Azores Islands
by Robert L. Santos
California State University, Stanislaus
Librarian/Archivist
Early Accounts of Land Beyond
With the sea at his toes and an inquisitive and adventuring mind, the
Portuguese natural orientation is towards the west. The 17th century
Portuguese writer, Antonio Vieira wrote, "God gave the Portuguese a
small country as a cradle but all the world as their grave."1
There were mythical lands across sea as suggested by ancient
writing. Theopompue in 4th century B.C. wrote of a large western
land in the Atlantic. Pliny and Diodorus wrote of a large continent
beyond to the west. Solon of Greece in 600 B.C. visited Egypt and was
told of an island named Atlantis which Plato wrote about in his
Dialogues of 400 BC. His account tells of a powerful land outside the
columns of Hercules which was larger than Libya and Asia combined.
It was a land that was the way to other lands, but it sank during a
time of earthquakes and floods. The water was so muddy from its
sinking that it was impassable.2
But there were islands located in the Atlantic that were steeped in
myth and seen on early maps. They had names like the Fortunate
Isles, Antillia, Brazil, and California.3 There were stories, such as Irish
St. Brendan of Clonfert in 545 sailing from Kerry and finding islands
which may have been the Madeiras.4 On a Catalan chart these
mysterious Atlantic islands were identified as the Isles of St.
Brendan and lie only a few hundred miles off the Strait of Gilbraltar.5
Mohammad al Edrisi was credited at one time of having located a
series of islands which might have been the Cape Verdes, the
Maderias, the Canaries, or possibly the Azores. This was in the 12th
century.6
A Medici map of 1351 contained seven islands off the Portuguese
coast which were arranged in groups of three. There was the
southern group or the Goat Islands (Cabreras); there was the middle
group or the Wind or Dove Islands (De Ventura Sive de Columbis);
and there was the western island or the Brazil Island (De Brazil). On a
Catalan map of 1375, there were three Islands with the names of
Corvo, Flores, and Sao Jorge. It was thought that maybe the Genoese
may have discovered the Azores at that time and gave those names.7
These speculative sightings indicate that there was some ocean
exploration occurring, or at least, there was interest in what lay
beyond confines of continental Europe.
Prince Henry the Navigator and the Age of Exploration
Portuguese Prince Infante Dom Henrique (1394-1460), or Henry the
Navigator, was exactly what the literature proclaimed him to be, the
founder of modern navigation. He was singularly instrumental in
opening up the rest of the world to the Europeans. For the Azoreans,
he was their founding father as we shall see. Henry studied the sea,
weather, ships, geography and trade routes. He talked to navigators,
and sea captains. He brought to his navigation school, which he
founded at Sagres in 1416, cosmographers, mathematicians,
cartographers, and learned men of all kinds. He collected maps,
charts, books, and ephemera that would educate him and his circle of
adventurers.8
The motive for this industry was to find a sea route to link up with
the mythological Prester John, thereby encircling the Moslem world
and with armies driving them from northern Africa and the Holy
Land. To do this Henry needed money which he could garner through
trade once he found a sea route to India. He was the leader of the
religious-military organization, the Holy Order of Christ. Its program
of exploration, discovery, and settlement was for the purpose of
conquering the Muslims.9
Henry's first move was to defeat the Muslims at Ceuta (Morocco) in
order to free the African coast for exploration. He, his brothers,
and his father, King John I of Portugal, did this in 1415.10 Henry
experimented with ships and navigation during this venture, which
led to designing of the caravel, a long and slender ship (by
comparison) with lateen sails, that would be used by his Portuguese
explorers on their long voyages.11 Also the navigational instruments,
such as the astrolabe, quadrant, and cross-staff, were developed to
fix a ship's position. His captains kept logbooks of their voyages to
document their experience for the knowledge of others. They also
used flat maps to record longitude and latitude thereby simplifying
cartography methods.12
It took great courage to navigate the unexplored seas. Positions had
to be known to find one's way back. There were winds, weather
changes, and sea currents to master. A small wooden ship could be
broken at sea. Supplies of food and water could run out during a
voyage. Disease could strike. Superstition and fear would attack. It
took only the stout-hearted to head out onto the unknown waters on
a voyage of exploration.13
Next, Henry colonized the Madeira Islands which were accidentally
found by Joao Goncalves Zarco in 1419.14 They were uninhabited and
were to be used as a point of departure for further exploration and
in particular, for this study, the discovery and settlement of the
Azores.15 Camoes wrote in The Lusiads, "Thus far, O Portuguese, it is
granted to you to glimpse into the future and to know the exploits
that await your stout-hearted compatriots on the ocean that, thanks
to you is now no longer unknown."16
Discovery of the Azores
There are accounts that Henry sent his able seaman and knight
Goncalo Velho Cabral, in 1431, with the orders "to sail towards the
setting sun until he came to an island."17 Others say the islands had
been found accidentally by Portuguese sailors returning from a
voyage along the African coast or the Madeiras,18 but this is not
possible because the prevailing winds and ocean currents would not
have allowed it.19 Henry and his school of navigators knew there
were islands located a few hundred miles off the Portuguese coast
because they were shown on a Catalan map. In 1431, Cabral found a
series of volcanic rocks protruding out from under the water which
he named "formigas" or ants. He was just 25 miles from the nearest
Azorean island at the time which apparently was not visable to his
crew or him. He returned to Henry and was sent out immediately
the next year to reexplore the area.20
On August 15, 1432, Cabral found Santa Maria, the easternmost
island of the Azorean archipelago. It was the feast day of the
Assumption of Our Blessed Mother, or Santa Maria, and consequently
named for her.21 The island was lush with forests, streams, and
birdlife.22 Apparently, there were many birds in flight, thought to be
goshawks, and hence, the islands got the Portuguese name "acor" or
hawk. However, there have never been goshawks there according to
ornithologists. Many believe the birds seen were the Azorean
buzzards.23
It is thought too that maybe the name for the islands came from this
statement written by Martin Behaim, the maker of the Nuremburg
globe of 1492: "All birds found in the islands by the first settlers
were so tame that they came to the hand like hawks."24 Another
theory is that the word "raca" or "raka," meaning bird of prey in
Arabic, was translated to the Portugese acor. Raca appeared in an
Arab manuscript designating an island, or islands, in the same
location as the Azores.25
A letter written by Alfonso V, King of Portugal, dated July 2, 1439 is
the first known document with a reference to the Azores. Its content
reveals that there were seven islands and that Henry was given the
right to settle them.26 The next known document is a Majorcan map
of the same year which had seven islands and the date of discovery
was recorded as 1432.27 There have been differing versions
concerning the year-date of the discovery. It appears, after some
analysis by scholars, that 1432 is the correct date.28 Unfortunately,
there were no written accounts of the voyage by the participants.29
In fact, there is little information on the discoveries of the other
eight islands because of the same reason.
