in the expulsion of most of the Spanish living in the parish (which included Salão at the time). Similarly, an epidemic between 1717 and 1718 caused the deaths of many. Yet, the growth of the Carmelite, Jesuit and Franciscan religious orders at about the same time resulted in the growth of the faith community on Faial. Legend of the Moorish Crown of Cedros A legend that dates back to the Philippine dynasty, recalls the time after the fall of Terceira, when the islands of the Azores were occupied by forces of Philip II of Spain. Even before this time the Azores had always been cursed by pirates and privateers, who would attack by surprise during foggy days, under the cover of night or the light of day. They assaulted, robbed and sacked many of the communities along the coast, sometimes conscripting men to work as slaves. As legend tells, a pirate galleon, commanded by a Moorish King attacked the island of Faial, but since the ship was spotted in time, the local population was given time to prepare. The pirates encountered stiff resistance and were forced to retreat without pillaging the homes along the northern coast. During the course of the retreat, the Moorish King lost his crown (made of silver and adorned with leaf in sparkling metal), after leaving it along a hedge-row while battling the defenders. Along the coast, the King remembered he had left his crown behind, and not wanting to lose his symbol of power, he resolved to return to the island. But, not wanting to be recognized as pirates they returned as local mariners. Not discovering the lost crown where he had left it, the group began to ask around but found no clues to its location. The local people began to get suspicious, and they were obliged to abandon their search and returned to their lands in North Africa, from which they did not return. Meanwhile, the crown was discovered by a woman from Cedros, who, when she heard that they were searching for it, was suspicious that they were pirates and attempted to hide the crown. She wisely raised her skirt, and placed her leg through the ring-like crown, and passed unbeknownst to the pirates. Realizing the value of the object, and not wanting her contemporaries to know what she had hidden, she continued to wear the crown around her leg until it