274 OUTDOOR STUDIES 
One general truth came over us instantly, 
and it was strange to think that no one had 
happened to speak of it before. The essence 
of the surprise was this. We had always been 
left to suppose that in a foreign country one 
would immediately begin to look about and 
observe the foreign things, — these novel details 
having of course that groundwork of ordinary 
human life, the same all the world over. To 
our amazement, we found that it was the 
groundwork that was foreign; we were shifted 
off our feet; not the details, but the basis itself 
was wholly new and bewildering ; and instead 
of noting down, like intelligent travellers, the 
objects which were new, we found ourselves 
stupidly staring about to find something which 
was old,—a square inch of surface anywhere 
which looked like anything ever seen before, — 
that we might take our departure from that, 
and then begin to improve our minds. Perhaps 
this is difficult for the first hours in any foreign 
country; certainly the untravelled American 
finds it utterly impossible in Fayal. Consider 
the incongruities. The beach beneath your 
feet, instead of being white or yellow, is black ; 
the cliffs beside you are white or red, instead 
of black or gray. The houses are of white 
plaster on the outside, with woodwork, often 
painted in gay stripes, within. There are no 
