of the abundance of a species of eagle or hawk; a circumstance which afterwards appeared to the Portuguese so remarkable, that they derived the name of the islands from it. The climate in which they are placed also makes them north of the Canaries. Some other coincidences might be pointed out did our limits permit; and, upon the whole, we see no reason to doubt that the Azores are really the nine islands enumerated by the Arabians, although two of the number might probably be Madeira and Porto Santo, whilst the small islands of Corvo and Flores might remain unnoticed. The Arabian writers represent them as having been populous, and as having contained cities of some magnitude; but they state that the inhabitants had been greatly reduced by intestine warfare.

The first European discovery of this group is claimed by the Flemings. The Portuguese, eagerly bent upon pursuing their career of navigation along the coast of Africa, did not readily turn into any other direction. A Flemish merchant, called Van der Berg, is reported, in sailing from Lisbon, to have been driven upon these shores. The intelligence soon reached the court of Lisbon, where it excited considerable interest. It is even said that Prince Henry went in person to examine the value of this new discovery. In 1459 the islands began to be planted and colonized, and in so fertile a soil the inhabitants rapidly multiplied. In 1466 Alphonzo V. is said to have granted them to his sister the Duchess of Burgundy, though in that case they must have soon reverted to the Portuguese crown. In 1580 they fell, with the other Portuguese territories, under the dominion of Spain.

The Azores were at this time the grand rendezvous in the voyage homewards of the fleets, which came laden with the wealth of both the Indies. Hence they became a theatre of that maritime warfare which was carried on with such spirit by the English under Queen Elizabeth against the peninsular powers. In 1586 Sir Walter Raleigh equipped two pinnaces of 35 and 40 tons, the command of-which he gave to Captain Whiddon. Having taken two or three prizes, they fell in, off St Michael, with the great fleet of Spanish galleons, consisting of 24 sail, two of them caracks of 1000 or 1200 tons. They attacked them, however, without hesitation, hoping to cut off some straggling member of this great body. It will not surprise our readers that they were unable to make any impression upon it; but they retired without loss. In 1587 Sir Francis Drake, after having swept the harbour of Cadiz, sailed for the Azores, where he took an East India carack, richly laden, and the first that had ever fallen into the hands of the English. In 1589 the Earl of Cumberland fitted out a squadron, sailed for the Azores, and made numerous prizes.

Under the active administration of Pombal, considerable exertions were made for the improvement of the Azores; but the stupid and bigoted government which followed rather tended to destroy these benefits, and to make the islands take a retrograde course.

The Azores have of late attracted some attention as the theatre of contest between the parties contending for the crown of Portugal. The adherents of the constitution, who support against Miguel the rights of Maria da Gloria, obtained possession of Terceira, where they have succeeded in maintaining themselves. They have even by the latest accounts been able to occupy Fayal; but St Michael is still held by their adversaries.

In giving a description of these islands, we shall begin with St Michael, the largest and most populous, and the one in which the peculiar physical structure of the Azores is exhibited on the greatest scale. It consists generally of a fertile plain, but diversified by an infinite variety of hills and mountains, all bearing evident marks of volcanic action. The centre of the island contains chiefly small conical hills; but the eastern and western quarters rise into lofty mountains, with deep valleys and lakes intervening. The face of the country is almost everywhere smiling; the plains are covered with luxuriant crops; vines and oranges grow on the hills; and even the mountains are adorned with myrtles, laurels, and other evergreen shrubs. All appears a paradise; nor could the observer at first suspect that this was a spot chosen, as it were, by nature for the display of all her most terrible phenomena. The form of the mountains, however, soon indicates their history. There are few which, after being moulded by the volcano, have not been rent by the earthquake. In some cases the chasm is so complete, that a level path has been formed between the severed members. One of the most remarkable appearances of this kind occurs in the Porto de Ilheo, a small island about a quarter of a mile from the harbour of Villa Franca. Here a volcanic rock, 2000 feet high, has been completely split, exhibiting a chasm 39 feet wide from the top, to seven feet below the surface of the water. It thus forms, for a few small vessels, a harbour perfectly safe from every vicissitude of the weather.

