374 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



pieces, and then there is a great hullabaloo. There 

 used to be no harbour, but a breakwater has been in 

 course of construction for some years past, and will no 

 doubt be finished some day. This is a favourite spot 

 for condemning ships, and a lucrative trade is carried 

 on in derelicts by the people. These vessels are heavily 

 insured of course, are sold for a song, and somebody 

 makes a good thing of it. During the struggle in 

 America, between North and South, large fortunes 

 were made in the island, and also during the time 

 when trade was carried on by India-men to the East, 

 as these islands were a place of call, but with the ex- 

 ception of St. Michael's, all the other islands are going 

 down. If they were peopled by any nation but the 

 Portuguese they might become favourite resorts, 

 especially during winter, as though snow occasionally 

 falls and frosts are not unknown, yet the climate is a 

 great improvement on our own. The peak of Pico, over 

 7,000 ft high, is always enveloped in a thin covering of 

 snow, and ice is often brought down for the use of the 

 wealthier inhabitants during the heat of summer. 

 There are no incidents to record of sport in these islands. 

 The most quail I ever got in a day were forty-eight 

 couple; generally I contented myself with about twenty 

 brace. Five woodcock in one day is my best bag. I 

 kept no record of blue rocks. I shot but few rabbits. 

 These remarks I have added because some reader 

 may wish to go there, but he had better choose either 

 St. Michael's or Fayal ; in the latter very many of the 

 common people speak English, having learnt it in 

 America. It is best to take second-hand furniture and 

 everything you require, even servants, for you will 

 then have less duty to pay than if you import them 



