Identifier: azoresorwesterni00walk (find matches)
Title: The Azores : or Western Islands : a political, commercial and geographical account ...
Year: 1886 (1880s)
Authors: Walker, Walter Frederick
Subjects: Azores -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : Trubner & Co.
Contributing Library: Claire T. Carney Library, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Digitizing Sponsor: Claire T. Carney Library, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

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al, on his firstvisit to S. Miguel, in 1444, left for Lisbon to prepare for itsdefinite colonization, his pilot had noted this western moun-tain as his landmark, a probable indication that, prior tothe great eruption ^hich shortly afterwards caused itsdestruction, this was at that time the highest point in theisland. An ascent of an hour and a half through wild butbeautiful country, the surface of which shows how the lavawelled in torrents over the crater brink, tearing up anderoding into deep impenetrable dikes and gorges the moun-tain sides, which • Time but the impression stronger makes.As streams their channels deeper wear, brings us to the edge of the cone, 1,800 feet above the sea.Here the view is really grand. In a vast hollow, 1,500 feetin depth, lies a beautiful valley, in shape like an ellipse, themost conspicuous feature in which are the two lakes alreadymentioned, occupying two-thirds of its area, and fringed ontheir western side by the white dot-like cottages of the 155
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< i-i as H 154 village, and on the north and east by the precipitous wallsof the crater, rising out of the water on that side to aheight of 2,700 feet. In all directions, on the inner andouter sides of this huge concavity, are numerous crateriformhills, looking at this distance insignificant, but really the,shells of what must once have been large and terrible vol-canoes. The absolute stillness around, the reflection ofpassing clouds gliding in quick succession over the waters,and the steep pine-covered banks, mirrored on the glass-likesurface of the lakes, impart to the whole scene an unrealand ephemeral appearance, until a shrill vamos para diantefrom your donkey boy, whose soul is above such trifles asfine scenery, awakens you from your ecstasy and you reluc-tantly commence the tortuous descent into the valley below.In August last (1885) two carriages from Ponta Delgadasucceeded for the first time in reaching this valley; theroute they took was by the Lomba dos Mosteiros, past C

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