Sao Miguel was sighted followed next by Terceira, which means the
"third." Then the central group of islands were found which were
Graciosa, Sao Jorge, Pico, and Faial. And finally the western two
islands of Corvo and Flores were sighted in 1452 which concluded
the discovery of the archipelago.30 There is no evidence that
humankind had ever been on the islands.31 But there are mysteries.
There is the mystery of an equestrian statue on Corvo, and also the
mystery of the Phoenician or Carthagenian coins said to have found
there as well.32
Corvo along with Flores are the two westernmost islands of the
archipelago, and hence, the last inch of European soil. It was here in
the early 1500's, that Damiao de Goes, under the employment of King
Dom Manoel of Portugal, wrote of a statue of a man on horseback
pointing to the west which was clinging to a rocky ledge. The king
asked for a drawing of it, and after seeing the drawing, he sent
someone to bring it back. As the story goes, it was shattered in a
storm en route, but the king received the parts. There too was an
inscription in the rock below the statue, and an impression was taken
of it. But neither the shattered parts of the statue, nor the impression
of the inscription were ever found.33 Was it a hoax? Scholars are still
unsure.
Some have speculated that the statue was really just one of many
rock formations seen on the island and nothing more.34 Others feel it
did exist and could have been evidence of the lost continent of
Atlantis, or of another settlement of ancient peoples. Coins too were
found on Corvo, and their images were published in a journal of the
Society of Gothenberg. They were considered to be of Carthagenian or
Cyrenean origin by the society.35 A twentieth century Portuguese
scholar, made a serious effort to locate the coins. He went to the
convent to which they were first supposedly taken. He also visited
museums where he thought information could be found. But his
investigation turned up nothing.36
Settlers and Settlement
At some point, following the discovery of Santa Maria, sheep were let
loose on the island before settlement actually took place.37 This was
done to supply the future settlers with food because there were no
animals on the island. Settlement didn't take place right away,
however. There was not much interest among the Portuguese people
in an isolated island world hundreds of miles from civilization.38 But
patiently Cabral gathered resources and settlers for the next three
years (1433-1436) and sailed to establish colonies on Santa Maria
first and then later on Sao Miguel.39
Brush had to be cleared and rocks removed for the planting of
crops.40 Grain, grape vines, sugar cane, and other plants suitable for
settler use and of commercial value, were planted. Domesticated
animals were brought, such as, cattle, sheep, goats, and hogs. Houses
were built and villages established.41
The first settlers were a mixed group of people from the Portuguese
provinces of Algarve and Minho.42 Also, Madeirans, Moorish
prisoners, black slaves,43 French, Italians, Scots, English, and
Flemings were among the early settlers.44 There were petty
criminals, Spanish clergy, Jews, soldiers, government officials,
European merchants and sugar cane growers.45
The purpose of the Azorean colony was to service the mother
country with commodities and tribute. It was to be a station for
Portuguese ships to be resupplied and repaired. The islands too
were to produce crops for trade. In its peak trade years, there would
be more than one hundred ships anchored at the Bay of Angra.46
Slaves had to be removed from the islands and sent to Brazil and the
Caribbean because there was concern about a slave insurrection.47
The islands were colonized under the Holy Order of Christ,48
and the settlers were to be Christians. There were many languages,
but after awhile Portuguese became the standard language
of communication.49 Because of the isolated nature of the islands, and
the harshness of the land, and at times, climate, all settlers,
regardless of their background, had to work together to survive. This
gave the people a sense of equality and togetherness. As a
consequence, more settlers were given the right to purchase land.50
There were some slaves on the islands, and there were lingering
concerns about a slave revolt which no settler wanted. Soon the
slaves were sent to Brazil and to the Caribbean.51
The Flemings
People from Flanders settled in the Azores beginning in 1450. These
Flemish settlers played an important role in the creation of the
Azorean culture. By 1490, there were 2,000 Flemings living in the
islands of Terceira, Pico, Faial, Sao Jorge, and Flores.52 Because there
was such a large Flemish settlement, the Azores became known as
the Flemish Islands or the Isles of Flanders.53
Henry was responsible for this settlement. His sister, Isabel, was
married to Duke Philip of Burgundy of which Flanders was a part.
There was a revolt against Philip's rule and disease and hunger
became rampant. Isabel appealed to Henry to allow some of the
unruly Flemings to settle in the Azores. He granted this and supplied
them with the necessary transportation and goods.54
First group of Flemings was led by Willem van de Hagen, later known
by his Portuguese name of Guilherme da Silveira. They settled in
Terceira, and the Flemish nobleman, Jacome de Bruges, was placed in
charge. The next contingents went to the islands of Faial, Flores, Sao
Jorge,55 and Pico.56 Joos van Huerter founded the city of Horta on
Faial57 where evidence of the Flemish people and culture still exists
today. Faial was in fact called the Flemish Island and the valley
behind the city still has the name, the Valley of the Flemings or O
Valle dos Flamengo.58
But the Flemish language disappeared before long, and the Flemish
settlers changed their names to Portuguese forms. For example, van
der Hagen became Silveira, and Huerter became Dutra or Utra.59
Flemish physical traits of light hair, light complexion, and blue eyes
can still be seen in the features of many Azoreans. Flemish oxcarts
and windmills are still seen on the islands.60 The Flemish beghards
and beguines (lay-religious group) brought the Festival of the Holy
Spirit and their distinctive cloaks and hoods to the islands.61 There
are many religious statuary, paintings, and furniture found in
Azorean churches and museums which show the Flemish influence.62
An interesting sidelight is the speculation that some Flemish people
may have reached the North Carolina coast inadvertently during this
migratory activity. In North Carolina, there was a group of people,
calling themselves the Melungeons, who had light colored skin and
identified themselves as Portuguese. These were not Native
Americans. It is thought, that maybe one of the ships bound for the
Azores, coming from Flanders, may have overshot the islands and
found its way to the Carolina coast, but evidence is lacking.63
Captain-Donatary System
The captain-donatary system of government was a conception of
Prince Henry. He tried it first at Madeira and then next in the Azores.
