Map of the Azores or Western Islands.
The islands are now divided into three administrative districts, which take their names from the chief towns of Angra in Terceira, Horta in Fayal, and Ponta-Delgada in St Michael's—the first of the three being also the capital of the islands. The most of the inhabitants are of Portuguese origin, but there is a mixture not only of Flemish but Moorish blood. Negroes, Mulattoes, English, Scotch, and Irish immigrants are present in considerable numbers, especially in San Miguel and Fayal. Education is in a very backward state, the great proportion of the lower classes being unable to read or write. Progress, however, is being made in this as well as other respects.
Under the active administration of Pombal, considerable efforts were made for the improvement of the Azores, but the stupid and bigoted Government which followed rather tended to destroy these benefits, and to create a retrograde course. Towards the beginning of the present century, the possession of the islands was contested by the claimants for the crown of Portugal. The adherents of the constitution, who supported against Miguel the rights of Maria da Gloria, obtained possession of Terceira in 1829, where they succeeded in maintaining themselves, and after various struggles, Queen Maria's authority was established over all the islands. She resided at Angra from 1830 to 1833.
The aspect of all the islands is very similar in general characteristics, presenting an elevated and undulating outline, with little or no table-land, and rising into peaks, of which the lowest (that of Sta Maria) is 1889 feet, and the highest (that of Pico) 7613 feet above the level of the sea. Their lines of sea-coast are, with few exceptions, high and precipitous, with bases of accumulated masses of fallen rock, in which open bays, or scarcely more enclosed inlets, form the harbours of the trading towns. The volcanic character of the whole archipelago is very obvious, and has been abundantly confirmed by the numerous earth quakes and eruptions which have taken place since its discovery. Hitherto the western group of Flores and Corvo has been quite exempt, Graciosa has been equally undisturbed, and Fayal has only suffered from one eruption, in 1672. The centre of activity has for the most part been St Michael's, while the neighbouring island of Santa Maria has altogether escaped. In 1444-45 there was a great eruption at St Michael's, of which, however, the accounts that have been preserved exaggerate the importance. In 1522 the town of Villa Franca, at that time the capital of the island, was buried, with all its 6000 inhabitants, during a violent convulsion. In 1572 an eruption took place in the island of Pico; in 1580 St George was the scene of numerous outbursts; and in 1614 a little town in Terceira was destroyed. In 1630, 1652, 1656, 1755, 1852, &c., St Michael has been visited with successive eruptions and earthquakes, several of them of great violence. On various occasions, as in 1638, 1720, 1811, and 1867, subterranean eruptions have taken place, which have sometimes been accompanied by the appearance of temporary islands. Of these the most remarkable was thrown up in June 1811, about half a league from the western extremity of St Michael's. It was called Sabrina by the commander of the British man-of-war of that name, who witnessed the phenomenon. Details will be found in a valuable chapter of Hartung's Die Azoren, p. 99, and in the 23d vol. of the Philosophical Transactions.
