392 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO 1778. 



XXFl. An Account of the Island of St. Miguel. By Mr. Francis Masson. 



p. 601. 



The productions of this island differ greatly from those of Madeira, insomuch 

 that none of the trees of the latter are found liere, except the faya : it has a 

 nearer affinity to Europe than Africa. The mountains are covered with the 

 erica vulgaris, and an elegant ever-green shrub very like a phillyrea, which gives 

 them a most beautiful appearance. It is one of the principal and most fertile of 

 the Azorian islands, lying nearly east to west ; its length is about 18 or 20 

 leagues ; its breadth is unequal, not exceeding 5 leagues, and in some places not 

 more than 2. It contains about 80,000 inhabitants. Its capital the city of 

 Ponta del Guda, which contains about 12,000 inhabitants, is situated on the 

 south side of the island, on a fine fertile, plain country, j)retty regularly built; 

 the streets straight, and of a good breadth. 



About 4 leagues north-east from Villa Franca lies a place called the Furnas, 

 being a round deep valley in the middle of the east part of the island, sur- 

 rounded with high mountains, which, though steep, may be easily ascended on 

 horseback by two roads. The valley is about 5 or 6 leagues in circuit ; the face 

 of the mountains, which are very steep, is entirely covered with beautiful ever- 

 greens, viz. myrtles, laurels, a large species of bilberry, called uva de serra, or 

 mountain grapes, &c. and numberless rivulets of the purest water run down their 

 sides. The valley below is well cultivated, producing wheat, Indian corn, flax, 

 &c. The fields are planted round with a beautiful sort of poplars, which grow 

 into pyramidal forms, and by their careless, irregular disposition, together with 

 the multitude of rivulets, which run in all directions through the valley, a 

 number of boiling fountains, throwing up clouds of steain, a fine lake in the 

 south-west part about 2 leagues round, compose a prospect the finest that can 

 be imagined. In the bottom of the valley the roads are smooth and easy, there 

 being no rocks but a fine pulverized pumice stone that the eartli is com])oseil of. 



There are a number of hot fountains in different parts of the valle\ , and also 

 on the sides of the mountains: but the most remarkable is that called the Cal- 

 deira, situated in the eastern part of the valley, on a small eminence by the side 

 of a river, on which is a bason about 30 feet diameter, where the water con- 

 tinually boils with prodigious fury. A few yards distant from it is a cavern in the 

 side of the bank, in which the water boils in a dreadful manner, throwing out a 

 thick, muddy, unctuous water, several yards from its mouth, with a hideous 

 noise. In the middle of the river are several places where the water boils u[) so 

 hot, that a person cannot dip his finger into it without being scalded ; also ;ilong 

 its banks are several apertures, out of which the steam rises to a considerable 

 height, so hot that there is no approaching it with one's hand : in other places, a 

 person would think. th;it a Inuulred sniitii-> bellows were blowing altogether, and 



