65 
+ 
the island, with a small garden, neatly laid out, and kept in 
excellent order. From thence we strolled to a convent of 
nuns, from whom Mrs, -Robertson purchased a parcel of 
artificial flowers of ordinary workmanship, and on our coming 
away had a kiss from the Lady Abbess, a matron-looking 
woman of fifty, a favour which we could not prevail on her to 
extend to the rest of the party. From the nunnery we went 
to the Franciscan monastery, but saw only one friar, the rest 
being engaged at a funeral procession, He was a lad of 16, 
habited in a black frock, with a white cord tied round his 
waist, the instrument of flagellation, but seemingly of too 
slight a texture to make any serious impression on his skin. 
Next morning we went, still accompanied by our obliging 
Cicerone, to view the house of the Spanish Consul, lately 
deceased, whose widow, a finè woman, and a native of the 
island, showed us the grounds, and was uncommonly polite 
and attentive to us. The house stands on an eminence, over- 
looking the town and bay, and commands an extensive view 
of the most romantic scenery that can be conceived. 
* Fayal, or Villa Orta, contains about 4000 inhabitants, 
and, though not the residence of the Governor-General, is the 
largest and most commercial town in the Azores. It consists 
of one principal street, running parallel with the shore, and 
faithfully conforming to all its sinuosities. A number of 
minor streets, or rather lanes, branch from it in all possible 
angles but the rightone. These streets were originally paved 
with blocks of lava, which wearing unequally away through 
time, have left them in a deplorable state of ruggedness. The 
houses are mostly old and decayed, the walls white-washed, 
the windows latticed, but rarely glazed, those on the ground- 
floor iron-grated, and all of them edged with a black funereal 
border. 'The convents are numerous, and apparently coeval 
with the first settlement of the island, but now bearing evident 
marks of that general decadence which impends over the faith 
that reared them. jt vidc 
*'The common people are extremely civil to strangers, 
invariably saluting them as they pass, and the citizens and 
friars usually follow the same practice. The peasants go very 
VOL, III. F 