In the year 1591 a most tremendous earthquake appears to have been felt all over the Azores, and to have shaken St Michael for twelve days without intermission. Since that period there is no record of ally such great convulsion, except one in 1757, of which we have no particulars, and it was probably much less formidable; nor are any of its volcanoes at present in a state [7:4:263]of action. Hot springs abound in every part of the island, and from almost every crevice vapour is seen issuing. But the most remarkable phenomena are the Caldeiras or boiling fountains, which rise chiefly from a valley called the Furnas, near the western extremity of the island. The water ascends in columns to the height of about twelve feet, after which it dissolves in vapour, forming clouds of various shapes and colours. The heat is such as to boil an egg in two minutes, though the sulphureous impregnation unfits it for being employed in culinary purposes. The ground in the immediate vicinity is entirely covered with native sulphur, like hoar frost. At a small distance is a remarkable phenomenon called the Muddy Crater, the vertex of which, forty-five feet in diameter, is on a level with t 4 he plain. Its contents are in a state of violent and continual ebullition, accompanied with a sound resembling the waves of a tempestuous ocean. Yet they never rise above its level, unless occasionally to throw to a small distance a spray of the consistence of melted lead. The Furnas abound also in hot springs, some of which it is impossible to touch without being scalded. There is almost always, however, a cold spring near to the hot one, so that the water can be brought to any temperature that may be desired. These springs, after being long neglected, have, within the last half century, been greatly resorted to, and the cures performed in cases of palsy, rheumatism, and similar maladies, are said to have been very wonderful.

St Michael is about 50 miles in length, and varies in breadth from about 5 to 12 miles. The plains are fertile in wheat, barley, and Indian corn; whilst vines and oranges grow luxuriantly on the sides of the mountains. They are made to spring even from the interstices of the volcanic rocks, which are sometimes blasted in order that they may receive the plants. Raised in this manner, these fruits are said to be of superior quality; but the great expense originally required in such a mode of cultivation confines it to persons of some capital. The western part of the island yields hemp, which might be raised to a considerable extent. There is also a mountain called Picode Per, which appears to be rich in iron, though no means are at present employed for extracting the ore. The exports consist of wine, fruit, and provisions. Foreign intercourse used to be confined rigorously to Lisbon; but since the emigration of the court, the inhabitants have assumed the privilege of trafficking directly with England, America, and other countries. After defraying the expense of its local government, it yields L.28,000 of revenue to the mother country.

lhe principal town in the island is Ponta del Gada, which contains about 12,000 inhabitants. It is built with tolerable regularity, the streets being straight and broad, lhe religious edifices are numerous and elegant. They consist of two large convents of the orders of St Francis and St Augustin, four for professed nuns, and three re-colhimentos for such as are not professed. The harbour receives only small vessels: those of any magnitude must anchor in an open road, which, though not dangerous, cannot be occupied during the prevalence of southerly gales. It is, however, the best roadstead in the 1 ≡land. Ribeira Grande is also a large town on the south coast, containing nearly as many inhabitants as Ponta del Lada. It has two large convents, and there are several warm springs situate in its neighbourhood. Villa Franca, a so, though nearly destroyed by the earthquake of 1591, p no ' v a considerable city. Alagoa, Agoa de Pao, Porto τt rm °μ a, an d a few others, are also of some magnitude. , 1 e o °^ e num t ,er of inhabitants in the island is estimat-t 11^ Tθ ’ θ9θ 0r θθ>θθθ∙ The people appear to be hospi-a e, but indolent and luxurious, and entirely under the °mmion of the priesthood.

St Mary is a small island immediately adjacent to St Michael, through the medium of which its trade is conducted, as it has no good harbours of its own. It produces wheat in abundance, and exports a considerable quantity. The soil is composed of clay, which is partly manufactured into pottery.

Terceira, though smaller than St Michael, yet being placed in a more central position with respect to the other islands, has been chosen as the seat of government. The port of Angra is also superior to any of those in St Michael. This island doesnotexhibitnearly the same extensive traces of volcanic action; and the summits of its mountains are generally level. It is represented by Adanson, however, as entirely composed of volcanic products. The lava, he says, is of a thicker grain than that of Teneriffe. It abounds in grain and cattle; but the wines are inferior, and the fruits are-raised merely for internal consumption. The residence of the government renders the society somewhat superior to that which is found in the other islands. The number of inhabitants is estimated at 50,000.

Fayal is the most frequented of all the islands, as it has the best harbour in the Azores, and lies directly in the track of vessels that are crossing the Atlantic in any direction. The principal town is called Villa de Horta. Captain Cook observes that all sorts of fresh provisions may be got there; the bullocks and hogs are good, but the sheep small and wretchedly poor. The town is defended by two castles and a wall, both in decay, and serving rather for show than strength. The city contains two convents for monks and three for nuns, with eight churches. These are the only good buildings in it, no other having glass windows. The bay is two miles in length and three quarters of a mile in breadth, and the depth of water from six to twenty fathoms. Though a good road, it is not altogether free from danger in south-south-west and southeast winds.

