1772.
July.
top of a steep black rock, surrounded by the sea at high-water, and called by the English Loo-rock. On a neighbouring eminence above the town there is another, called San Joao do Pico, or St. John's castle. The hills beyond the town serve to complete the beauty of the landscape, being covered with vineyards, inclosures, plantations, and groves, interspersed with country-houses and several churches. The whole seemed to raise the idea of a fairy-garden, and enabled us to form some conception of the hanging gardens of queen Semiramis.
About seven o'clock a boat came off to us called the Pratique-boat, having on board a Capitan do Sal, who is one of the two Guarda-Mores of the board of health, appointed to regulate the quarantine of such ships as come from the coast of Barbary, the Arches, and other parts suspected of infectious distempers. This gentleman enquired into the state of health of our ship's company, and the place we came from, and returned on shore with satisfactory information on this subject.
After breakfast we landed, and went with the captains to the house of Mr. Loughnan, a British merchant, who supplied the king's ships, as contractor, with all the necessaries. The consul, Mr. Murray, lately appointed, was not yet arrived, but Mr. Loughnan received us with such hospitality and elegance, as do honour to himself and to the nation in general.
