In the Azores. 



375 



afterwards. There is a mail once a fortnight. Steamers 

 now ply to Fayal and St. Michael's from America; there 

 were only sailing vessels in my day. Gunpowder is 

 a contraband article and has to be smuggled. I got 

 mine over from New York. But on first going there 

 you might put any quantity between your clothes in 

 your boxes, as the chances are they would not be ex- 

 amined, but anything coming afterwards by steamer 

 or sailing vessel is rigidly searched. Shot and gun caps 

 can be bought, but wads had better be taken. A 

 stove is requisite in winter; there are a few 7 to be picked 

 up in the island, but they are scarce and dear. Fuel 

 can be purchased. Every house has attached to it 

 large reservoirs for water, which is carefully collected 

 off the roofs and stored. It is the only water pro- 

 curable in the islands. It takes two hours to cross 

 from Fayal to Pico, by regular passenger boats 

 manned and pulled by Portuguese. At the landing 

 place, there is a fair inn where one can put up for a day 

 or two, but beyond a few partridges and woodcock, 

 there is not much to recommend a visit. 



Servants are the plague of our lives everywhere, they 

 are a curse in Fayal. We tried Portuguese, pure 

 and mixed, and full-blooded negroes and negresses, 

 and it was a toss-up which were the worst. The laws 

 are absurdly lenient amongst themselves. A man we 

 had, who did odd jobs now and then, stole some of 

 our spoons and forks and was caught in the act. I 

 took him to the magistrate. " Are they silver or 

 electroplate ? " he enquired, alluding to the stolen 

 articles. " Only electroplate," I replied. " Fancy," said 

 he, " prosecuting a poor fellow for such a trifle as that." 

 " When will the case come on ? " I enquired. " Oh, 



