AZORES, TERCERAS, or ISLES, are a group of islands lying in the Atlantic Ocean, about 800 miles west of Cape St Vincent, and almost at an equal distance from Europe, Africa, and Ame rica. They are discovered from a great distance at sea, on account of a high mountain, called the Peak, or Pico, in an island of the same name, and which Mr Pinkerton strongly recommends to geographers to assume as a first meridian of longitude. The Azores are nine in number, Tercera, St Michael, Santa Maria, Gratiosa, St George, Fayal, Pico, Flores, and Corvo, of which the two last are very small, and lie at a considerable distance from the rest. Concerning the history of these islands, little is known with certainty. Their discovery has been claimed by the Portuguese, though the precise period has not been determined. It has, however, been main tained, that they were first visited by Joshua Vander berg, a merchant of Bruges, who, when-on a voyage to Lisbon in 1439, having been driven from his course in a violent storm, fell in with the Azores, and called them " The Flamingas," or Flemish Is lands. Communicating the intelligence to his friends at Lisbon, he gave such an account of his adventure, as induced the Portuguese, who were then the most enterprising nation in Europe, to attempt a farther discovery. Having successively explored the diffe rent islands, Don Henry, prince of Portugal, was so pleased with the acquisition, that he went in person to take possession of them in 1449. In 1466, Al phonso V. gave them to his sister the Duchess of Burgundy, when some of them were colonized by Germans and Flemings. These, however, seem al ways to have acknowledged the authority of Portu gal. At present a Portuguese governor resides at Angra, the chief city of Tercera. In spiritual affairs they are under the jurisdiction of the bishop of the Azores, whose capital residence is in the island of St Michael.
The Azores have frequently suffered severely from earthquakes and volcanic eruptions ; and from the geological history of these islands, it would appear that-some of them must have owed their origin to these terrible convulsions of the earth. Kircher af firms, that in 1538 frequent earthquakes were felt for nearly eight days, which were so violent as to compel the inhabitants to forsake their houses, and lie night and day in the open fields. On the 26th June, a fire burst through the surface of the sea, fla ming to the clouds, vomiting prodigious quantities of sand, earth, stones, and minerals ; and raging with such fury, that, had not the wind blown from the land, the whole of the neighbouring island would have been destroyed.
This was followed by the emersion of a group of rocks, which at first filled a space of only five or six acres, but which soon extended to as many miles. Another shock of an earthquake broke them in pieces, and then united them into a solid mass, which now forms one of the small islands that lie on the north-west of the Azores. See Kircher's Mundus Subterraneus, lib. iii.
In 1720, another island, all fire and smoke, which roared like thunder, appeared between St Michaels and Tercera, on the night of the 20th November. The bursting out of the flames was attended by an earthquake, which shattered many of the houses in Tercera ; and, for many leagues round the island, 3 astonishing quantities of pumice stone, and half ' broiled fish, were found floating on the sea : (Phil. Trans. vol. xxxii. p. 100.) This island, however, has since disappeared. The consequence of another fu
rious earthquake, which occurred July 9. 1757, and which shook the neighbouring islands to their foun dation, and covered them with ruins, was the produc tion of eighteen small islands about ten yards from the north coast of St George's, which, however, subsided again in a few months.
On the 1st of May•1808, a new volcano made its appearance in the island of St George. The fire burst out in a ditch in the midst of fertile pastures, three leagues south-east of Vellas, and immediately formed a crater in size about 24 acres. It raged with great fury for two days, and the cinders which it threw up, being propelled by a strong north-east wind, covered the ground from one to four feet in depth for half a league in breadth, and three leagues in length, and then passing the channel about five leagues wide, were driven upon the east point of Pi co. The fire had nearly subsided in the evening of the 2d, when a smaller crater opened, a league near er Vellas. Its mouth was only about 50 yards in circumference. The fire seemed struggling for vent ; and the force with which a pale blue flame issued forth, resembled a powerful steam-engine multiplied a hundred fold. The whole island was convulsed ; earthquakes were frequent, and horrid bellowings were occasionally heard from the bowels of the earth. This was followed by 12 or 15 small volcanoes which broke out in the neighbouring field, but they all sub sided on the 1 lth, when the large volcano, which had lain dormant for nine days, burst forth with more tremendous force, and continued to rage until the 5th of June, when it began to fail, and a few days after it entirely ceased.* Its horrid belchings were distinctly heard at 12 leagues distance, the immense quantity of lava which it vomited, over whelmed in its course farms, cattle, corn-fields, and vineyards ; and swept the town of Ursulina from its foundation. Though it gave timely notice of its approach, many of the inhabitants, by remaining too long in its vicinity, endeavouring to save their effects, were so dreadfully scalded by flashes of steam (which without injuring their clothes took off not only their skin, but their very flesh), that several of them died upon the spot. About sixty suffered in this miser able manner ; and so great was the anxiety and con sternation which seized upon the people, that they entirely abandoned their domestic concerns, and were in danger of starving in the midst of plenty. This island, heretofore rich in cattle, corn, and wine, is nearly ruined ; and a scene of greater desolation and distress has seldom been witnessed in any country. See the Christian Observer, vol. vii. p. 743. • The Azores are subject also to violent winds, and frequent inundations of the ocean, which often over whelm the houses, and sweep from the fields the flocks and grain. They are, however, extremely fer tile, and produce corn, wine, and fruits, in great abundance. There is an annual exportation of 20,000 pipes of wine ; and the single article of tobacco af fords a considerable revenue to the king of Portugal, who claims a tenth of all the productions of these islands. The air is wholesome, and the sky is neral clear and serene. No poisonous or noxious animals breed on the Azores, and, it is .said, that if carried thither, they will expire in a few hours. N. Lat. 36° to 40°, W. Long. 25° to 33°. See Adan son Voyage au Senegal. Pinkerton's Geography, vol. i. p. 601. (p)