The system was duplicated throughout the Portuguese colonies and
also used by the Spanish in their empire. It simply was a system by
which absentee landowners could control their property and also
receive payments from the peasant tenants on crop production.64
Alfonso V, King of Portugal gave Henry the privilege of settling seven
of the Azores Islands. Alfonso awarded the same privilege to his
uncle, Alfonso Duke of Braganca, to settle Corvo, and to Dona Maria
de Vilhena to settle the island of Flores.65
Henry made Cabral "captain" (governor) of Santa Maria and Sao
Miguel. Van der Hagen became captain of Flores and Corvo, and
Graciosa was given to Pedro de Correia, who was Christopher
Columbus' brother-in-law. Van Huerta was designated captain-
donatary of Faial, Pico, and Sao Jorge, while de Bruges was given the
same title for Terceira.66 The difference between a "captain-
donatary" and a "captain" was the former was able to pass along his
title as inheritance while the latter could not.67
The captains and captains-donatary were like governors who had full
control over their domain. They held the office of judge. They could
make land grants. They monopolized the gristmills, public baking
ovens, and salt sales. Henry and his successors got a 10% tax from
these monopolies, and his captains got 10% of his 10%.68 The land
they granted was subdivided for tenant farming. This way the lands
were farmed by peasants who had no ownership and had to pay high
rent and tax. This system lasted for centuries and was one key
reason for the high Azorean emigration. There simply was no way
the peasants could advance up the socio-economic ladder.69
Through this system the King of Portugal had control over his lands
and had administrators in place to manage and to collect royal
tribute. Shortly, the land grant owners became wealthy and wanted
more control over government. As a result, municipal districts were
established with town councils where appropriate. This was a
pseudo-democratic system which allowed input into local
governmental policy. But in reality, the wealthy and the absentee
landowners still controlled the islands.70
In the Middle of the Atlantic
The Azores Islands lie about 700 miles off the Portuguese coast; 750
miles from Africa;71 1,100 miles from Newfoundland; and 2,200
miles from the east coast of the United States. It is nearly midway
between Europe and the North America.72 The archipelago stretches
about 375 miles from end to end and are found in three separate
groups. They are volcanic in composition.73
There are three theories on the genesis of the islands: (1) they could
be the last vestages of a large continent such as Atlantis; (2) they
could be the ragged edges of two continental plates pulling apart; or,
(3) they could be molten lava seeping from a large crack in the ocean
floor, cooled by ocean water, and rising to the ocean surface.74 The
latter seems to be the most probable as determined by the experts.
The islands are essentially the tips of a large undersea mountain
range, referred to as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which stretches the
entire length of the Atlantic Ocean, from north to south. It is made up
of nearly100 volcanoes, some active and some dormant, with 19
hovering over 3,280 feet above sea level. Pico Alto, on the island of
Pico, is the highest volcano at 7,711 feet.75 Because of these
volcanoes, there is virtually no flatland on the islands.76
Table 1 below shows the varying sizes and heights of the islands. Sao
Miguel is the largest in size with Corvo being the smallest having
only 4 square miles of surface. Sao Miguel, Sao Jorge, and Pico are the
longest islands with an average length of about 35 miles. Most of the
islands are generally from 7 to 10 miles wide and have mountainous
topography.
Table 1
Size and Elevation of the Azores Islands
Island Area Length Width % Below % Above
(sq mi) (mi) (mi) 1,000 Feet 1,000 Feet
_____________________________________________________________
Santa Maria 37.5 10.4 6.2 86.4 13.6
Sao Miguel 288.0 39.9 9.9 52.7 47.3
Terceira 162.9 18.0 11.2 55.6 44.4
Graciosa 23.9 7.8 4.7 94.5 5.7
Sao Jorge 95.0 34.1 4.2 30.1 69.9
Faial 66.8 13.1 8.7 53.5 46.5
Pico 172.2 33.2 9.2 41.2 58.8
Flores 52.2 10.5 7.7 32.5 67.5
Corvo 4.0 4.0 2.5 45.1 54.9
Total 808.1
_____________________________________________________
Source: James H. Guill, A History of the Azores Islands
& Jerry R. Williams, And Yet They Come.77
The islands are irregular in shape with most of the land sloping
upward towards the volcanic peaks. The sea coast has cliffs that are
several hundred feet high. The lower shorelines have coves that
serve as harbors. Horta on the island of Faial has the best natural
harbor in the islands. There are fine harbors at Ponta Delgada on Sao
Miguel and Angra on Terceira.78 The water is deep offshore, from 1-
2 miles in most cases, reminding one that these islands are the tops
of a mountain range having great vertical relief.79 The water
between Pico and Faial is 300 feet deep which indicates that these
two islands were undoubtedly one island at one point.80
In the 1880's, American Lyman Weeks visited the islands and
describes vividly what he saw:
The shore is high and precipitous, and dangerous headlands
project outward in all directions; while reefs of hoary rocks,
spume-covered and washed by angry waves, form a protecting
cordon about the land. Over the edges of dark sea-cliffs, little
rivulets, like silver threads upon cloth of a frieze, trickle down
into the ocean. The fields are crossed and recrossed with
hedges of bamboo, which divide the land into a regular
checker-work of cultivation and pasturage. Groups of white
buildings, with a steepled church always in the midst, occupy
the most conspicuos locations.81
Climate
Azorean climate is temperate having temperatures usually between
75 to 50 degrees F.82 There is a band of high pressure, called the
"Azores High," which keeps storms away from the islands.83 The
ocean currents run clockwise around the northern Atlantic with the
warm Gulf Stream helping to keep the Azorean climate mild.84
Average rainfall varies with each island. For example, Flores receives
54.8 inches of rain a year while Sao Miguel gets 28.7. Humidity
averages about 75% throughout the islands with a normal range from
59% to 99%.85 Snow covers Alto Pico during the colder winter
months, a time for storms and heavy winds. Corvo and Flores in the
western part of the island chain get polar fronts that swing through
leaving heavy rain.86 Tropical cyclones and hurricanes have
pummeled the islands during September and October when low
pressure allows them through.87 One such hurricane struck the
islands on August 30, 1857. At the American consulate in Horta, J.P.
