30 THE ATLANTIC. [chap. i. 



We were surprised to find the faima varied and abundant. As 

 in the case of plants, it seems in some cases to take but little 

 time for animals to spread in undiminished numbers over an 

 area where every trace of life must assuredly have been de- 

 stroyed by the rain of fire and brimstone. In the evening 

 we passed eastward through the channel between Pico and San 

 Jorge, and greatly enjoyed the fine scenery of the latter island, 

 which rises inland into a bold mountain ridge, and presents to 

 the sea a nearly unbroken mural cliff, ranging to upward of 500 

 feet in height. 



On the evening of the 4tli of July we anchored in the road- 

 stead of Ponta Delgada, the capital of San Miguel, and the 

 chief town of the Azores. We were a little anxious about Pon- 

 ta Delgada, for we had been told at Fayal that small-pox was 

 prevalent there also ; and although our information was not 

 very definite, and we were in hope that it might prove incor- 

 rect, it was with great satisfaction that we heard from the quar- 

 antine ofiicer that they had had no cases for a year past. Leave 

 was accordingly freely given, and we all prepared to make the 

 most of our stay, which could not be extended beyond five days 

 at the farthest, if we hoped to hold to our future dates. 



Ponta Delgada is very like Horta. It curves in the same 

 way round the shore of a bay, and gardens and orange-groves 

 clothe the slope of a receding amphitheatre of hills ; but there 

 is more space about it, and apparently more activity and enter- 

 prise. One of the first things we saw was a locomotive steam- 

 engine bringing down blocks of lava, to satiate, if possible, the 

 voracity of the sea, and enable them to finish in peace a very 

 fine breakwater, for whose construction every box of oranges 

 exported has paid a tax for some years past. The wild south- 

 westerly storms of winter pull down the pier nearly as fast as 

 it is built, and the engineer has adopted the plan of simply 

 bringing an unlimited supply of rough blocks, and leaving the 

 waves to work their wicked will with them and arrauire them 



