We found in the bay, the Pourvoyeur, a large French frigate, an American sloop, and a brig belonging to the place. She had come last from the river Amazon, where she took in a cargo of provisions for the Cape Verde Islands; but, not being able to find them, she steered for this place, where she anchored about half an hour before us.
As my sole design in stopping here was to give Mr. Wales an opportunity to find the rate of the watch, the better to enable us to fix, with some degree of certainty, the longitude of these islands, the moment we anchored, I sent an officer to wait on the English consul, and to notify our arrival to the Governor, requesting his permission for Mr. Wales to make observations on shore, for the purpose above-mentioned. Mr. Dent, who acted as consul, in the absence of Mr. Gathorne, not only procured this permission, but accommodated Mr. Wales with a convenient place in his garden, to set up his instruments; so that he was enabled to observe equal altitudes the same day.
We were not more obliged to Mr. Dent for the very friendly readiness he showed, in procuring us this and every other thing we wanted, than for the very liberal and hospitable entertainment we met with at his house, which was open to accommodate us, both night and day.
During our stay, the ship’s company was served with fresh beef; and we took on board about fifteen tons of water, which we brought off in the country boats, at the rate of about three shillings per ton. Ships are allowed to water with their own boats, but the many inconveniences attending it more than overbalance the expense of hiring shore-boats which is the most general custom.
Fresh provisions for present use may be got, such as beef, vegetables, and fruit; and hogs, sheep, and poultry, for sea-stock, at a pretty reasonable price; but I do not know that any sea-provisions are to be had, except wine. The bullocks and hogs are very good, but the sheep are small, and wretchedly poor.
The principal produce of Fayal is wheat and Indian corn, with which they supply Pico, and some of the other isles. The chief town is called Villa de Horta. It is situated in the bottom of the bay, close to the edge of the sea, and is defended by two castles, one at each end of the town, and a wall of stone-work, extending along the sea-shore, from the one to the other. But these works are suffered to go to decay, and serve more for show than strength. They heighten the prospect of the city, which makes a fine appearance from the road; but, if we except the Jesuits’ College, the monasteries and churches, there is not another building that has any thing to recommend it, either outside or in. There is not a glass window in the place, except what are in the churches, and in a country-house, which lately belonged to the English consul; all the others being latticed, which, to an Englishman, makes them look like prisons.
This little city, like all others belonging to the Portuguese, is crowded with religious buildings; there being no less than three convents of men, and two of women; and eight churches, including those belonging to the convents, and the one in the Jesuits’ college. The college is a fine structure, and is seated on an elevation in the pleasantest part of the city. Since the expulsion of that order, it has been suffered to go to decay, and will probably, in a few years, be no better than a heap of ruins.
Fayal, although the most noted for wine, does not raise sufficient for its own consumption. This article is raised on Pico, where there is no road for shipping; but being brought to De Horta, and from thence shipped abroad, chiefly to America, it has acquired the name of Fayal wine.
The bay, or road of Fayal, is situated at the east end of the isle, before the Villa de Horta, and facing the west end of Pico. It is two miles broad, and three quarters of a mile deep, and hath a semi-circular form. The depth of water is from twenty to ten, and even six fathoms, a sandy bottom; except near the shore, and particularly near the S. W. head, off which the bottom is rocky, also without the line, which joins the two points of the bay, so that it is not safe to anchor far out. The bearing before mentioned, taken when at anchor, will direct any one to the best ground. It is by no means a bad road, but the winds most to be apprehended, are those which blow from between the S. S. W. and S. E.; the former is not so dangerous as the latter, because, with it, you can always get to sea. Besides this road, there is a small cove round the S. W. point, called Porto Piere, in which, I am told, a ship or two may lie in tolerable safety, and where they sometimes heave small vessels down.
A Portuguese captain told me, that about half a league from the road, in the direction of S. E., in a line between it and the south side of Pico, lies a sunken rock, over which is twenty-two feet water, and on which the sea breaks in hard gales from the south. He also assured me, that of all the shoals that are laid down in our charts and pilot-books about these isles, not one has any existence but the one between the islands of St. Michael and St. Mary, called Hormingan.—This account may be believed, without relying entirely upon it. He further informed me, that it is forty-five leagues from Fayal to the island of Flores; and that there runs a strong tide between Fayal and Pico, the flood setting to the N. E. and the ebb to the S. W., but that out at sea, the direction is east and west. Mr. Wales having observed the times of high and low water, by the shore, concluded that it must be high water at the full and change about twelve o’clock, and the water riseth about four or five feet.