Dabney describes what he witnessed:
About nine o'clock the wind shifted suddenly from W. to N.N.W.
and in a short time the hurricane was upon us. For about two
and a half hours it blew as I never saw it blow before. The
Bay with the wind off shore was one white mass of foam, and
at times the vessels were almost swallowed up in spray . . . The
growth and labor of years destroyed in one moment! I never
saw such a wreck! Some paths were impassable from the
trees that had fallen across them and over one hundred pine
trees were broken short off . . . the corn laid flat on the
ground, in every direction . . . the poor farmers seem in despair
and yet they never murmur.88
The Shaking, Spewing Earth
The Azores is a lively place to be. There is a continuous chain of
earthquakes and volcanic activity that has had a great effect on its
inhabitants. Many of them have left the islands in horror after
witnessing one of these catacylysmic events. But disasters are bound
to happen when a volcanic environment is home for thousands of
human beings.89
A warning of such calamity was signaled early in man's history on
the islands. When Cabral discovered Sao Miguel in 1444, he saw two
volcanic mountains, one at each end of the island. The next year
when he returned with supplies and additional settlers, he noticed
something was wrong. The western mountain was completely gone!
When he landed, he questioned the men he left behind from the
previous voyage, and found that during his absence, earthquakes
followed by volcanic explosions, collasped the crater. The years that
followed were labeled "the years of the ashes" because ash could be
found several feet deep on parts of the islands, and ash impeded
ocean traffic hundreds of miles at sea. The collasped crater at Sao
Miguel over the centuries has filled with rainwater forming two
lakes, and next to the lakes, a village can be found which was given
the mythological name, Sete Ciadades, or Seven Cities.90
There have been 21 major volcanic eruptions in the past 550 years
collectively occurring on the islands of Sao Miguel, Terceira, Pico, Sao
Jorge, and Faial.91 In 1562, there was an eruption on Pico causing the
residents to flee in horror to the other islands. In 1580, on Sao Jorge,
12 people and 4,000 head of cattle were killed.92 In 1630, on Sao
Miguel, 200 people were killed and numerous cattle during an
eruption. In 1811 an volcanic islet, one mile in length, formed off the
coast of Sao Miguel. A British Union Jack was planted on it claiming it
for Great Britain. But the protruding islet sank back into the sea
taking the British flag with it.93 As late as 1957, another volcanic
islet arose off the coast of Faial, but this one connected to the island
destroying a lighthouse in the process.94 As one can see, the Azores is
a living volcanic nightmare that has violently made itself known
often through the island chain's history much to the detriment of its
residents.
This was reported in 1862 during a period of earthquakes and volcanic explosions:
One hundred and twenty shocks occurred within ten days. They were not
violent, but distressing to the inhabitants, most of whom left their houses,
and betook themselves to tents. They lived in momentary expectation of an
eruption, not knowing where or when it might burst forth . . . the people on
the western slopes of the island, believing the sea to be on fire, and the end of
the world at hand, got out their images of the saints, and chanted and
prayed, night and day on the cliffs.95
They placed crowns, used in the Holy Ghost festival, on altars, hoping
to soothe the anger of the belching earth and anxiously recited
verses like this one found in the annals Azorean folklore:
The earth on fire shook
Oh what distress and fear!
To placate the volcano
The blessed Crown brought near.96
Thomas Hickling, on the island of Sao Miguel, wrote this on February
28, 1811:
We were much alarmed by frequent shocks of earthquakes, perhaps upwards of
twenty . . . a volcano had broken out in the sea. I repaired immediately to that
part of the Island and to my utter astonishment saw a vast column of black
smoke issuing out of the ocean. The wind was a gale from the southward and
blew smoke over the land . . . at various times times through the night, fire
issue forth like a number of rockets discharged together. Large masses of
stone and lava were continually thrown above the surface of the sea . . . In
eight days it entirely subsided leaving a shoal on which the sea breaks.97
Mr. John P. Dabney, American Consul, recorded this about an eruption
on the island of Pico in 1808:
The large Crater . . . burst forth like a roaring Lion with horrible bellowings
distinctly heard twelve leagues distant, throwing up prodigious large stones
and lava and illuminating at night the whole Island . . . The lava inundated and
swept away the Town of Ursulina and the country houses and cottages adjacent
as well as the farm houses throughout its course. It as usual gave timely notice
of its approach and most of the inhabitants fled. Some of them however remained
in the vicinity too long, endeavouring to save their effects and were scalded by
the flashes from its stream, which without injuring their clothes took not only
their skin but their flesh; about sixty people were thus miserbly scalded, some
of whom died on the spot, others soon after, and some recovered . . . In short,
this Island heretofore rich in Corn, Cattle and vineyards for exportation, is
nearly ruined and a scene of greater desolation and distress has seldom been
witnessed.98
The earthquakes have been just as destructive. There have been 18
major temblors on the islands in recorded history.99 One such quake
took place in 1522 when the entire village of Villa Franca, on Sao
Miguel island, having 5,000 residents, and being the center of
government, was engulfed within sixty seconds by land mass thrown
from a hill behind the village. It caused a tidal wave and other
destruction in the adjascent islands. It took a year to dig the village
out and to give Christian burials to its 5,000 victims.100
As recently as 1980, a massive earthquake underneath the ocean
near the islands of Sao Jorge, Terceira, and Graciosa took 60 lives;
destroyed 5,278 homes, 32 churches, 6,000 other structures; and
made 21,296 people homeless.101
This litany of volcanic and earthquake disaster, has indelibly burned
itself into the psyche of the Azorean people. Some remain on the
islands with courage and determination, depending upon their
religious faith to see them through, while others emigrate and with
good reason.
