CHAPTER II. 



AZORES, MADEIRA, CAPE VERDES. 



Fayal Island, Azores. Porpoises on the Feed. Town of Horta. Pecu- 

 liar Dress of the Women. Island of Pico. St. Michael's Island. 

 Native Ferns and Australian-introduced Trees. The Threshing 

 Floor and Women at the Mill. Vegetation of the Azores. HotSprings 

 at Furnas. Plants Growing in the Hot Water. Caldeira des Sette 

 Cidades. Madeira. Grand Cural. Curious Caps worn by the Men. 

 The Island at Sunset. St. Vincent Island, Cape Verdes. Vegetation 

 of the Island. Ascent of Green Mountain. Different Causes of 

 Variation of Vegetation with Altitude. Structure of Basaltic Dykes. 

 Calcareous Seaweeds on Bird Island. Habits of Crabs. Miniature 

 Oasis. Flying Gurnet Hooked. Mode of Catching Bonito. Island 

 of Fogo. Porto Praya, St. Jago Island. Use of Foot in Feeding by 

 Kites. Kingfisher and Galinis. Hauling the Seine. A Large Shark. 

 San Domingo Valley. Monkeys. Remarkable Freshwater Crusta- 

 cean. Limestone Band in the Cliff of the Harbour. 



Azores, July 1st to 10th, 1873. — After a voyage of 19 days 

 from Bermuda, on July ist, the "Challenger" steamed in 

 towards the island of Fayal, which was soon sighted as a blue 

 haze in the far distance which mingled with the clouds and 

 showed a faint outline only here and there. The haze became 

 darker and darker as the island was approached and the outline 

 more distinct, and at last we began to make out the shape of 

 the island clearly with our glasses, and to see the great belt of 

 cultivation on the lower region, with its thickly set rectangular 

 patches of ripe corn. The highest point of the island is only a 

 little over 3,000 feet above sea level ; this part of the structure 

 was not sighted at all by us, for it remained always covered 

 with clouds. 



The whole of the Azores are volcanic, only on Sta. Maria 

 Island is there a small deposit of limestone containing marine 

 shells, of miocene date. The islands are composed of beds of 

 lava, basaltic and trachytic, and cones of scorice and pumice. 

 As we approached Fayal numerous craters became visible, of 

 the usual truncated conical form, but in all stages of decay, and 

 as usual of all sizes. Some huge volcanic masses form the main 

 ridge of the island, and from the slopes and bases of these 



2O 



