132 WHALING AND BEAR-HUNTING 



or two from the pilot showed where he knew whales are 

 occasionally being killed by local shores' boats, so we feel 

 that at last we are actually on fishing ground. His pilotage 

 was very simple he merely guided us to buoys, to which 

 we made fast inside the breakwater. 



PONTA DEL GADA SAN MIGUEL AZORES 



I have read about and seen many places generally re- 

 cognised as being of a singular beauty and interest, but 

 never of this jewel of a sea town. For an artist it is a dream 

 of delight of the most delicate colours reflected in a sunny 

 sea. The houses are such as one may see in Spain or Italy, 

 white, or of all the lighter variations of shades of pinks, white, 

 pale greens and cinnamons, and they are built up to the 

 water's edge with only a margin of black volcanic rock 

 showing between them and the sea. Most of them have their 

 backs to the sea and have picturesque balconies and landing 

 slips, but in the centre facing the harbour there is an open 

 plaza with a church and tall square tower, and at its foot 

 bosky round trees, dark green against the white walls, all 

 reflected at the water's edge. 



After being visited by port officials, doctors and Customs 

 officer we went to the plaza in our boat, and a Captain 

 Pickford, of a neighbouring vessel, who kindly had come on 

 board to leave his card, as it were, said, as we swung into a 

 gap in the white sea wall into a small inner harbour : " This 

 is rather a pretty bit we are coming to " and I looked, and 

 my breath almost went with the unexpected beauty. The 

 dock or basin we swung into in our boat is built of black 

 stone whitewashed to the water's edge, with two flights of 

 steps for people to land by. It is only about ninety yards 

 square houses of a slightly Venetian style on the land side 

 rise from a double arcade, one arcade rising from the water 

 with another inside it at a higher level, windows look out 

 from the shaded inner arcade, white pillars of the arcades 

 and arches support a house faced with blue tiles, with pointed 

 windows and adjoining houses of pale pink and yellow tints. 

 In the deep shadows of the alcoves and in the sun on the 



