of the others’ language, but hy dint of signs, and
laughter, and human sympathy generally, aa’C got on
wonderfully well. It seemed to he the steading of a
well-to-do farmer. There AA’ere other houses in the
neighbourhood, and a number of young people seemed
to have congregated, so that we had a good opportunity
of seeing some of the peasants. The men are
generally good-looking, with spare, lithe, bronzed
figures, dark eyes, and wide, laughing mouths, with
fine AAdiite teeth. The women in the Açores are
usually inferior to the men in appearance, hut at this
farm some of the girls were very good-looking also,
with clear complexions, and more of a Spanish than
a Portuguese type.
From Villa Franca we drove along the shore to
Ponta Delgada, where we arrived early in the
evening.O
AVhile we were at the Furnas some of onr companions
started in the other direction, to the Caldeira
of the Sete-Cidades, and Avere greatly pleased with
their trip. This crater is probably the most striking
feature in the scenery of the island. The road to it
from Ponta Delgada goes Avestward for some miles
along the southern coast. I t then gradually Avinds
upAA’ards through ravines festooned Avith Woodwardia,
and among rugged, volcanic masses clothed Avith
‘ faya ’ and tree-heath, to the top of a crest, between
tAvo and three thousand feet in height. A wonderful
scene then bursts upon the wanderer. The ridge
is the edsre of a lar^e crater two O O miles and a h a lf in
diameter, surrounded hy an unbroken craggy AA'all,
more th an a thousand feet in height. The floor of
the crater is richlv Avooded and cultivated. There
are two small lakes of a wonderful sapphire hlne, and
on the margin of one of them a village of white
cottages. The zigzag path down into the crater is so
steep th a t one or two of the parties who went from
the ship contented themselves with the view of the
valley from the crest of the ridge, and from all I hear
I am inclined to th in k th a t these had the adA^antage
in every respect over some others, who Avent doAAUi
and had to come np again.
Next morning Captain Nares and I called on
M. José do Canto, about whose good and liberal
deeds in introducing valuable and ornamental
foreign plants and distributing them through the
islands, we had heard so much. AVe were fortunate
in finding him at home, and Ave spent a very pleasant
couple of hours with him in his charming garden.
The trees of all temperate and sub-tropical regions
seem to thrive admirably in sheltered situations in
the Açores. M. do Canto has for the last thirty
years spared neither money nor time in bringing
together all that appeared desirable, whether for
their use or for their beanty, and in doing them
ample justice while under his charge. The garden is
well situated on the slope above the toAvn ; it is
extensive, and very beautifully laid out and cared
for. Great care is taken to allow each individual
tree to attain its characteristic form, and consequently
some species, particularly those of peculiar and
symmetrical growth, snch as the different species of
Altingia, Araucaria, Cryptomeria, &c., are more
perfect probably than they are anywhere else, even
in their native regions. M. do Canto does not mve
much heed to the growing of floAvers. His grounds