But They are Beautiful!
The Azores islands are like the mythical sirens sailors believe in,
always dangerously beautiful. Most immigrants leave the Azores
with the idea of returning to their verdant isles with their majestic
cliffs, charming villages, and whitewashed homes glistening in the
sun. Many do return, but usually just to visit. However, a few do
make the islands their retirement home after working in the United
States for decades. They have their well-earned social security
checks sent to them.
There is a longing in the Azorean emigrant's heart for the home
islands. It is called "saudades," a Portuguese word which has no
English equivalent. It can be defined best as "nostagia," a yearning
deep within one's soul for the past. One of the highest compliments
one can pay is to say "muitas saudades" to someone.102
Each of the nine islands has its own particular charm. Santa
Maria has 20,000 acres of fertile volcanic soil and three mountains
that rise to 1,900, 1720, and 780 feet.103 Sao Miguel is the largest
island and is called the "Green Island" because of the lushness of its
vegetation. It has a large crater named the Grand Cauldron which is
10 miles in circumference. Also, there is the Valley of Furnas with its
hot springs and therapeutic baths.104
Terceira is the largest of the central group of five islands and is oval
in shape, undoubtedly a volcanic crater. It has mostly level terrain. It
has beaches and has a fine harbor at Angra.105 Another island is
Graciosa which means "gracious." It is not as mountainous and
wooded as the other islands, but it does have fine fertile soil. The
island of Pico is dominated by the large volanic peak of Pico Alto at
one end. It is rich in vegetation but lacks fresh water because it is
porous. Rainwater seeps quickly into its many cracks caused by
volcanic activity.106
Sao Jorge is a long slender island having 3,000 foot walls along its
northern sea coast. These headlands create dramatic waterfalls
during heavy rainfall. There are lush forests and pastures, and also
fine bays on the south coast.107 The island of Faial is dominated by a
large volcanic cone a few miles from its very picturesque city of
Horta.108 The island is profusely covered with clusters of white and
purple flowers of the hydrangea. It has the majestic view from its
natural harbor of the 7,700 foot volcanic mountain Pico Alto which is
only 4 miles across the channel on the island of Pico. Faial gets its
name from the faya trees, that are like beech, which dominate the
island.109
The westernmost island is Flores which is mountainous, wooded, and
covered with flowers. It has eight lakes and six volcanic craters. It
has no good harbors because of its treacherous shores.110 Lastly is
Corvo, the smallest of the islands. Its name comes from the birds
found there. It is largely an extinct volcanic cone with few forests or
woods.111
Plants and Animals
What plants and animals found on this isolated archipelago were
brought by the wind, ocean currents, and bird migrations.112 At the
time of discovery, the islands had only sealife, birds, and plantlife.
Squalls brought insects and birds, such as, blackbirds, woodpigeons,
canaries, starlings, and buzzards.113 Sixty-three plants are unique to
the Azores and about 700 were introduced,114 such as, the magnolia,
eucalyptus, bamboo, palm, oak, tea, tobacco, banana, citrus, and
pine.115 Forests were depleted by the settlers for a variety of
purposes, and the brush burned off for pastureland. About 8.4% of
the islands or 69,025 remain wooded today.116
Agriculture
There are numerous varieties of agricultural crops on the
islands. Much of it is for subsistence, but major cash crops have been
tried, and just as many have failed because of disease or problems in
the world market. Sugar cane, citrus, grapes, and pastels have been
tried, and for one reason or another, lost their worth.
Pastels, or woad, was grown to produce blue and purple dyes, but
was replaced with indigo and brazilwood that were grown
elsewhere.117 Sugar cane caused a serious debacle between the
farmers and the government because of the revenue the government
and the rich took from the farmers.118 Tobacco was tried, but it
seriously depleted the soil. Tea couldn't compete with the growers in
the orient. Oranges were shipped in larged amounts, 500,000
annually, to England in the 1800's,119 but blight struck them, and the
industry never fully recovered. The same happened to grapes,
especially on Pico, where the quality wine of its wine was well-
known outside the Azores.120
The islands also produce grains, beans, flax, corn, sweet potatoes,
dairy products, and a variety of fruits, such as, figs, pears, apples,
peaches, and quinces.121 Domesticated animals, such as sheep, cattle,
hogs, and chickens have been raised for local useage.122 The islands
have rich volcanic soil, but there are no large tracts of unobstructed
land available. Lava and other volcanic deposits pose great obstacles.
Rocks are removed and used for fences since wood is scarce. In
reality they are 4 to 5 feet high walls which act as windbreaks,
sheltering vines and other fruits from the wind. They are stacked to
form rectangular fields of about 100 square feet. It is not unusual to
see corn or grape vines planted in the cracks between rocks because
very vestige of soil must be used in this volcanic littered land.123
This was written in 1880's by an American visitor:
Between the villages, sloping to the sea, lay broad and fertile fields; yams
and sweet-potatoes, besides Indian corn, wheat, and other grains, beans,
melons, squashes, and potatoes, as luxuriant as on the meadow-lands of the
Connecticut.124
The island of Sao Jorge has extensive pastureland for dairy cattle and
produces milk and cheese for the islands and some cheese for
exportation.125 Another island with daries is Terceira. It is common
for most Azorean families to have a family cow or two to provide the
household with milk, butter, and cheese.126 The Azores have mostly
holstein and shorthorn breeds.127
There have been two ways to survive on the islands: one must fish,
or one must farm. Some combine the two out of necessity. Because of
the lack of good harbors, high coastal walls, and the deep rolling seas
surrounding the islands, fishing has never been a major activity.
Consequently, agriculture has been practiced by nearly all of the
islanders for a livelihood.128
Because of the lack of available land, farming has had to be
intensive.129 The land tenure system puts the farmer in
"perpetual leasehold," that is, he is virtually landless and must
lease land to farm. The rent is fixed, but unlike tenant farming where
the owner and the farmer share in profits and losses, the renter
takes the full impact of good and bad agricultural years. Leases are
hereditary, being passed along to subsequent generations, and the
leased lands can only be subdivided by permission of the owner.
