Captaincies of the Azores very clear, as it has been both referred to as the "comendador da ilha de Santa Maria e nosso capitão nos Açores" ("Commander of the island of Santa Maria and Our captain of the Azores"), or alternately as the "comendador das ilhas dos Açores" ("Commander of the Azores"). The more probable interpretation of this role, being from the Order of Christ responsible for the administration of the islands, came from the "comenda" regime, referring to a "knighthood" or "commandery", normally associated with the Order in Portugal, but applied to the, then, populous island of Santa Maria in the archipelago. Still,
Azores caldeira", the noted hot springs grotto. In 1869, the author Mark Twain published "The Innocents Abroad", a travel book, where he described his time in the Azores. The first reference to the island of São Jorge was made in 1439 but the actual date of discovery is unknown. In 1443 the island was already inhabited but active settlement only began with the arrival of the noble Flemish native "Wilhelm Van der Haegen". Arriving at Topo, where he lived and died, he became known as "Guilherme da Silveira" to the islanders. João Vaz Corte-Real received the captaincy of the island in