BOID'S DESCRIPTION OF THE AZORES.

CAPTAIN BOID served in Donna MAnta's naval armament, as Secretary to Admiral SARTORIUS, or rather to the Fleet. He was at the Azores during the time the vessels remained there ; was officially present at levees and reviews, and engaged at all events in one professional survey. The Azoreans, like all rarely visited

colonists, are hospitable ; and though his tcharacter of a partisan

shut some doors against him, it perhaps more fully opened many others; so that he had far better opportunities of observation

than the general visiter. He was not, however, content with matters which were forced upon him : he made excursions inland, and round the islands, when he could find or make opportunities, and occupied himself in collecting information from residents. On his return, lie got together the most important facts connected with their discovery and history, and has embodied the whole in the volume before us ; a work which should be placed by the side of Colonel Fm NTER:S Puerto Rico; for the subject matter of their lucubmtions is in many respects similar, and the leading charac- teristics of the authors nearly the same. They each treat of spots well known—upon the map, but of whose nature, resources, and condition, whether economical, social, or political, the world at large had not the slightest idea. Each writer, besides the advantage of a new field, had been upon the spot, and made a personal survey ; their remarks, whatever else may be said of them, have therefore the freshness and truth of actual observation. The object of both the gallant penmen is the same ; they wish to improve the condition of the countries where they sojourned, and to point out their capabilities to Europeans. In matters of judgment, too, they are nearly upon a par, both being rather sanguine speculators, looking chiefly at the bright side of things. When we say that they are also unskilled in pmcraft, and rather infected with the love of " fine writing," the comparison is completed, so far as it goes. For, in justice to FLINTER, it should be observed, that he possesses several advantages. Puerto Rico is not merely improvable—it is improving ; and, all things considered, perhaps offers a fairer field for capitalists than the Western Isles. The Colonel had a longer time allowed him for remark, and had access to fuller information. He is, too, a more sensible observer, and has more 'vigorous descriptive power. It may, perhaps, be unnecessary to say that the Azores, or Western Islands, are nine in number. They lie in the Atlantic opposite the coast of Portugal, at a distance of some 800 miles. The range extends upwards of 300 miles, but the five most important (excepting St. Michael) lie comparatively close to- gether. They are all, according to Captain BOID, of volcanic formation ; of which, indeed, they present the most palpable evidences at every step. The soil is generally very fertile, being created by the action of rain-water upon the lava. The climate is delightful, combining the advantages of two zones without their evils; the "cold can never be considerable even in winter, or the heats of summer intense." From the situation of the islands, the weather can scarcely be expected to be settled; and rain, as in Devonshire, is frequent ; but "the decidedly fine days may be estimated at two hundred, and the wet ones at about sixty."

The productions of the islands are numerous and valuable. Corn and pulse of all kinds, wine, which with proper cultivation and care in the making would rival Madeira, fruits of nearly every sort, either are or could be grown,—tanongst which the celebrated St. Michael's oranges are pretty well appreciated by the English public ; and the silk-worm might also be reared. On their first discovery, sugar was planted with success; but on the settle- ment of theBrazils, the Crown of Portugal obliged the Brazilians with " protecting-duties," and the Azorean plantations were anni- hilated. Tobacco and coffee could also be produced: indeed, the former is grown now as a curiosity—protection, we believe, pre- vents its extension.

What is the social condition, with these natural advantages?— Miserable. The people are in a state of beastly ignorance ; agri- cultural practice (its science is unknown) is at the lowest ebb; and the implements are the same as in the days of their ancestors ; roads for internal communication there are none; and the few home manufactures are of the coarsest kind. Nature, in short, does nearly all that is done; labour a very little; skill nothing. It will not therefore be a matter of surprise, that the islands do not maintain one sixth of the people which they might do, and that in far greater comfort. The causes of this state of things are many. The bane of the Spanish and Portuguese colonial policy, large grants and strict entails, is one. The Azores are cursed with many absentee land- lords; and the wealth is abstracted—the rents go away—without the M.Cunnocn puzzle of bills of exchange; they are sent in kind to Portugal. The government has also from their first settle- ment been execrable; engrafting the ruinous mischiefs of vice- regal, irresponsible, and even triply-delegated power, upon the evils of the Portuguese system. Reform or correct these things,—give industry free play, and grant encouragement to settlers,—and the ei-devant Secretary of the Fleet predicts an unexampled prosperity to the Azores. They would become an earthly paradise, com- bining Liverpool, Bath, and Montpellier with themselves. Their situation would render them a mercantile emporium ; their hot springs a rival to the city of cards and dowagers ; their climate would carry thither delicate or consumptive patients; and, unlike most emporiums, they would have unrivalled prodirctions of their own. That, in the course of time and under a better system, the people, their comforts, and their wealth, might be greatly in- creased, there is no doubt ; but we suspect nature has put a bar to any thing in the shape of a transit trade. There is not a single sheltered port in the whole group; and when the wind sets on the land, all vessels are obliged to weigh anchor and stand out imme- diately. The author proposes to remedy this evil by rendering Herta, in Fayal, and Villa Franca, in St. Michael, safe in all winds. Upon paper both these plans seem practicable, especially the first, which is also the cheapest; but Horta would be small, and, as it appears to our eyes, still exposed. This last remark ap- plies, though in a less degree, to the project for Villa Franca; which, however, in mercantile phrase, would be unlikely "to pay." Even if both schemes were carried into execution, two islands alone would be affected ; and they would never be certainly ac- cessible. From some cause—perhaps, as the author suggests, from the actual vallies and the valley-like position of the islands —their vicinity is subject to constant squalls, and continual shift- ings of the wind. Once, he himself tells us, be was beating up against baffling and ever-changing breezes for ten days, to make a point which was only a few hours sail with a fair wind. That, in despite of earthquakes, these islands of the West might, in an improved state, become, by means of steam, a resort for invalids, is probable enough. Whether "many myriads would annually resort thither from all parts of Europe, to profit by the healing virtues of the valuable mineral waters," is questionable. If they did, it may be doubted whether they would find convenient accom- modation.

