AT SEA
The land army, destined for the invasion of the United States, which
took shipping at this period in the Garonne, consisted but of three
battalions of infantry, the 4th, 44th, and 85th regiments; the two
former mustering each about eight hundred bayonets, the last not more
than six hundred. In addition to these, there were two officers of
engineers, a brigade of artillery, a detachment of sappers and miners,
a party of artillery drivers, with a due proportion of officers
belonging to the Medical and Commissariat departments. The whole
together could not be computed at more than two thousand five hundred
men, if indeed it amounted to so great a number; and was placed under
the command of Major-General Ross, a very gallant and experienced
officer.
The fleet, again, consisted of the Royal Oak, of 74 guns, bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral Malcolm; the Diadem and Dictator, two sixty-fours,
armed en flute; the Pomone, Menelaus, Trave, Weser, and Thames,
frigates, the three last armed in the same manner as the Diadem and
Dictator; the Meteor and Devastation, bomb-vessels; together with one
or two gun-brigs, making in all a squadron of eleven or twelve ships of
war, with several storeships and transports.
On board the Royal Oak were embarked the General, with his staff, and
the artillery; the Trave and Weser were filled with the 4th; the 44th
were divided between the Dictator and the Thames, in the first of which
ships were also the engineers; the 85th occupied the Diadem; and the
rest were scattered through the fleet, partly in the men-of-war and
partly in the transports.
As soon as the troops, with all their baggage, were finally settled in
the vessels allotted for their accommodation, the signal was made to
weigh; but the wind being adverse, and the navigation of the Garonne
far from simple, it could not be obeyed with safety. Every thing,
therefore, remained quiet till the evening of the 2nd of June, when the
gale moderating a little, the anchors were raised and the sails
hoisted. The tide was beginning to ebb when this was done, favoured by
which the ships drifted gradually on their course; but before long, the
breeze shifting, blew directly in their sterns, when they stood
gallantly to sea, clearing the river before dark; and, as there was no
lull during the whole of the night, by daybreak the coast of France was
not to be discerned. All was now one wide waste of waters, as far as
the eye could reach, bounded on every side by the distant horizon; a
scene which, though at first it must strike with awe and wonder a
person unaccustomed to it, soon becomes insipid, and even wearisome,
from its constant sameness.
ST. MICHAEL’S
The fair wind which carried us out of the Garonne continuing to blow
without any interruption till the 19th of June, it was that day
calculated, by consulting the log and taking observations, that the
Azores, or Western Islands, could not be very distant. Nor, as it
turned out, were these calculations incorrect; for, on ascending the
deck next morning, the first object that met our eyes was the high land
of St Michael’s rising, like a collection of blue clouds, out of the
water. With such a prospect before us our consternation may be guessed
at, when we found ourselves deserted by the breeze which had hitherto
so uniformly favoured us, and lying as motionless as logs, under the
influence of a dead calm.
But the complaints to which we had begun to give utterance, were
speedily changed again into rejoicings, for before mid-day the breeze
once more freshened, and we approached every moment nearer and nearer
to the object of our wishes. As soon, too, as we contrived to double
the projecting headland which had attracted our attention in the
morning, our course became productive of much interest and pleasure. We
had neared the shore considerably, and were moving at a rate
sufficiently rapid to prevent further repining, and at the same time
slow enough to permit a distinct and calm survey of the beach, with the
numerous villages, seats, and convents that adorned it.
The island of St. Michael is mountainous, even to the very edge of the
water, but the heights, though lofty, do not present a rugged or barren
appearance. Here and there, indeed, bare rocks push themselves into
notice, but in general the ascent is easy, and the hills are covered to
the tops with groves of orange-trees and beautiful green pasturage.
Like other Portuguese settlements, this island abounds in religious
houses, the founders of many of which do not appear to have been
deficient in taste when they pitched upon situations for building.
There was one of these in particular that struck me: it stood upon a
sort of platform or terrace, about half-way between the sea and the
summit of the mountain; above it were hanging woods, whether natural or
artificial I cannot say, broken in upon here and there by projecting
rocks; and round it were plantations of orange-trees loaded with fruit,
and interspersed with myrtles and other odoriferous shrubs. Being
greatly pleased with the mansion and the surrounding scenery, I
naturally inquired from the pilot (for one had already come off to us)
as to its use, and the quality of Its owner; and from him I learnt that
it was a convent, I forget of what order,—a piece of intelligence which
was soon confirmed by the sound of bells distinctly audible as we
passed.
