Another reference is to the Portuguese term "vilar", which means vigilant, and may have been used to situation in the Canal, where residents were ever-vigilant for volcanic eruptions and/or seismic events.

In 1647, the residents of the municipality also constructed a lookout in the parish of Manadas to watch for pirates, as well as to intimidate them: the erected a gallows on the site to ward-off potential attackers.

On September 18, 1708 a naval squadron, commanded by the French corsair René Duguay-Trouin, that included eight carracks and three other heavily armed ships attacked the town of Velas, after being unable to enter the port.

These improvements did not help during that year's earthquake in neighboring Terceira: as a result of the destruction both islands were affected by a period of famine, that was only alleviated through municipal supports.

Between April 23, 1659 and its consecration in February 1675, the Church of São Jorge undertook major renovations, initiated by Father Baltazar Dias Teixeira, under the authority of King D. Afonso VI of Portugal.

[3] In order to pay for this re-construction, which would replace a primitive chapel of 1460, the town council initiated an annual tax in 1660, and the actual building began in 1664.

While the taxes imposed on the population were likely an unintended necessity, the famine of 1678, caused by the failure of the cereal crop would lead to minor conflicts between the councils of Pico and São Jorge.

Later, on December 11, 1713, heavy rains in the areas of Urzelina and Rosais caused the destruction of 27 homes; the Ribeira do Almeida (which ran between the village and Queimada) was so heavily inundated with debris that it allowed residents to walk across the field, which was a sheltered bay in other years.

A similar disaster was repeated in December 1732, when flooding caused the deaths of five residents and affected the communities of Urzelina, Figueiras, Serroa and Velas.

The earthquake was known for damaging the Church of Santa Bárbara in Manadas, specifically (in 1770 it was declared a National Monument by royal decree of King D. Sebastião, since it was constructed in 1485).

Typically, the municipality is circled by the western branch of the Regional E.R.1-1ª roadway that connects several of the main settled areas on this side of the island: in addition to the urbanized are of Velas, the western plateau is interrupted by the communities of São Pedro, Ribeirinho, Canadinha Nova, Arrifana, Rosais, Loural, Santo António, Norte Grande, Outeiro, Ribeira da Areia, Ladeiras, Manadas, Urzelina, Biscoitos, Boa Hora, Morgadias and Santo Amaro.