Arrival of the Ship at the Island of Fayal, a Description of the Place, and the Return of the Resolution to England.
1775 July
At five o'clock in the evening of the 13th, we made the island of Fayal, one of the Azores, and soon after that of Pico, under which we spent the night in making short boards. At day-break the next morning, we bore away for the bay of Fayal, or De Horta, where at eight o'clock, we anchored in twenty fathoms water, a clear sandy bottom, and something more than half a mile from the shore. Here we moored N.E. and S.W., being directed so to do by the master of the port, who came on board before we dropped anchor. When moored, the S.W. point of the bay bore S. 16° W., and the N.E. point N. 33° E.; the church at the N.E. end of the town N. 38° W., the west point of St George's Island N. 42° E., distant eight leagues; and the isle of Pico, extending from N. 74° E. to S. 46° E., distant four or five miles.
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 provision from the Cape Verd
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
shewed 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 inconveniencies
attending it, more than overbalance the expence 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, all 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 shew 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. This
college is a fine structure, and is situated 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.