VILLA FRANCA.
In this manner we continued to coast along, being seldom at a greater
distance than four or five miles from the land, till we came opposite
to a small town called Villa Franca. Here, as the wind threatened to
die away, several others and myself agreed to go onshore: a boat was
accordingly lowered, and we pushed off from the ship; but the operation
of landing did not prove to be altogether so simple as we had expected.
An immense reef of rocks, some under water, others barely above it, but
none distinguishable till we had almost run against them, opposed our
progress; and it was not without considerable difficulty, and the
assistance of the country people, who made signals to us from the
beach, that we contrived to discover a narrow channel leading up to the
strand.
Having at length so far attained our wishes as to tread once more upon
firm ground, the next thing to be done was to find out some inn, or
house of public entertainment, where we might pass the night, a measure
which the increasing darkness rendered necessary. In this, however, we
were disappointed, the town of Villa Franca boasting of no such
convenience on any scale. But we were not on that account obliged to
bivouac; for the Alcalde, or mayor of the place, politely insisted upon
our accompanying him home, and entertained us with great hospitality;
nor, in truth, had we any cause to regret the unsuccessful issue of our
inquiries, since, in addition to the good cheer with which we were
presented, our host, being an intelligent person, did not fail to
render himself an agreeable companion; and what contributed in no
slight degree to the facility of our intercourse was, that though he
assured us he had never quitted St. Michael’s in his life, he spoke
English with the fluency of a native. Among other pieces of information
we learnt from him that the reef which impeded our progress towards the
land, had formerly been an island. It appeared, he affirmed, one
morning, in the most sudden and extraordinary manner, as if it had been
thrown up by an earthquake during the night, and having continued so
long above water as to embolden a single family of fishers to settle
upon it, it disappeared again as suddenly as it had come, leaving no
trace of its existence except the rocks which we had found so
troublesome. Whether there be truth in this story, I cannot pretend to
determine; and yet I see no reason to doubt the word of a man of
respectability, who could have no motive whatever for deceiving us. But
this was not all that we learnt from him respecting the reef. He
declared that previous to the appearance of the island, the water in
that very spot was unfathomable; and it was not till after it had sunk,
that a single rock stood in the way to prevent the largest ship of war
from anchoring within a stone’s throw of the beach.
Finding our new acquaintance so civil and obliging, we naturally
informed him of our intention to proceed next morning to Ponto del
Gada, the principal town in St. Michael’s, and requested his assistance
in procuring some mode of conveyance; but we were startled by the
intelligence that nothing of the kind could be had, and that there were
not even horses or mules to be hired at any place nearer than the very
town whither we were going. This was rather an alarming piece of news,
for our boat had left us, the weather was too hot for walking, and the
distance to be travelled full fifteen miles. Had we been prudent enough
to detain our boat, the matter would have been easily managed, because
we might have sailed round to the point where the fleet was to anchor;
but this was no longer in our power, and being rather unwilling to
pursue our journey on foot, we were altogether at a loss upon what
course to determine. Whilst we thus hesitated, the Alcalde suggested
that if we would condescend to ride upon asses, he thought he could
obtain a sufficient number for our party; a proposal with which we
gladly closed, prudently determining that any mode of being carried was
better than walking. Leaving the arrangement of this affair, therefore,
to our obliging friend, we retired to rest upon clean comfortable
mattresses spread for us on the floor; and on waking in the morning, we
found that he had not been negligent in the charge assigned to him. Our
party consisted of five officers, with five servants, for whose
accommodation we found ten asses at the door, each attended by its
driver, who wielded a long pole tipped with an iron spike, for the
purpose of goading the animal whenever it should become lazy.
It was not without a good deal of laughing that the cavalcade, after
bidding adieu to the hospitable Mayor, began to move forward. Our
asses, of no larger size than ordinary English donkeys, were
uncaparisoned, at least with bridles; and the saddles were neither more
nor less than the pack-saddles upon which goods are transported to
market. For our own comfort, therefore, we were obliged to sit a la
femelle, and having no command over the heads of our steeds, we were
content to be guided by the hallooing and punching of the drivers. In
spite, however, of these inconveniences, if so they may be called, I
shall never cease to congratulate myself on having been of the party,
because the ride proved to be one of the most agreeable I remember at
any time to have taken.