Thus, as the population grows the opportunities dwindle for the
younger generation. In 1840, only 3% of the land was controlled by
the population.130 In 1965, 81.8% of the Azorean farms were 3 acres
or less, and 3.2% larger than 10 acres.131
The peasant farming his small acreage for sustenance has no interest
or means to progress technologically. In the 1880's the status of
farming equipment found on the Azores was as this visitor saw it:
Flax is extensively cultivated and used, yet a loom or spinning-wheel is a thing
almost unknown . . . wheat is trodden out by oxen on a large circular threshing-
floor, as in patriarchial times . . . In churning . . . still adhere to the traditional
method of shaking the milk in an earthen vessel or burying it in a leathern bag
in the ground until the butter comes. A large broad hoe with a short handle is
universally employed in agricultural labors. Spades, shovels, and forks are
tabooed as inventions of the foul fiend . . . The plough is the old Latin plough
reproduced. It is of wood, the share alone being shod with iron. The ploughman
rides to the field on his donkey, and then has a pair of oxen to do the work,
while the donkey is turned loose into the hedge to wait. So it was in the days
of Job, who tells us that "the oxen were ploughing and the asses feeding besides
them."132
Resilient People
Hardship builds character. This is seen time and again throughout
history, and this aptly applies to the Azoreans. They have had
to survive earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fierce storms, crop
disease, European wars, and pirate raids to name their greatest
challenges.133 Because of their isolation in the middle of the Atlantic,
they have had to be self-reliant, independent, and harmonious to
survive.134
There are many descriptions of the Azorean's character and lifestyle
in the literature. Most of it is complimentary. Some of it is derogatory
and scathing which quite often comes from upper class travelers who
have little interest in the welfare of the peasant class. The following
are some of the opinions that represents both viewpoints.
An American, Alice Baker, traveled to the Azores during the summer
in the early 1880's. She wrote this:
The Portuguese peasant class is poor and often poverty-stricken though
living under fairly favorable climate conditions; that they have a very low
standard of living, dwelling in humble cottages which are sometimes
uncleanly and usually devoid of the barest necessities, and eating the plainest
of food; that they lack knowledge of hygiene and sanitation; that they are
devout though somewhat less in parts of the mainland than on the islands;
that their religious ideas are somewhat vague and associated with many
superstitions; that their recreation is limited and semi-religious in some
of its aspects; and that they are grossly ignorant, illiterate, often lacking
in a desire for education, though not unintelligent . . . Quick intelligence,
the dreamy melancholy, the slyness and love of intrigue, the wit and
imagination are here and the power of expression in words . . . They are
devoted to music, flowers, dance, and song.135
Lawrence Oliver, himself an Azorean immigrant, describes his
people as they appeared to him:
The Portuguese have always been liberty-loving race . . . They are adven-
turous, courageous, natural pioneers. They are home lovers and home
builders. Of a deeply religious nature, they support their and its needs.
Although thrifty, they recognize the good things of life and when acquired,
use them with moderation and good judgment. Seldom will their names
be found on relief rolls and even less often on the records of our criminal
courts.136
Mark Twain visited the Azores and wrote about the islands and its
people in his work Innocents Abroad. It must be remembered that
Twain's style is witty and satirical, and he uses forced humor at
times to entertain the reader. But still his comments are worth
hearing, if only because he is a giant in the observation of people. His
preoccupation with the donkey in the below passage comes a day
after his rigorous travel on the beast of burden:
The community is eminently Portuguese -- that is to say, it is slow, poor,
shiftless, sleepy, and lazy . . . The people lie, and cheat the stranger,
and are desperately ignorant, and have hardly any reverence for their dead.
The latter trait shows how little better they are than the donkeys they eat
and sleep with . . . The donkeys and the men, women, and children of a family,
all eat and sleep in the same room, and are unclean, are ravaged by vermin,
and are truly happy.137
Mostly Humble Abodes
Houses in the Azores are usually one-story made of black lava rock
cemented by limestone, a mineral found only on the island of Santa
Maria. The black rock is plastered over and then whitewashed. The
exterior of the house has tiles of white porcelain with designs in blue,
brown, green, or yellow for decoration. The tiles are from an
inherited handicraft coming from both the Moors and the Flemings.
The roofs are tiled in red, or thatched, and have no chimneys. The
islands' architecture shows strong Moorish decorative influence.138
The Azorean dwellings are usually one room, some have a loft, some
have a separate cooking area, and most have earth floors. There are
no windows, and those with them, have no glass. Their beds are
matresses of corn husks or silky fibre put in homespun linen ticks.
Most homes don't have a stove but will have a fireplace with a broad
stone shelf. Some do have stone ovens though. There is very little
furniture in the house, and the lighting is poor. Religious pictures can
be found hanging on the walls, as much as for decoration, as for
devotion to patron saints. Household cloths are the products of the
women living in the house. Farm animals are frequent visitors inside
the house mostly when they are seeking shelter during bad weather
or when the sun sets.139
This was observed by a visitor at the turn of this century:
When the Azorean peasant is hungry and needs a stew, he gathers a few faggots,
places them on the ground, sets on the kettle or stew-pan, lights the fire; then
when the dish is cooked the doors and windows are opened and the smoke allowed
to escape. . . The morning light is sure to discover all the animals nestling in
and about his bed, from the huge black pig and the tiny donkey, down to cats,
dogs, sheep, and calves, half-starved hens, clean fat rats and cosmopolitan fleas.140
Azoreans eat stew, fish, cornbread, cabbage, and potatoes. Cornbread
and cheese with water is a meal. Pork saugages are ritually made
and are spicy.141 There are no wells; therefore, cisterns are used to
collect rainwater. If there is a drought, some islanders have to walk 6
to 8 miles to find spring water which is collected in wooden pots and
carried by Azorean women balanced on their heads.142
Famine and hunger are always a concern, as witnessed by this account:
On the island of Corvo in the Azores we lived a hand-to-mouth existence.
Sometimes a hurricane came in and out of the North Atlantic and wiped
out the corn crop. When that happened, there was real hunger. We rationed
what we had and prayed a lot."143
Clothing
Last century the Azorean men dressed in coarse wool and linen
pants, shirts, and jackets, all homespun. Feet were bare while some
wore wooden shoes. A skull cap was worn with a tassel on top.
