yet if planted in the good soil of the country, the vines will not grow.  The corn and fruits of this island will not keep above a year; and unless the corn is buried under ground, it spoils in four months.  On this account, every inhabitant has a pit without the town, the mouth of which is round, just large enough to admit a man, which is covered by a flat stone and secured by a lock.  Some of these pits are so large as to contain two or three lasts of corn, the last containing 108 bushels Amsterdam measure, and each bushel weighing forty pounds or more.  They put their corn into these pits in July, and cover the stone with earth to exclude the air, and take it out at Christmas, or considerably later, finding it then as good as when put in.  The oxen in Tercera are the largest and finest that can be, equal to any in Europe, and have prodigiously wide horns.  Every one has his name, like our dogs, and they are so familiar, that when the master calls one of them by his name, though among a thousand others, he will presently come to him.

One would think the ground of this island were hollow, as the rocks sound like vaults when walked on; and indeed the thing is not at all improbable, as the island is much subject to earthquakes.  In many places of the island of San Michael there are holes and cracks, out of which there comes a great smoke, and the ground seems as if burnt all around.  This is not uncommon also in all the islands, as they all have sulphur mountains.  There are also fountains of water so hot as to boil eggs.  Three leagues from Angra there is a petrifying spring, which changes wood into stone; and there was formerly a tree having some of its roots in that water, which were stony and as hard as flint.  This island produces excellent timber, especially cedar, which is so common that their carts and waggons are made of it, and it is even used as fuel.  The island of Pico, twelve leagues from Tercera, has a sort of wood called teixo, as hard as iron, and of a shining red colour when wrought.  It becomes always better and finer as it grows older; for which reason no person is allowed to cut any of these trees, unless for the king’s use, and by virtue of a special order from the royal officers.  The chief trade of Tercera consists in woad, of which they have great quantities.  The fleets of Spain and Portugal, bound for the East Indies, Brazil, Cape Verd, Guinea, and other countries, usually come here for refreshments, to the great profit of this and the other islands, the inhabitants selling to them their various articles at good prices.

The island of San Michael is seven or eight leagues S.E. of Tercera, and is about twenty leagues in length, having several towns and villages.  The capital of this island is Ponta del Guda, which drives a considerable trade in woad, sent to Tercera, producing about 200,000 quintals[5] every year.  This island also produces such abundance of corn, that it is transported to the other islands; but it has no harbours or rivers to give shelter to ships.