Chap, ii.] HORTA. 2/ 



numerous baby volcanoes rise up, and are seen clustering 

 together in irregular groups. 



One crater close to the shore and partly cut into by the 

 waves was very conspicuous. In its loose pumice walls the sea 

 had made an excavation, and had exposed vertical columns of 

 harder trachyte. The hp of the crater facing the sea is partly 

 broken down, and a view is thus obtained right into the conical 

 hollow inside, which is now partly under cultivation. The 

 crater is called Castello Branco by the inhabitants. 



The whole lower part of the island, which has a more gradual 

 slope than the steep cones above, is closely cultivated, and 

 showed as seen from seawards a series of intermingled bright 

 green and yellow fields interspersed with glistening white 

 villages, and numerous churches and monasteries. 



As we neared shore, a large shoal of porpoises was seen close 

 by, going at great speed in full chase after fish, the whole shoal 

 skipping together four or five feet out of water for several 

 successive bounds in hot pursuit. The shoal was closely 

 attended by a flock of gulls, which follow in order to pick up 

 the fish which are bitten or wounded by the porpoises, but 

 which the porpoises have no time to stop to pick up. In the 

 Arafura sea, I have seen frigate birds hanging over a shoal of 

 porpoises with the same object, and in just the same manner 

 m the tropics terns and noddies follow the shoals of large pre- 

 datory fish {Caranx) to pick up the crumbs. The demeanour 

 of a shoal of porpoises on the feed is a very different thing from 

 their lazy rolhng motion which one more commonly sees. 



We rounded a promontory formed of two old craters, one of 

 them with its seaward half entirely demolished by the waves, 

 and its hollow inner slope terraced for cultivation, and came 

 in sight of Horta, the capital town of Fayal. It is almost the 

 most beautifully situated town I have ever seen. It is built 

 along the shore of a wide bay, the white houses being crowded 

 together on a very narrow, almost flat belt of land. Im- 

 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 



