of the Azores islands, is so called from some lofty mountains on it; or rather from one very high mountain, terminating like Teneriffe in a peak, and reputed by some writers equal to it in height. This island lies about four leagues south-west from St George, twelve from Terceira, and about three leagues south-east of Fayal; in W. Long. 28° 21' and N. Lat. 39° 29'. The mountain Pico, which gives name to the island, is filled with dismal dark caverns or volcanoes, which frequently vomit out flames, smoke, and ashes, to a great distance. At the foot of this mountain towards the east is a spring of fresh water, generally cold, but sometimes heated with the subterraneous fire, as to rush forth in torrents with a kind of ebullition like boiling water; equalling that in heat, and feeding forth a stream of fulminous feld vapours, liquefied stones, minerals, and flakes of earth all on fire, in such quantities, and with such violence, as to have formed a kind of promontory vulgarly called Mysterios, on the declivity of the coast, and at the distance of 1200 paces from the fountain. Such at least is the account of Ortelius; though we do not find this last circumstance of the promontory confirmed by later observations. The circumference of Pico is computed at about 15 leagues: and its most remarkable places are Pico, Lagosas, Santa Cruz or Cruz, San Sebastian, Pequin, San Rocko, Playa, and Magdalena; the inhabitants of which live wholly on the produce of the island, in great plenty and felicity. The cattle are various, numerous, and excellent in their several kinds: it is the same with the vine; and its juice, prepared into different wines, the best in the Azores. Besides cedar and other timber, they have a kind of wood which they call teixo, solid and hard as iron; and veined, when finely polished, like a rich scarlet tabby; which colour it has in great perfection. The longer it is kept, the more beautiful it grows: hence it is, that the teixo tree is felled only for the king's use or by his order; and is prohibited from being exported as a common article of trade.

Pico Marina, a sea fish common at Kongo in Africa, derives its name from the resemblance of its mouth to the beak of a woodpecker. It is of a large size, and prodigious strength, has four fins on its back, three under its belly, and one on each side of its head; its tail is large and forked, by which it cuts the waves with surprising force and velocity. It is at war with every fish that swims, and with everything it meets in its way, without being intimidated by the largest vessels; a surprising instance of which intrepidity, we are told by some mariners, whose ship was attacked by one of them, near these coasts, in the dead of night. The violence of the shock which it gave to the vessel quickly awakened the captain and the rest of the people; who immediately ran to the ship's side, where they perceived, by moonlight, this huge monster fastened by its forehead to the vessel, and making the strongest efforts to disengage itself; upon which some of them tried to pierce him with their pikes, but he got off before they could accomplish their aim. On the next morning, upon visiting that side of the vessel, they found a piece of the bony snout stuck fast into the wood, and two or three inches of it projecting outwards. In the inside of the ship, there was discovered about five or six inches more of the point of the horn, which had penetrated through the plank. But we must observe, that the credulity of the times probably rendered this animal thus formidable.