Narrative of the surveying voyages of his majesty's ships Adventure and Beagle (vol.3)

596 AZORES. Sept. 1836. When we reached the so-called crater, I found it consisted of a slight depression, or rather of a short valley abutting against a higher range and without any exit. The bottom was traversed by several large fissures, out of which, in nearly a dozen places, small jets of steam issued as from the cracks in the boiler of a steam engine. The steam close to the irregular orifices was far too hot for the hand to endure it. It had but little smell, yet from every thing made of iron being blackened, and from a peculiar rough sensation com- municated to the skin, the vapour cannot be pure ; I imagine it contains some muriatic acid. The effect on the surround- ing trachytic lava was singular, the solid stone being entirely converted either into pure snow-white porcelain clay, or into a kind of the brightest red, or the two colours were marbled together. The steam has thus been emitted during many years ; and it is said that flames once issued from the cracks. During rain, the water from each bank must flow into these cracks ; and it is probable that this same water trickling down to the neighbourhood of some heated subterranean lava, causes the above effects. Throughout the island, the powers from below have been unusually active during the last year; several small earthquakes have been felt, and during a few days a jet of steam issued from a bold precipice (part of Mount Brazil) overhanging the sea, not far from the town of Angra. I enjoyed my day's ride, though I did not find much worth seeing. It was pleasant to meet the peasantry ; I do not recollect ever having beheld a set of handsomer young men, with more goodhumoured expressions. The greater number whom we met, were employed in the mountains gathering slicks for firewood. A whole family, from the father to the least bojj^, might be seen, each carrying his bundle on his head to sell in the town. Their burdens were very hea^'y; this hard labour and the ragged state of their clothes plainly bespoke poverty ; yet I am told it is not that they want food, but there is an absence of all luxuries, — a case parallel to that of Chiloe. Hence, although the whole land