Supposed New Island in the Azores

Abstract

A REPORT was current in the English and American newspapers some weeks ago that a new island had made its appearance among the Azores, similar in character to that which came up near the extreme western end of St. Michael's in the early part of the century. As I had determined to spend my long vacation among these islands, I was curious to witness a phenomenon so interesting and so rare as the birth of a new volcanic island. I learn that the report has its foundation in the occurrence of a landslip on the north-east end of St. George. A large portion (about 82 alqueiros in extent) of the land at Lapa, near the village marked Topo on Vidal's Chart, launched itself bodily into the sea—that is, in an almost unbroken mass, to a distance of about 300 metres from the mainland. There were a number of cattle grazing on the land at the time; these apparently were so little affected by the occurrence that when found they were feeding unconcernedly on “the new island,” as if it had been associated with their whole existence. A little survey of the spot has been made, and the Director of the Public Works at Vellas, the chief town of St. George, was kind enough to give me a map of this, the most recent addition to—or perhaps one ought to say subtraction from—the Azores.