314 The VOYAGE'S of Book I 
Shoes off yoixr Feet : At the fame time, it is very remark- 
able, that thole Rocks are fo full of Vines, that in the Sum- 
liier-time you cannot fee them ; becaufe they are covered 
all over with Vine-leaves. The Vines fpread their Roots 
through the Crags or Chinks of the Rocks, which are fo 
fmall, that it is a Wonder how they find any Nourifhment 
there *, and yet* if you plant a Vine in the other good 
Ground of this Country, it will not grow. The Corn, and 
other Fruits, of that Ifland, will hot keep above a Year ; 
nay, if you keep the Corn above four Months, without 
burying it under-ground, it will rot, and be fpoiled : T o 
prevent this, each Inhabitant has a Pit out of the Town, 
which is round at the Top, and large enough to let a 
Man in : The Head is covered with a Stone, and locked 
up. Some of thefe Pits are fo large, that they might con- 
tain two or three Lafts of Corn, a Laft containing 108 
Bufhels of Amsterdam Meafure, and each Bufhel weighs 
forty Pounds, or more. They put their Corn in thofe 
Pits in July , and cover the Stone with Earth, to preferve 
it the better, and at Chriftmas they take it out •, though 
fome keep it longer, but it is then as good, and as fine, as 
when put in the Pits. 
The Oxen in that Ifland are the largeft and the finefb 
that can be, equal to any in Europe , their Horns are mon- 
Itrous wide ; every one hath his Name, like our Dogs ; 
and they are fo familiar, that when the Matter calls one of 
them by his Name, though he is amongft a thoufand 
others, he will prefently come to him. One would think, 
that the Ground of that Ifland was hollow ; for, when you 
walk upon the Rock, it founds : And indeed the thing is 
probable enough ; for the Ifland is much fubjeft to Earth- 
quakes. You find in many Places of the Ifland of St. Mi- 
chael Holes, or Cracks, out of which there comes a 
great Smoke, and the Ground all about is burnt : But this 
is no uncommon thing in moft of thofe Elands ; for all of 
them have Mountains of Sulphur. Here are Fountains fo 
hot, that you may boil an Egg in the Water. Three 
Leagues off Angra is a Fountain which changes Wood 
Into Stone ; and there was formerly a Tree to be feen, the 
Roots of which, being in that Water, were ftony, and as 
hard as Flint. This Ifland produces excellent Timber, 
efpecially Cedar, which is fo common, that they make 
Carts and Waggons of it, and even burn it. The Ifland of 
Pico, twelve Leagues diftant from Tercera , produces a 
Sort of Wood called Teixo, which is as hard as Iron, and 
looks red and fhining when it is worked. It hath alfo this 
good Quality, that it is better and finer when it is old •, 
which makes it fo precious, that nobody dares cut it, but for 
the King’s Ufe, and by virtue of a fpecial Order from the 
King’s Officers. 
The chief Trade in the Ifland of Tercera confifts in 
Woad, of which they have a great Plenty : The Fleets of 
Portugal and Spain , which fail to the Eafi Indies , Brajil , 
Cape Verde, Guiney , and other Countries, Handing in for that 
Ifland to take inRefreffiments, bring a goodTrade, not only 
to the Inhabitants of Tercera, but likewife to thofe of the 
neighbouring Iflands, who fell to the P or tuguefe and Spa- 
niards their Manufactures at good Prizes. Seven or eight 
Leagues South-eaft of Tercera lies the Ifland of St. Mi- 
chael, about twenty Leagues in Length •, it hath feveral 
Towns and Villages. The capital City is named Pont a del 
Guda , which drives a more confiderable Trade in Garden- 
woad than Tercera, becaufe there is a greater Quantity of 
it here than in any of the other Iflands ; for it produces 
above two hundred thoufand Quintals every Year : Here 
are alfo arable Lands, which produce fuch abundance of 
Corn, that they tranfport it to the other Iflands ; but it 
affords no Plarbours, nor Rivers, nor Shelter, for Ships. 
The Ifland of Santa Maria is but twelve Leagues South of 
St. Michael, and is ten or twelve Leagues in Circumference. 
They trade only in Earthen-ware, which they tranfport to 
the other Iflands ; but they have Plenty of all manner of 
Provifions. Seven or eight Leagues North North- weft of 
Tercera , is the little Ifland of Gratioja, not above five or 
fix Leagues in Circumference, and very plentiful and 
fruitful. 
