issues out. It discharges itself into the sea on the south side, near which are some places where the water boils up at some distance in the sea.

This wonderful place had been taken little notice of until very lately; so little curiosity had the gentlemen of the island, that scarcely any of them had seen it, until of late some persons, afflicted with very virulent disorders, were persuaded to try its waters, and found immediate relief from them. Since that time it has become more and more frequented; several persons who had lost the use of their limbs by the dead palsy have been cured; and also others who were troubled with eruptions on their bodies.

A clergyman, who was greatly afflicted with the gout, tried the said waters, and was in a short time perfectly cured, and has had no return of it since. When Mr Masson was there, several old gentlemen, who were quite worn out with the said disorder, were using the waters, and had received incredible benefit from them; in particular, an old gentleman, about 60 years of age, who had been tormented with that disorder more than 20 years, and often confined to his bed for six months together; he had used these waters about three weeks, had quite recovered the use of his limbs, and walked about in the greatest spirits imaginable. A friar also who had been troubled with the said disorder about 12 years, and reduced to a cripple, by using them a short time was quite well, and went a-hunting every day.

There are several other hot springs in the island, particularly at Ribeira Grande; but they do not possess the same virtues, at least not in so great a degree.

The east and west part of the island rises into high mountains; but the middle is low, interspersed with round conic hills, all of which have very recent marks of fire; all the parts below the surface consisting of melted lava lying very hollow.

Most of the mountains to the westward have their tops hollowed out like a punch-bowl, and contain water. Near the west end is an immense deep valley, like the Furnas called the Sete Cidades. This valley is surrounded with very abrupt mountains, about seven or eight leagues round; in the bottom is a deep lake of water, about three leagues in circuit, furnished with great number of water-fowls. This water has no mineral quality; neither are there any hot springs in the valley. All these mountains are composed of a white crumbly pumice-stone, which is so loose, that if a person thrust a stick into the banks, whole waggon-loads of it will tumble down. The inhabitants of the island relate a story, that he who first discovered it observed an extraordinary high peak near the west end; but the second time he visited it, no such peak was to be seen, which he supposed must have certainly sunk—but, however improbable this story may be, at some period or another it must have certainly been the case.