ISLAND OF SAN MIGUEL, AZORES, _June 8, 1860_.
In my last I informed you that I was on the eve of leaving the
Portuguese province of Angola, on the south-west of Africa. I expected
to reach the Cape de Verde Island in time to catch the English steamer
for Lisbon, but arrived two days too late.
We stopped at the town of Ambriz, in the Congo territory, now the seat
of war between the Portuguese and the blacks, and found the residents
in great consternation from the recent successes of the negroes. A war
vessel had just arrived with fresh troops.
We then proceeded to the island of San Tomé, one of the volcanic group
consisting of that, Prince’s and Fernando Po, which for fertility,
magnificent mountain scenery, and beautiful tropical forests can
scarcely be surpassed, producing the choicest coffee and fruits in
abundance, but occupied mostly by the dark race, with small numbers
of Portuguese colonists, the former indolent as usual unless force
is exercised, and the latter lethargic from the oppressive heat and
afflicted with fevers--otherwise, these islands might be considered
perfect gems of the ocean.
On the ninth day we left San Tomé for Porto Praya, Cape de Verdes. Our
complement of passengers had now reached fifteen, including one white
lady. Our ship reminded me of Noah’s ark, as we had such a variety
of animals and birds on board, either as supplies, or belonging to
passengers bound to Portugal and carrying specimens of the brute
creation occupying the countries they came from, not forgetting a few
negro boys and girls, from six to seven years old, as presents to
friends, which seem to be classed in the same category, as they cost
from ten dollars to fifteen dollars each. For a voyage of twenty to
thirty days in a large screw steamer of only fifty horse power, relying
upon wind as well as steam, the auxiliary force being only four or five
miles per hour, it was necessary to provide abundantly, and we had
oxen, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys and guinea fowls. The rigging
and chain about the boats suspended on the sides were hung with green
bananas to ripen, and vegetables of different kinds. A full supply of
limes, oranges, and other tropical fruit was also laid in. A part of
our upper deck or promenade was monopolized with bird cages containing
hundreds of every color and variety. The main deck had its share of
baboons, gazelles, monkeys, and parrots. It was a menagerie in itself,
and it required at first strong nerves to accustom one’s self to the
chattering, chirping, singing, and other vocal sounds of such a mixed
tribe. Little by little they, like passengers at the outset of a
voyage, got quieted down, and were rather a source of amusement than an
annoyance.
I was fortunate in obtaining a large and airy cabin, or state-room, to
myself, which made the long passage more supportable, as most of our
passengers were suffering from debility on account of the climate, or
from the effects of fever. I was still a martyr to the African boils,
but recovered from them as soon as we reached cooler latitudes. One of
our passengers, whom we took in at San Tomé, died before reaching here,
and his remains were thrown overboard. It was the result of prostration
caused by long residence in an enervating climate.
Our supplies of all kinds were abundant, but a bad Portuguese cook was
a source of vexation to all; for in no position is the exercise of the
culinary art more desirable than on shipboard, where travellers are
deprived of their usual exercise, and the stomach and digestive organs
are most sensitive.
Our passage to Porto Praya, one of the Cape de Verdes, was a fair one,
say nineteen days, but a delay of five days, taking in coffee and
sugar, caused me the loss of the English steamer, which would have
taken me direct to Portugal in seven days. The disappointment was
great, as the strong trade winds from the north-east were blowing,
making a prospect of another twenty days’ sailing; it must be submitted
to, however, as in these parts of the world we cannot choose our
conveyance and embark when we please, as in the United States.
Porto Praya has hitherto been the naval station for the American
cruisers; and although a small town, situated upon a high, arid
bluff, with bleak and dreary mountains in the background, it has its
redeeming qualities in fruitful palm, banana, and coffee groves in
the valleys, which induced the American officers, after a long cruise
in the scorching climate of the coast, to call it the paradise of the
African station.
Porto Grande, or St. Vincent, our next island, possesses an excellent
harbor, of great size. Here we found a steamer coaling for China, and
another for Java. The English have large coal yards here, and the
iron launches and little tug steamers give every dispatch, quite like
England. The contrast between the energy of the races could be seen at
a glance.
As I apprehended, the strong head winds, which we could not resist,
have carried us to the west, and we found ourselves short of coal,
and our supplies so much reduced that we made for the Azores. It is,
however, worth the delay of a few days to visit this beautiful and
highly cultivated island. Its population is dense, and exceedingly
industrious. The town of Punta Delgada contains twelve thousand
inhabitants, is well built of stone, its streets well paved, is
favorably situated in a rainy latitude, and produces most exuberantly.
The exportation of oranges to England keeps a large number of vessels
employed during the fruit season. The Quintas, or estates of the
nobility which I have visited, are magnificent, and would not disgrace
the parks and gardens of some of the small princes of Europe. The
immense variety of flowers in bloom, the fountains of water, the close
cultivation to the very summit of the hills upon this isolated spot,
and the general amount of production rather took us by surprise,
particularly as our last port, St. Vincent, was entirely barren,
with scarcely a sign of vegetation; and the time before, when we
touched there on our way to Brazil, some years since, we landed famine
supplies, as half the population had died from starvation.
Our prospects now are for an early arrival in Lisbon, and I hope in
the course of five or six days to be in direct correspondence with
Europe and America, and shall rejoice in having accomplished a long and
perilous African trip, without any desire to repeat the same.