A considerable quantity of wine is exported from this place under the appellation of Fayal wine, but really the produce of Pico one of the most remarkable of the Azores. This island is composed of an immense conical mountain, rising to the height of 7000 feet, and bearing every trace of volcanic formation. The soil consists entirely of pulverized lava, and the ground has even been said to sound hollow when struck. All the lower parts of the mountain are in the highest state of cultivation, and covered with vine and orange plantations. The wine annually exported to the amount of about 5000 pipes forms a sort of inferior Madeira, which, selling fifty per cent, lower, is in considerable demand. Picoproduces also a valuable species of wood, resembling and equal in quality to mahogany.

Graciosa and St George are two small islands, situated between Fayal and Terceira. Graciosa is chiefly noted for the extreme beauty of its aspect and scenery. St George has recently been exposed to one of those awful visitations to which the Azores are subject. In 1808 a caldeira, situate in the centre of the island, was observed to be in a state of violent fermentation. It continued during several days to emit subterraneous noises, and to cause violent convulsions throughout every part of the island. At length the great crisis came; vast streams of fire issued forth in every direction, with clouds of smoke, which, but for the volcanic light, would have involved every thing in midnight darkness. The principal stream took its direction towards the beautiful town of Ursula, which it seemed on the point of swallowing up; but suddenly changing its direction, it rushed into the sea by a different channel; a happy event, which superstition ascribed to the prayers of the Ursuline nuns. Many hundred acres of fertile land, however, were covered with scoriae and ashes; some lives were lost, and [7:4:264]general gloom and consternation diffused throughout the island. The inhabitants, however, showed no disposition to emigrate, and soon applied themselves to repair the damages which their island had sustained.

The two small and most westerly islands of Corvo and Flores seem but imperfectly to belong to the group. They lie also out of the usual track of navigators; but to those who, missing their course, are led thither, Flores affords good shelter in its numerous bays. Its poultry is said to be the finest in the world; and the cattle are numerous, but small. The surplus produce of these islands is not of much importance.

It would be improper to close this notice without mentioning one of the most striking occurrences in nature, sometimes exhibited in this quarter—the sudden emersion of new islands from the bosom of the ocean. The first relation of such an event is given by Kircher in. his Mundus Subterraneus. He describes it as announced by violent earthquakes, which lasted for eight days; then a fire broke from the surface of the sea, and rose to the clouds, whilst vast quantities of stones, earth, sand, and minerals, were at the same time vomited out. At length a group of rocks burst forth, which gradually increased till they covered several miles in circumference, and, after being shattered by a new earthquake, settled into a solid consistence.

A narrative of a similar phenomenon is given in the 32d volume of the Philosophical Transactions. John Robison, master of a small vessel, is stated to have arrived on the 10th December 1720 at Terceira, “near which island he saw a fire break out of the sea.” On his arrival at Angra, the governor hired his vessel for the purpose of going to view it “On the 19th,” says he, “at two afternoon, we made an island all fire and smoke. The ashes fell on our deck like hail and snow. The fire and smoke roared like thunder or great guns.” He adds, that quantities of pumice stone, probably common lava, and of half-broiled fish, were found floating on the sea in its vicinity.

A similar phenomenon took place in February 1811, about half a league from the western extremity of the island of St Michael. It seems to have been attended with nearly the usual symptoms; fire bursting from the sea, and ascending into the air like a host of sky-rockets, accompanied with vast volumes of smoke and showers of scoriae and lava. The rocks, however, did not rise above the surface of the water, but appeared immediately under it, with the waves dashing furiously round them. The previous soundings are said to have been eighty fathoms. 1

On taking a general view of these phenomena, and of the other peculiarities of the Azores, it is impossible not to lament that they should not yet have been surveyed by any scientific observer; and we would fain entertain the hope that some traveller, properly qualified, may at length be induced to turn his attention to a group of islands which, more than any other, seems to offer a rich field of observation and discovery to geologists and naturalists in general.

See Hartmann’s Edrisi ; Voyages des Hollandais, tome i.; Astley’s Collection, vol. i.; Masson’s Account of St Miguel, in Phil. Trans. 1778; Cook’s SecondVoyage; Adanson’s Voyage to Senegal ; History of the Azores, London, 1813. (e.)