AZORES. 35 



else. Of these Atlantic plants 36 are found in the Azores.* 

 Examples of them are the laurel (Laurus canariensis) and the 

 juniper (Juniperus brevifolia). One little plant, a Campanula 

 (C. viclalii), is found only on one small rock on the east coast of 

 Mores (one of the Azores), and nowhere else in the world. 

 Nearly all the shrubs and trees of the Atlantic group of islands 

 are evergreens. 



We crossed a stretch of the plateau, and suddenly looked 

 down on the other side of it into an immense deep, nearly 

 circular crater, beautifully green. Its undulating bottom was 

 dotted over with white houses -amongst gardens and corn-fields, 

 and in the distance was seen a small column of steam hovering 

 over the hot springs. We drove down a steep incline for at 

 least a couple of miles, and at last reached the village of Furnas. 

 The road hence to the hot springs led across a small stream fed 

 by them, deeply stained red, and smelling strongly of sulphu- 

 retted hydrogen. Thence the path went up a little valley, cut 

 out in the low ridge of very fine light whitish ashes which 

 separates the main Furnas valley from that part of it in which 

 the Furnas lake is situate. It is a beautiful tiny glen, with dark 

 evergreen foliage on its steep banks, and on the swamp borders 

 of its narrow bed were masses of the brilliant green leaves of the 

 eatable Arum -(Caladium esculentum), one of the staple foods of the 

 Polynesians, their " taro." The taro is cultivated all over the 

 islands, but thrives here especially in the warm mineral water. 



The Furnas lake is about three miles in circumference. 

 There are two groups of boiling springs, the one at the margin 

 of the lake, the other close to the town of Furnas. 



The boiling springs near the lake are scattered over an area 

 of about 40 yards square, covered with a greyish clayey deposit ; 

 a geyser or hot-spring formation, being composed of matter de- 

 posited by the hot water. No doubt the present hot springs are 

 the dwindled remains of former fully developed geysers. The 

 principal spring consists of a basin about 12 feet in diameter, 

 full up to within about 2 feet of the brim of a blueish water, 

 which in the centre is in constant and most violent ebullition, 



* A. Grisebach, " Die Vegetation der Erde." Leipzig, 1872, 2ter Bd. 

 s. 503. 



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