The Ifland of St. George is about eight or nine Leagues 
North-weft from Tercera it is twelve Leagues in Length, 
and two or three in Breadth. This is a wild mountainous 
i 
Country, and bears a little Woad : The Inhabitants fubfift 
by tilling the Ground, and keeping Cattle ; and they have 
abundance of Cedar, which they export to T ercera. Seven 
German Leagues South South-weft of St. George’s, you 
find the Ifland of Fayal, which is feventeen or eighteen 
Leagues in Circumference, and is the beft of the Azores, 
next to Tercera , and St. Michael ; it affords abundance of 
Fiffi, Cattle, and other Commodities, which they export 
to Tercera, and the other Iflands ; they have likewife 
plenty of Woad. The chief Town is called Villa Porta . 
Moft of the Inhabitants of this Ifland are Natives of the 
Low Countries, but they fpeak now theP or tuguefe Tongue. 
They love the Flemings naturally, and ufe all Strangers 
very kindly. Three Leagues to the South-eaft of Fayal, 
and four Leagues to the South-weft of St. George’s, and 
twelve Leagues to the South-weft and by Weft of Tercera , 
lies the Ifland of Pico, fo called from a Mountain in it 
named Pike, fome being of Opinion that it is higher then 
the Pike of Teneriff, in the Canaries. The Inhabitants 
cultivate the Soil, and keep Cattle, to fubfift on. This 
Ifland hath Plenty of all Sorts of Provifions, and yields the 
beft Wine in all the Azores : It is about fifteen Leagues in 
Circumference. From Tercera , to the Ifland of Flores, 
which lies to the Weft, they reckon feventy Leagues ; 
and about a League to the North of Flores , you find the 
fmall Ifland of Corvo , not above two or three Leagues in 
Circumference. Thefe two Iflands are accounted now 
amongft the Afores, and are under the fame Governor. 
Flores is about feven Leagues in Circumference ; it pro- 
duces Woad, and a vaft Plenty of all Provifions. The 
Winds are fo ftrong, and the Air fo piercing, efpecially in 
Tercera , that they fpoil and confume, in a fhort time, the 
Stones of the Houles, and the very Iron. They have a 
fort of Stone, which they find within the Sea-mark, and 
which is harder, and refifts the Sharpnefs of the Air better, 
than the other Sorts •, and for that Reafon they build the 
Fronts of their Houfes with it. 
41. On their entering the Spanijh Seas, the Weather 
proved fo bad, that the Advice-Ship loft her Rudder. 
This Accident obliged them to go through the Chanel, in 
order to purchafe a new one on the Englijh Coaft. The 
French , Danijh, and other Ships, generally take that 
Route *, but the Ships belonging to the Dutch Eafi India 
Company are obliged to fail round the Coaft of Ireland , 
from an Apprehenfion, that in cafe they met with ftcrmy 
Weather in the Chanel, they would be obliged to put into 
fome Englifij Port, which might be attended with many 
Inconveniencies. Such Ships, however, as have fuftained 
any Damage at Sea, are permitted to pafs through the 
Chanel, provided they are not in a Condition to keep the 
Sea long enough to go round the Irifio Coaft, as was the 
cafe of the Advice-Ship before-mentioned : After three 
Weeks Sail, during which time they were involved in con- 
tinual Mifts and Fogs, they had Sight at laft of the Orkney 
Iflands, where fome Dutch Ships were ftill employed in the 
Herring Fifhery. In the Latitude of 6o°, they met with 
fome Ships that were waiting for them, which conveyed 
them to the Coaft of Holland, where every Ship entered 
its deftined Port in Safety •, and thofe on board which the 
Prifoners were, came into the Texel the nth of July 
1723, and five Days after arrived at Amfierdam, the very 
fame Day two Years that they failed on this Voyage. 
42. Upon the Return of the Squadron, the Situation of 
Affairs was much altered j fot the Weft India Company 
immediately commenced a Suit, in Behalf of themfelves, 
and of the Perfons employed on board the Squadron under 
their Prote&ion, in order to obtain Satisfaction for the 
Injuftice done them by the Eafi India Company. They 
fet forth in the Memorial they prefented to their High 
Mightineffes the States General, that thefe Ships had been 
fitted out in purfuance of the Powers granted to the Com- 
pany by the States ; that they were not fo much fitted out 
with a View to the Profit of the Voyage, as from the Re- 
gard had to the Advantages that might refult to the Pub- 
lic from their Difcoveries •, that, though it was true, thefe 
Ships had not perfected, as indeed it could not be expefted, 
the Defign on which they were employed, yet they had 
made great Progrefs therein, and fuch as gave Hopes 
arriving in time at all that was propofed by this Expe- 
1 dition j 