A unit of the future "myriads," or the reader who wishes for fuller information, may refer to the book. We will give two short extracts ; one exhibiting the author's descriptive power, the other his statistics.

GENERAL FEATURES OF THE AZORES.

The surface of almost every one of the islands abounds in the most curious forms and characters, effected by the agency of fire during various eruptions: each object, indeed, hears the stamp of fire, and huge fragments of lava are strewed in every direction—rendering it often difficult to account for their soli- tary position. They are all more or less remarkable for their number of strange- looking romantic caverns, which frequently extend 500 or GOO feet in length, are proportionably high, have occasionally a fountain of limpid water at the end, and have evidently been formed by the flow of lava over light masses of friable soft scorix, which at subsequent periods have gradually settled down, and left a vaulted space above ; or have been washed away by the influx of waters, leaving the structure of lava that superposed them. Hence have resulted these singular caverns, not unfrequently ornamental with stalactatic formations.

The conic pyramidal hills that everywhere present themselves, are, in many respects, craters of extinct volcanoes ; the interiors of which are front 50 to 2000 feet in depth, beautifully clothed with verdant heaths and shrubs, and fur- nishing some of the most interesting and picturesque scenes which, of similar character, these islands or any other country can boast. The gullies, the chasms, and long deep ravines that have been formed by the erosion of torrents caused by the rains washing from the mountains to the sea, are, by the boun- teous efforts of nature during the revolution of many centuries, now covered with luxuriant wood and rich verdant shrubs, constituting sheltered, retired spots, that are frequently chosen as the most fertile and favoured abodes of the islands.

TRADE OF THE AZORES.

Together with a few cattle, the agricultural productions of the Azores consti- tute the principal source of their little trade ; and consist of oranges and lemons, grains of all sorts, and wine. These are taken away by the vessels of different nations, pretty nearly in the following annual proportions. To England, 126,000 cases of oranges; about 2000 pipes of wine and brandy ; besides a proportion of urzella, Sec.; for which sends in return, woollen cloths, hardware, wearing apparel of all sorts, stationery, &c.

To the Brazils, about 5000 pipes of wine and 1000 of brandy ; about 12,000 yards of coarse linen ; pulse of all sorts; and other small articles; taking taking in exchange rum, coffee, sugar, cotton, and timber.

To Hamburg and Russia, 14,000 cases of oranges and lemons, 6000 pipes of win:: and brandy; for which are received pitch, iron, glass, and cordage.

To the United States, 4000 pipes of wine, 200 of brandy, and 12,000 cases of oranges and lemons ; for which are received staves, fish, oil, linseed, tar, and timber.

To Portugal, a large quantity of grain and pulse (independent of what is sent to pay rents to the non-resident morgados); salt park and beef; coarse linen and cheese; which is paid for in salt, lime, tea, images, crucifixes, indul- gences, dispensations, and relics; the last five articles being publicly sold in the shops at most extortionate prices. In the above trade, from 700 to 900 vessels are annually employed; all of which are necessarily of very small tonnage, on account of the total absence of any thing like a sheltered port or safe harbour.

The volume is illustrated by a map of the Azores, with a plan of Captain Born's proposed improvements of its ports, and by some str:king lithographic plates, from the drawings of Admiral SAR- Toaius. Besides the general account of the islands, there are also some sketches of the state of society, and a few scattered glimpses of the men and their doings who volunteered in the ser- vice of Donna MARIA,—both seeming the reverse of respectable. A kind of NEALE and MARRYAT correspondence is added, in the shape of an appendix. It relates to a squabble between our author and a gentleman who is sometimes called PETER and sometimes MINS, but whose actual style and title appears to be the eupho- nous one of Captain PETER MINS. It is not very clear, and is very dry and dull. The most useful point in the thirty-three pages of close print, are the reasons alleged to have been assigned by Captain PETER at various times for not fighting,—his "religious prin- ciples," and his being an "only son ;" another advantage of primo- geniture, or rather of sologeniture.