238 GAPvUENS AND ORANGE GROUNDS OF ST. MICHAEL'S. 



opening's, out of which the steam rises to a considerable lieighl, 

 and so hot tliat it cannot be approaclied. In this truly wonderful 

 valley are found, within a few yards of each other, hot sulphur- 

 water and cold iron-water running side by side. About twenty 

 yards distant from the Bocca d'Inferno, the name given by the 

 inhabitants to tlie cave I liave just described, gushes from a rock 

 a strong stream of delicious effervescent soda-water, surpassing 

 any I ever drank in England, and requiring no iceing to make it 

 cool. Standing at this part of the valley spectators would be led 

 to suppose that the bellows of a mighty forge were blowing near 

 them, while sulphureous streams issue out so numerously that 

 the neighbouring bushes are covered with pure brimstone, con- 

 densed from the steam. 



The climate of St. Michael's is remarkably regular, the ther- 

 mometer during the summer months ranging from 76° to 80° 

 and 84° Fahrenheit. A few days in the summer of 1851 it stood 

 at 94° in the shade, but the summer was unusually hot. At this 

 period tlie night temperature ranges from 65° to 70° and 76°. 

 During the winter months the day temperature is from 60° to 

 70°, often rising with strong sunshine as high as 76°. In the 

 valleys, the night temperature at this season ranges from 50° to 

 60°. In January, I have sometimes remarked the thermometer 

 at 40°, but these were rare occurrences. I have adopted this 

 form of giving the temperature for the sake of brevity, making 

 it summer from May to October, and winter from November to 

 April. 



The soil of the island is generally a friable loam, and in the 

 plains of considerable depth, a great quantity being annually 

 carried down by the heavy rains which fall in winter. Yet 

 so fertile is this volcanic soil, that I have seen Indian corn 

 growing where there were only six inches in depth of earth on 

 the rock, and producing excellent crops. Many of the Orange- 

 gardens are formed in places where there is little more than from 

 fifteen to eighteen inches of soil above the shattered mass of 

 rock and rubble, which the volcanoes have thrown together. In 

 some localities a thin coating of black, peaty soil is found, but of 

 so loamy a nature as scarcely to merit the name of peat. 



The native plants of the Azores are not numerous ; some of 

 them, however, are objects of interest : Myrica faya serves the 

 Azorians in a variety of forms, sucli as sheltering their Orange- 

 gardens, and affording fuel, &c., ivhilst its bark possesses the pro- 

 perty of tanning leather, and for this purpose it is much used by 

 the natives. The sides of tlie mountains least exposed to the sea 

 are covered with several species of Laurus, Myrsine retusa, Lau- 

 rustinus, a native .Juniper and Heath, both of great beauty, 

 assuming nuich diversity of habit, according to soil and situation, 