The road from Villa Franca to Ponto del Gada quits the water’s edge,
and turns, for a little way, inland, carrying you through a region as
romantic and beautiful as can well be imagined. There are here no level
plains, no smooth paths over which a landau or tilbury might glide,
but, on the contrary, a rugged and stony track, sometimes leading down
the face of steep hills, sometimes scaling heights which at the
distance of a mile appear to be almost perpendicular, and sometimes
winding along the side of a cliff, and by the edge of a fearful
precipice. Except when you reach the summit of a mountain, the road is
in general shaded by the richest underwood, hanging over it from above;
but the whole aspect of the country is decidedly that of a volcanic
production: the rocks seem to have been cast up and torn asunder by
some prodigious violence, and hurled, by a force which nothing but a
volcano could possess, into the most grotesque and irregular shapes. It
is no uncommon thing to pass under a huge crag, leaning almost
horizontally over the road, and bedded in the earth by a foundation
apparently so slight, as to appear liable to fall every moment,
precipitating the enormous mass upon the luckless wretch beneath. Nay,
the very colour of the stones, and the quantity of what bears every
resemblance to vitrification, scattered about, all tend to induce the,
belief that the main island owes its formation to the same cause which
doubtless produced the smaller one that has now disappeared.
ST. MICHAEL’S
It is not, however, to be inferred from the above description that St.
Michael’s is nothing but a barren rock; far from it. There is, indeed,
in this direction at least, a fair proportion of that commodity; but
tracts of cultivated ground are not therefore wanting. I should not
certainly suppose that the soil was remarkably rich in any part of the
island; but it produces the fig, the orange-tree, and a grape from
which the inhabitants make very tolerable wine; and there is excellent
pasture for sheep, and a competent supply of grain. But that in which
the Azores, and St. Michael’s among the number, particularly excel, is
the extreme salubrity of the climate. Lying in nearly the same degree
of latitude with Lisbon, the intense heat which oppresses in that city
is here alleviated by refreshing sea-breezes; by which means, though I
believe there is no occasion at any season to complain of cold, it is
only in the very height of the dog-days, if then, that a person, not
actually engaged in violent exercise, is justified in complaining of
sultriness.
The trade of St. Michael’s, as far as I could learn, is confined
exclusively to fruit: the fig and the orange are the staple
commodities; and being both very abundant, they are, of course,
proportionably cheap. Into the praise of a St. Michael’s orange it is
unnecessary for me to enter, because it is generally allowed to be the
best with which the English market is supplied; but of the excellence
of the St. Michael’s fig, I am not sure that my countrymen in general
are so much aware. It might be, that not having seen a fig for a
considerable lapse of time, my appetite was peculiarly sharpened
towards its good qualities, but it struck me that I never before tasted
any so highly flavoured or so delicate. Besides these, they sell to
vessels putting in, as we did, for water, some of the wine made in this
and the neighbouring islands; but the quantity thus disposed of must be
too inconsiderable to entitle it to be classed among the articles of
merchandise.
I find, however, that I am entering upon subjects in which I am but
little versed, and digressing from my narrative. Let me return, then,
to self, that beloved idol of all travellers, and state that, after we
had ridden about six miles, the road, which had hitherto conducted us
along a narrow glen, where the vision was intercepted on both sides,
now carried us to the summit of a lofty mountain, from whence we
enjoyed the satisfaction of an extensive prospect, both of the sea and
of the interior. Looking towards the former, we beheld our own fleet
bearing down majestically upon Ponto del Gada, and fast approaching the
anchorage. Turning our eyes inland again, we were delighted with a view
of mountain and valley, rock and culture, wood and pasturage,
intermingled in the most exquisite degree of irregularity; but what
principally attracted our attention was a thick dark smoke rising
slowly from the summit of a high hill that bounded the prospect. Our
curiosity being excited by this phenomenon, we inquired from our guides
into its cause, and were informed that the mountain in question was a
volcano, and that at its base and along its sides were hot springs of
water, of a temperature sufficient to boil an egg in three minutes.
This piece of intelligence confirmed me in my former opinion relative
to the operative cause in the production of these islands; though,
indeed, had such evidence been wanting, I should have equally
concluded, either that they were thrown up, in their present form, from
the bottom of the sea, or at least that they were torn asunder from one
another by the force of fire. It must be confessed, however, that mine
is the opinion of one who has devoted little of his attention to
geology; but I would by all means advise the disciples of Werner to
come hither, if they desire further helps in the prosecution of that
very interesting and practically useful study.