AZORES. 



31 



mediately behind the main body of houses, rises a series of 

 steep hills covered with the most brilliantly green gardens, 

 orange trees, and magnolias, with houses dotted amongst them 

 at various heights, and here and there churches and monasteries. 

 The lower hills are backed by the main mountain mass, the 

 summit of which was hidden in the clouds. In full view of 

 Horta is the island of Pico with its towering cone. 



The town is thoroughly Portuguese in appearance. The 

 houses are whitewashed as at Lisbon, with green Venetian 

 blinds and window frames and balconies. The women are 

 better looking than at Lisbon. They dress in remarkable dark 

 blue cloth cloaks with enormous long coal-scuttle shaped hoods 

 to them, so that one has to look down a sort of tunnel to see a 

 pretty face at the end of it, and it is impossible to get any but 

 a full face view of a beauty, or 

 to steal a sly glance at all. 

 The girls save up their money 

 most carefully, in order to 

 become possessed of one of 

 these fashionable cloaks. They 

 cost about six pounds, and a 

 girl has to work two years and 

 a half to get one. Horta has 

 many primitive ways. The old 

 women sit at their doors and 

 spin with the spindle and dis- 

 taff. 



The gardens are all sur- 

 rounded by high walls to pro- 

 tect them from the furious 

 gales which blow here in win- 

 ter, and which would else de- 

 stroy all the fruit trees. Fruit 

 was abundant, apricots were bought at 20 for a penny. The 

 prevalence of small pox in the town prevented our making any 

 stay. I slipped on shore in a fruit boat, or I should not have 

 been allowed to land at all. 



The sea beach has a most peculiar appearance to an eye not 



COSTUME OF WOMEN AT HORTA. 



(From a photograph.) 





