216 



Account of the Island of Si. MichaeK [April I,. 



Tliis asylum was established at a period 

 when ideas of devotion were consi- 

 dered as tlie fundamental principle of 

 education : it is well known of what 

 utility this house has been for forming 

 ecclesiastics and teachers. The esta- 

 blishments of a more modern date 

 have been more specially conceived 

 with Che view of favouring trades and 

 industry : tiiey are less occupied with 

 the instruction of the Latin language. 

 There exists, however, an immense 

 number of fellowsiiips for tiiose who 

 devote themselves to the higher 

 studies. 



The Houses of Industry for volun- 

 tary workmen, were at first generally 

 united to those where persons were 

 placed upon whom labour was imposed 

 as a punishment; and one of the 

 greatest ameliorations which have 

 since been made in them, is the esta- 

 blishing a marked distinction between 

 these two classes. Labour given to 

 the poor has constantly diminished 

 the number of them. At Hamburgh. 

 in 1788, there were reckoned 9,7.57 

 poor in a population of 130,000 souls ; 

 in 1798, there were only 6,013. There 

 is generally a difficulty felt in choosing 

 an occupation within the reach of 

 every one, and which does no injury 

 to the industry of private individuals. 



For the MoiUhli/ Magazine. 



SOME ACCOUNT of the ISLAND of ST. 



MICHAEL, one of the Azores. 



THE groupe of Azores, or Western 

 Islands, in the Atlantic Ocean, 

 which arc situated between 37° and 

 39^° of latitude, and belong to Portu- 

 gal, are occasionally visited by vessels 

 on their voyage to the Indies, or cir- 

 cumnavigating the globe: but we 

 seldom find any voyager examining 

 them with a curious eye. 



Dr. Webster, an American physi- 

 cian, embarked on a voyage to these 

 islands, to investigate their natural 

 history, particularly that of the island 

 of St. INIichael, which is the largest. 

 Independently of his geological re- 

 searches, his remarks extend to the 

 moral state of the Archipelago, which 

 is the exact type of what it was three 

 centuries ago; that is, nearly station- 

 ary, a stranger to the progress of 

 civilization ai-.d knowledge in Europe. 



In the Portuguese colonies, as in 

 China, the least innovation would have 

 been deemed a dangerous revolution ; 

 ameliorations were dreaded, for fear 

 of disconcerting flic present order of 



things. It is not long since chairs 

 w ere introduced into the Azores ; till 

 then the islanders sat on their haunches; 

 for this, and other conveniences, they 

 are obliged to the English and Ame- 

 ricans. Their furniture, all of Portu- 

 guese manufacture, was as heavy and 

 incommodious as they existed at the 

 time of the colonization of the Archi- 

 pelago. The morgados or proprietors 

 knew not what to do either with their 

 time or their money : the former was 

 passed in eating, drinking, and sleep- 

 ing ; and the latter they hid in the 

 earth. With these privileged occupa- 

 tions, they considered themselves as 

 much superior to the rest of the inha- 

 bitants. Reading and writing formed 

 a brancli of knowledge rather uncom- 

 mon ; and, to pass for an accomplished 

 person, it was sufficient to have by 

 heart a {ew formula of devotion. In- 

 deed it was of little use to learn t» 

 read, as no books were allowed X^>. 

 circulate freely, except a few prayer- 

 books. The monks exercised a power 

 no less s(ui)id than despotic over the 

 mind and intellect: no publicatiou 

 could be introduced without their 

 permission, and all French works were 

 proscribed in mass. 



The ecclesiastical state thriving the 

 best in these islands, t!iey swarmed 

 with priests and monks, most of whonx 

 had no other occupation than that 

 assigned them by their offices. Several 

 made themselves useful in families ; 

 they also sung nwdui/tas, a sort of 

 songs, accompanying them with the 

 guitar ; and could play at billiards : 

 these were the most knowing of their 

 order. Music, in general, is familiar 

 to the islanders, and many rise to 

 excellence in it. 



Dr. Webster quotes a curious ex- 

 ample of mummery exhibited by the 

 clergy of St. Michael, in relation to the 

 peasants. At the festival of the Holy 

 Ghost, which lasts seven weeks, and is 

 celebrated in every parish, the priest, 

 every Sunday at high mass, placed a 

 crown of silver on the head of a 

 peasant, previously elected by the 

 people ; a sceptre was put into his 

 hand ; he was made to sit under a 

 canopy, during the rest of the office or 

 service ; and then proclaimed Empe- 

 rador. On leaving the church, the 

 multitude escorted him home, scat- 

 tering flowers in his passage, and 

 receiving the benedictions which ho 

 liberally distributed, waving his scep- 

 tre, liis cottage was repuiied, white- 

 washed. 