Azorean women used the same material for their clothing and wore
braided hair topped with a cap or handkerchief. They too were
barefooted.144 Some women wore a capote especially where the
Flemish influence was strong. A capote hasn't been worn on the
islands since the 1930's. It was a hooded cloak of dark blue
broadcloth brought to the Azores by the Flemish beguines, a lay-
religious group. This comment was made by a visitor in the
1870's: 145
The strangest sight in Horta is the capote of the women, worn alike in summer
and in the rainy season: this cloak is of heavy, dark-blue stuff, falling in
massive folds to the ankles, and surmounted by a stupendous hood, stiffened
with whalebone and buckram, and of astounding shape and size. Some pretty
faces may occasionally be discerned under this grotesque guise.146
Urban Environment
Villages are the hubs of daily Azorean activity. Farmers work their
fields during the day and return to their village home in the evening.
Shops are plentiful. For example, in the 1880's, the city of Ponta
Delgada had 23 clothing stores, 6 apothecaries, 139 grocery or liquid
stores, 12 butcher shops, 8 ironsmiths, 15 bootmakers, and 8 tailors.
A hospital had 400 beds147.
Mark Twain praised the Azoreans for their well-kept villages:
Every street is handsomely paved . . . and the surface is neat and true as a
floor . . . Everywhere are walls, walls, walls -- and all of them are tasteful
and handsome -- eternally substantial . . . the town and the island are
miracles of cleanliness.148
The dairymen lived in the villages but had to ride their horse or
donkey daily up to higher elevations to milk and care for their stock
as seen in this experience:
I milked the cows every day while they were giving milk. We kept the cows
in our pastures; which were five to seven miles from home. When they were
five miles from home, I arose at three o'clock in the morning to get there
at daybreak . . . I would milk the cows and return home with the milk about
noon. I had lunch, rested for an hour, then went to work in the fields for the
balance of the afternoon . . . In the Azores, the people own pieces of land that
they have inherited. Sometimes the parents from whom they inherited lived
far away, on the other side of the district, five, six, or seven miles from
where the children lived. Each family, also, had, its own pasture for cows,
sheep, or whatever else they possessed. This was the way it was with us.149
Names, Schools, and Illiteracy
Surnames are seemingly unimportant to the Azorean. They will take
any surname that seems appropriate. Family members will often
have different surnames within one household. The wife sometimes
will take her husband's last name and quite often she will not. The
oldest son will take his father's last name while the next son will
take the mother's maiden name. Nicknames are common and many
are stuck with them for life.150
Education has no priority in a peasant society. The primary concern
of the peasant family is survival and that means everyone works to
assure it. No advantage is seen by going to school, and in fact, the
peasant feels that it is a detriment in that it takes the child away
from his responsibility at home. Schools have been available though
for those who are interested. The Portuguese government through
the centuries has never fully supported public education;
consequently, there is a very high illiteracy rate in the Azores.151
Family, Village, and Island
In the Azores there is a hierarchy of loyalty. One's first loyalty is to
the family. It is the most important socio-economic unit in which
every member is expected to do his or her share to strengthen the
family's stability and well-being. The father is the head of the family
and makes the important decisions. Land and farm animals are
passed along to the each generation. This provides continued security
for the family members.152
The Azoreans second loyalty is to the village which consists of a
network of families many which are interrelated by marriages. When
tragedy strikes one the village families, the rest of the village
contributes aid in the form of food, work, and care.153
After the family and the village, the Azoreans next loyalty is to the
island on which he or she lives. Each island has a certain uniqueness
about it. The nationality of the settler is different; the industry,
topography, and religious celebrations are different. Dialects differ
too. The people of Sao Miguel have a harsher accent because of their
stronger Iberian heritage as compared to the Flemish-settled islands
where the spoken tone is softer and the language more sophisticated.
The Portuguese language throughout the Azores is different from the
mainland in tone, words, and style. The Portuguese spoken in the
Azores is an older and more conservative form because of the
archipelago's isolation.154
Music
Azoreans are fond of music and dance. The viola is the dominant
instrument which is a guitar-like mandolin. In Terceira, the viola is a
little larger in size, and Spanish-like, because of the influence of the
Spanish occupation of the island, 1583-1643. The other islands have
the "viola dos dois coracoes" which is a guitar that has two heart-
shaped holes instead of one the large round whole in the middle of
the body of the instrument. It has 12 strings which is very similar to
the modern 12-string folk guitar. It is not uncommon for the man of
the house to play and sing after the family's evening meal for
relaxation and entertainment.155
Azorean folksongs are descriptive and colorful in keeping with the
tradition of the medeival troubador. They are about the joy and the
rigors of life. Verses for these songs are mostly improvised at the
moment of playing. This improvisation can become a contest between
singers which the Azoreans call "odesafio."156
The chamarrita is the folk dance of the Portuguese and is similar to
the traditional European folk dances. Usually the men and women
begin the dance in two separate lines, they circle, and then pair up.
The caller instructs the dancers on each move. The chamarrita is a
family dance enjoyed by all.157
Religion, Superstition, and Witchcraft
Almost all Azoreans are Catholic, but there are Protestants and a
few Jews among the population. The islands were found under the
religious-militant organization, the Order of Christ, under Henry's
command. Cabral, the discoverer of the islands and first captain-
donatary, was a priestly knight within the order. The islands had
monks, friars, and priests among the first settlers, and they built
churches, chapels, monasteries, and convents.
The Azorean people were far removed from the events of the
Protestant Reformation and consequently were little-affected by it.
The Spanish occupation of the Azores came also at the time of the
Inquisition. The Azoreans opposed the Spanish presence, and
consequently the Inquisition. The Spanish were fearful of a revolt
and never enforced the Inquisition.158
Because of the Azorean's subjection to natural calamities, starvation,
and isolation, and their lack of education, it is understandble that the
Azoreans would have strong religious convictions and would turn to
superstition and maybe pagan witchcraft in times of trouble.159 They
have a belief in evil spirits, evil eyes, witches, magical potions, and
omens. For example, a piece of deerhorn hung around the neck of a
newborn is to ward off evil spirits until the infant gets christened.
