( 8fi ) 



ou to blow so liJird tliiit wo were glad to weigh anchor and take shelter under Pico, 

 where we reniaiiicd till morning. 



A few hours later we steamed into the harlioiir at llorta, the capital of 

 Fa3al. There we called on the Civil Governor, and on Captain Lima, of the 

 gunboat Aeor, as well as on others to whom we had brought letters of intro- 

 duction, and in every instance met with great kindness and offers of assistance; 

 Mr. Jlillier-'Wood, the head of the English telegrajih station, was specially kind 

 and heliiful. We arranged that the gunboat should, weather permitting, call for 

 us at Flores on April 20th and convey us to Graciosa. 



In dull, misty weather, but fortunately comparatively calm, we arrived off 

 Corvo at a.m. on April 14th. Tlie landing-place is so beset with dangerous 

 rocks sticking up in every direction that, in anything like rough weather, lauding 

 is quite imi)racticable. The captain having kindly promised to wait for us till 

 11 o'clock, we were soon on shore, and, working our way up the island, made for 

 the Caldeira. The weather was so thick and our time so limited that we only 

 succeeded in climbing about half way up to the summit. Apart from the 

 cultivated tields and a few stunted fig-trees and reeds, there was no vegetation 

 except grass, but the crater and the lake within are said to be very line, and we 

 would gladly have spent a couple of days on this interesting volcano, had not the 

 uncertainty of being able to return to Flores by boat deterred us. 



A few hours later we arrived oft" Santa Cruz, Flores ; but owing to the state 

 of the wind and tide, we were obliged to anchor a mile from the landing-place. 

 Mr. Mackay, the British Consul, came on board to welcome us, and introduced 

 us to Mr. Mendouca, to whom we had letters of introduction. We took up our 

 quarters in a little house in the town, the only one available. It was inconveniently 

 situated for collecting, as we had to start every morning from sea-level for our 

 collecting ground, and the nearest trees suitable for sugaring were some distance 

 off. After two attempts to reach the high ground, which were frustrated by heavy 

 rain and tliick mist, we were favoured by a tine day, and able to visit the four 

 Caldeiras and the large marsh in the middle of the island. We found a few Wild 

 Unck, Snipe, Gulls, and Terns breeding, and saw the usual Passerine birds, such as 

 Canary, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Blackbird, and Goldcrest, but nothing new or of especial 

 interest. The Buzzard only occurs as an occasional straggler on Flores and Corvo, 

 and we met with none. As we were descending across the high open ground a 

 drenching rainstorm overtook us, and we returned, as usual, wet to the skin. The 

 rainfall in Flores must be very heavy indeed, and during the remaining days spent 

 on the island our work was greatly hindered by an almost continuous downpour, 

 accompanied by a high north-west wind. This blew up a big sea, and the huge 

 breakers crashing heavily on the rocky coast at Santa Cruz were a truly magnificent 

 sight. 



The island of Flores is very lovely, and with its wild, i)ictnresque coast scenery 

 and splendid seas, should i)rove a most attractive spot to any artist who paints 

 such subjects. 



On the 2uth, contrary to expectation, the little gunboat turned up at Santa 

 Cruz. It appeared that she left Fayal in fine weather, but when about half way 

 to Flores ran into a heavy storm, and only made the harbour after twenty-seven 

 hours' steaming against wind and sea with an average of barely four knots an hour. 

 Captain Lima and his oflScers were kindness itself, the former giving up his cabin 

 to us. As the weather had now moderated, we quickly finished our jjacking, and 



