the JJland of St. Miguel. 605 
clouds of fleam, a fine lake in the South-wefi part about 
two leagues round, compofe a profpect the finefl that 
can be imagined. In the bottom of the valley the roads 
are fmooth and eafy, there being no rocks but a fine 
pulverized pumice ftone that the earth is compofed of. 
There are a number of hot fountains in different parts 
of the valley, and alfo on the tides of the mountains : 
but the moft remarkable is that called the Caldeira, 
fituated in the Eaflern part of the valley, on a fmall emi- 
nence by the fide of a river, on which is a bafon about 
thirty feet diameter, where the water continually boils 
with prodigious fury. A few yards diflant from it is a, 
cavern in the fide of the bank, in which the water boils- 
in a dreadful manner, throwing out a thick, muddy, 
undtuous water feveral yards from its mouth with a. 
hideous noife. In the middle of the river are feveral 
places where the water boils up fo hot, that a perfon can- 
not dip his finger into it without being fcalded; alfo 
along its banks are feveral apertures, out of which 
the fleam rifes to a confiderable height fo hot that 
there is no approaching it with one’s hand: in other 
places, a perfon would think, that a hundred fmiths 
bellows were blowing altogether, and fulphureous fleams 
ifluing out in thoufands of places, fo that native fulphur 
is found in every chink, and the ground covered with it 
like 
