History of the Azores, or Western Islands. Containing an account of the government, laws, and religion, the manners, ceremonies, and character of the inhabitants: and demonstrating the importance of these valuable islands to the British Empire / Illustrated with maps and other engravings. [Anon].

  • Ashe, Thomas, 1770-1835.
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: History of the Azores, or Western Islands. Containing an account of the government, laws, and religion, the manners, ceremonies, and character of the inhabitants: and demonstrating the importance of these valuable islands to the British Empire / Illustrated with maps and other engravings. [Anon]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    319/344 (page 289)
    other. The two last are tributaries to the first, as Saint Mary’s is to Saint Michael’s : that is, having no good harbours or safe roadsteads, they send their produce to Tercera, where it is negotiated for them, and from whence they draw their returns. In making the island from the north side, it is proper to stand round it, in order to make the best anchorage, which is at Ponto de las Velas, on the beach of which stands a neat little town with churches, convents, and all the other glittering emblems of Christianity, for which the most ordinary Portuguese villages are conspicuous. At the time of my arrival the inhabitants were in deep mourning, and a character of dark gloom and mystery pervaded the whole scene. The remains of consterna- tion and horror had preserved its reign in most coun- tenances, and made that kind of impression on me, that I hesitated to demand the cause ; nor was it necessary to demand it, for on walking to an eminence above the town, I could perceive the cause to exist in the general wreck and smoking ruins of the country. You will comprehend from this, that the island had lately under- gone the dreadful operation of au earthquake, and the more dreadful evil of a volcanic eruption. It was in the year 1808, when a caldeira, seated in the middle of the island, was perceived to be in a very agitated state,