Tuesday. May
30th Pinhuris[?], Ponta Delgada St Miguel [sic]
I prepared
myself for a battle with the rats last night, placing all eatable articles such
as my hat with feathers on it, one rubber s[?] with lace border in the top
berth so that the beasts might have a feast without coming near me. I took my
big umbrella in my berth so as to defend myself if necessary and put a rubber
on the floor to throw at them – then stayed awake an hour waiting for the enemy
who failed to come at all and I slept soundly only dimly hearing the boom of
the gun which announced our arrival at Ponta Delgada. St Michaels is a large
island and has more open harbor than the others; Ponta Delgada runs along the
shore with high and large buildings. As the sunset last evening on Terceira I
changed my mind with regard to it – it seemed as beautiful as Fayal and very
similar – Ponta Delgada is a city of 20,000 inhabitants with imposing
residences, public buildings, hospitals, theatre, churches, etc. and the
resident portion of the place full of very large and beautiful gardens. The
churches have Gothic towers and many of the houses square towers on top,
sometimes a little at one side which gives the city a very different appearance
from any other town we have seen among the Islands. We saw our first occupied
Convent here, a large high square building, with wooden closed blinds and iron
gratings over them. There seems less originality or rather fewer Azorean
characteristics here than elsewhere – probably owing much to the size of the
city and that so many English live here. We saw some English carriages in the
streets. The only new sight was a cap worn by the men like this
and the
women’s Capotes were hooked in front drawing the hood close about the face – in
other respects like those worn on Fayal. We saw some hoes which have short
handles always. The climate seems much more dry, clear, cool and bracing
than Fayal. [?]. Mrs Lee and I went to walk in the
afternoon alone and through the business portion of the town. Wherever we went
the men came to the shop doors with insolent looks and stared and laughed.
There are no good manners here, and the people have none of the simplicity that
we saw at Flores & Fayal. We have seen the islands in the right way – the
primitive Flores coming first, then going from Fayal & Terceira to
cosmopolitan Ponta Delgada. Our boarding house, Mrs Brown’s is a fine old
country place, with large rooms and every possible comfort – and a flower
garden in front. There is a little chapel connected with the house which once
belonged to a wealthy family. It bears the date 1725. We took a late breakfast
there and found Dr & Mrs Robertson & Mr Townsend. The Browns are
English people, a widow with [?] son and pretty daughter. We have an
excellent table, in boarding house fashion & with beautiful glass, china
& linen. Mrs Lee & I have a room together until the rest of Sarah’s
passenger’s leave. There is besides a Miss Howell whom Mr Sanisberry spoke of
as travelling everywhere alone and being eccentric. She is a great admirer of
Bradlaugh – after breakfast we went to Antonio Broges garden very near the
Browns, a very extensive place, laid out with artificial gr[?], s[?], walks,
etc., greenhouses, etc. There are a great variety of plants and trees. It is
like a tropical public park. The ferns are fine and the different variety of
palms is wonderful, but there was not the real beauty of the Dabney garden. The
gardens of St Michaels are considered among the finest in the world –
In the
evening we played Whist with Miss Howell –
It is very
improper for a lady to go in the street alone here and I imagine somewhat
unsafe. Kent says “this beats the world”.
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