FAYAL AND THE PORTUGUESE = 295 
the best company in Fayal was so much less 
interesting than the peasantry, that some of us 
persevered in studying the vernacular. To be 
sure, one finds English spoken by more of the 
peasants than of the small aristocracy of the 
island, because many of the poorer class have 
spent some years in American whale-ships, and 
come back to settle down with their savings 
in their native village. In visiting the smaller 
hamlets on the island, I usually found that the 
owners of the two or three most decent houses 
had learned to speak English in this way. But 
I was amused at the dismay of an American sea- 
captain who during a shooting excursion ven- 
tured on some free criticisms on the agriculture 
of a farm, and was soon answered in excellent 
English by the proprietor. 
“ Look at the foolish fellow,” quoth the cap- 
tain, “‘carrying his plough to the field on his 
shoulder!” 
“ Sir,” said the Portuguese coolly, “I have 
no other way to take it there.” 
The American reserved his fire, thereafter, 
for bipeds with wings. 
These Americanized sailors form a sort of 
humbler aristocracy in Fayal, and are apt to 
pride themselves on their superior knowledge 
of the world, though their sober habits have 
commonly saved them from the demoralization 