They believe that a baby could get colic for three months by hanging
diapers in the moonlight.160
The following can cause bad luck: hurt someone's foot; knives that
are crossed at the table; walking over straw in the shape of a cross;
leaving liquid in a cup; and laughing on Friday. The following can
bring good luck: meeting a goat or frog on the road; salt melting is an
ill-person's hand; spider spinning a web; and spitting on a comb or
playing cards.161
In times of struggle promises are made to God or to patron saints.
Many Azoreans will promise to do some type of penance which
usually is praying at a certain chapel. Some promise to walk around a
church singing hymns.162 Curiously enough, Christopher Columbus
was involved in one such promise during his return voyage from the
new world.
One could say that Columbus was nearly Portuguese. He lived and
studied navigation in Portugal, spoke mostly Portuguese, and
married a Portuguese woman. On his return trip to Europe in 1493,
having just discovered the new world, his ship met a terrible storm,
and his crew, having a few Portuguese, made a promise to God that
they would perform an act of obedience if He would deliver them
from the calamity.163
Here they are returning with the greatest news of the age, and their
first European stop is the Azores. They land at the island of Santa
Maria, and they walk to a chapel for prayer dressed only in their
shirts. That was their promise to God. The islanders saw this and
listened to their tale of a new world, and thought they were crazy.
The crew was promptly arrested. Columbus had to threaten to raid
the town to free them.164
Azorean Festivals
The Azores are quite famous for their annual festivals or "festas."
The festa honors some patron saint, such as St. Peter or St. Anthony.
Some festas focus on the Virgin Mary and Jesus. These celebrations
originated from promises made by Azoreans in times of need or
because of miracles. For example, the Festival of the Lord of Holy
Christ of Miracles is celebrated at Ponta Delgada each spring. A statue
of a suffering Christ is paraded and honored because it is believed
that this particular image caused a miracle in the 17th century.
The Festival of Our Lady of Miracles is celebrated at Terceira
because of a promise from the people asking the Holy Mother to
deliver them from an invasion by the Spanish in the 17th century.
The Festival of the Holy Spirit is the most common festa. It
commemorates the feeding of the poor by St. Elizabeth of Hungary.
There is a coronation, a procession, and a feast for everyone.165
Azorean Bullfighting
Bullfighting began in Greece and was adopted by the Romans who
transferred it to the Iberian Peninsula. The Muslims used men on
horseback to fight the bulls which evolved into the practice of using
cape and sword, the Spanish way. Bullfighting first appeared on the
island of Terceira in 1588. It is a "bloodless" affair with both the
bullfighter and bull surviving the best they can.166 There is another
type bullfighting which is also done on Terceira and is called
"tourada da corda" or roped-bull baiting.
In modern history, spring and early summer is the time for branding
cattle and with this is the battle of man and beast competing to see
who is the strongest. Also, with branding time comes man's rite of
spring in which he demonstrates his maleness to the opposite sex.
Thus, we have the background for tourada da corda.
In tourado da corda a 250 foot cord is tied to the neck of bull with
several men holding the other end. The perplexed bull is released in
town and is chased and tormented with umbrellas and other such
raiment. Azorean men test their courage against the bull's fickle
disposition. Some get hurt, but it is a joyous celebration which
everyone in town attends. The cord incidentally is the one way the
bull is brought under control when need be.167
Important Historical Events
Dr. James H. Guill of Tulare, California is an American expert on the
history of the Azores. His 1972 publication of A History of the Azores
Islands and his 1993 work, A History of the Azores Islands:
Handbook, are two of the only English language histories available.
Any student of the islands should certainly have the latter work for
reference. Incidentally, there are no modern histories of the Azores
in Portuguese which is surprizing.
The Azores, because of its natural setting in the Atlantic, has
always been a resupply depot and a trading station for Atlantic
shipping. Horta, Angra, and Ponta Delgada harbors were in constant
use by ships of all nations even during wartime. Many types of
people have put ashore at these ports and have left something of
themselves there.168
The French, English, and pirates of all types raided the Azores and
attacked Spanish shipping along the coast.169 Angra, Terceira was the
center of government for the Azores, and when the Spanish took
control of Portugal in 1580, they wanted to claim the Azores as well.
On July 25, 1581, the Terceirans along with other Azoreans fought
the Spanish in a bloody land battle where cattle were released by the
Azoreans to disperse and stop the invaders.170
Undaunted, fifty Spanish ships bombarded the island with cannon.
The French sent troops to help the Azoreans, but the Spanish forces
prevailed. Soon though the Azoreans rejected the authoritarian rule
of the Spanish governor and were supported by 7,000 French and
English troops and 70 ships. Spain sent a fleet of ships and won the
battle. Another skirmish on land followed, but this time the Spanish
won. They held the Azores in what is called The Babylonian Captivity
of 1580-1642.171
The Azores were involved in the Portuguese Civil War which lasted
from 1820 to 1833. The Azoreans supported a constitutional
monarchy and repelled invaders from opposite side in 1829. This
resulted in a government for the Azoreans under the Portuguese
crown. The king gave them the latitude to make most local
governmental policy themselves.172
To end this discussion on the history of the Azores Islands, the
Dabney family of Boston needs to be mentioned. Various members of
the family served as U.S. Consul to the Azores through the 1800's.
Their consulate was in Horta, Faial, and they were closely involved in
commerce between the U.S. and the islands. The family had their
own ships, and they made major contributions to the islands. They
supported the whaling enterprise and were involved in connecting
the islands by submarine cable. Also they helped to erect a
breakwater at Horta which was extremely important to protecting
the habor.173
While Charles W. Dabney was U.S. Consul in the late 1850's, there
was a famine in the Azores. He had 43,000 bushels of corn shipped
to help alleviate the problem. In1858, he distributed at his own
expense wheat and Indian corn to 800 needy people on the island of
Pico with each receiving 1/2 lbs. of food daily for four months. In
1859, he solicited friends and countrymen in Boston to pay for
10,000 bushels of corn. He was praised by the Azoreans as seen in
this excerpt from an official government statement: "This corn was
transported in the barque 'Azor' which he owned, free of cost; and he
also refused to accept any compensation for the use of his granaries,
and landed the corn at his own expense."174
Back to Table of Contents