FAYAL (Faial)  , a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, forming part of the Azores archipelago . Pop . (I goo) 22,262; area, 63 sq. m . Fayal, i.e . " the beech wood," was so called from the former abundance of the Myrica faya, which its discoverers mistook for beech trees . It is one of the most frequented of the Azores, for it lies directly in the track of vessels crossing the Atlantic, and has an excellent harbour at Horta (q.v.), a town of 6574 inhabitants . Cedros (3278) and Feteira (2oo2) are the other chief towns . The so-called " Fayal wine," which was largely exported from the Azores in the 19th century, was really the produce of Pico, a larger island lying to the east . The women of Fayal manufacture fine lace from the agave thread . They also execute carvings in snow-white fig-tree pith, and carry on the finer kinds of basket-making . A small valley, called Flemengos, perpetuates the name of the Flemish settlers, who have left their mark on the physical appearance of the inhabitants .