Official photograph, U. S. Navy Air Service 

 A VIEW OF TREPASSEY BAY, NEWFOUNDLAND, FROM ONE OF THE NC SEAPLANES I 

 THE PORT OF DEPARTURE FROM THE AMERICAN CONTINENT FOR THE 



u. s. navy's fleet of three flying boats bound for 



THE AZORES, PORTUGAL, AND PLYMOUTH 



The Navy maae elaborate provisions for its flyers in the establishment of bases of supply 

 and repair at Halifax, Trepassey Bay, and in the Azores. In the foreground may be seen 

 a tank steamer and two American destroyers. The supply ships of the seaplanes, the Aroos- 

 took and the Prairie, are anchored in the middle distance, up the bay. 



sel that crossed the Atlantic, over four 

 hundred years ago, landed at one of their 

 islands. They were the first to receive 

 from Columbus the news of the discovery 

 of a new world, and they hailed with de- 

 light the opportunity to welcome to their 

 shores the first man *to win the title of 

 "Columbus of the Air." 



HISTORY OF THE AZORES 



The discovery of Madeira, the Cana- 

 ries, and the Azores Islands was a direct 

 result of the persistent efforts of Prince 

 Henry the Navigator, of Portugal, to 

 double Cape Bojador and to discover a 

 new route to India. It was during the 

 glorious period of Portuguese explora- 

 tions -that Goncalo Velho Cabral discov- 

 ered Santa Maria, the most southerly of 

 the Azores, in 1432. In the course of 

 succeeding years, covering a period of 



more than a decade, the other islands 

 were discovered. 



From that time on down to modern 

 days the Azores, or Western Islands, be- 

 came the scene of many an historic event. 

 The first of these was the visit of Co- 

 lumbus on his return from America, in 



I4Q.3- 



Tossed about by a severe tempest, the 



great Italian navigator and his men made 

 a vow that if their lives were spared they 

 would worship, stripped of a part of their 

 clothes, in the first church they reached. 

 A few days later they sighted the Island 

 of Santa Maria, where Columbus an- 

 chored and sent a part of his men to a 

 small chapel near the shore to attend 

 mass, in fulfillment of his vow. Today 

 this chapel is one of the most interesting 

 historical places on the island. 



After the discovery of Brazil, the 



5i7 



