28 



vVZORES. 



to them, so that one has to look down a sort of tunnel to see a 

 pretty face at the end of it, and it is impossible to get any but 



a full-face view of a beauty, 

 or to steal a sly glance at 

 all. The girls save up their 

 money most carefully, in 

 order to become possessed 

 of one of these fashionable 

 cloaks. They cost about 

 six pounds, and a girl has 

 to work two years and a 

 half to get one. Horta 

 has many primitive ways. 

 The old women sit at their 

 doors and spin with the 

 spindle and distaff. 



The gardens are all sur- 

 rounded by high walls to 

 protect them from the 

 furious gales which blow 

 here in winter, and which 

 would else destroy all the 

 fruit trees. Fruit was 

 abundant ; apricots were 

 bought at 20 for a penny. 

 The prevalence of small 

 pox in the town prevented 

 our making any stay. I 

 slipped on shore in a fruit boat, or I should not have been 

 allowed to land at all. 



The sea beach has a most peculiar appearance to an eye not 

 accustomed to volcanic shores, being composed of fine volcanic 

 sand which is absolutely black. The sand is made up of 

 ground-up lava and ejected dust, and is full of crystals of 

 olivine, augite, hornblende, and quartz, with abundance of 

 magnetic iron particles, which cling to a magnet when it is 

 brought near. 



The ship was off Pico in the evening of July 2nd. The 

 clouds gradually cleared off the island, at first hovering about 

 its summit, then remaining as a belt some way below the top 

 of the cone, and finally disappearing altogether, and leaving the 

 majestic peak in full view, lit up by a splendid red sunset glow. 

 The peak is a steep cone, rising abruptly to 7,613 feet above 

 sea level from a more gently sloping base, on which are 

 numerous secondary craters which look like little pimples on 

 the surface of their huge parent. The top of the cone is cut 



COSTUME OF WOSIEN AT HORTA. 



(From a photograph.) 



