396 | NOTES OF A BOTANICAL TOUR 
without attempting an ascent; and if any other voice in 
the party had expressed a similar inclination, this other at- 
‘tempt would probably have been abandoned. But our half 
dozen natives who had been engaged as guides and porters, 
were all in favour of making a trial, in expectation of the day 
clearing up shortly ; especially since it signified little to them 
whether we reached the summit of the mountain or not, so 
that their time and services were paid for. Some feeling 
that a partial ascent only would still be productive of botan- 
icalinterest and acquisitions, probably influenced my own 
opinion and wishes to chime in harmony with those of the 
guides; but I also entertained tolerably firm conviction that 
the upper part of the Peak would be found clear, having 
frequently observed, during the preceding month, that the 
stratum of clouds seldom covered more than a third of the 
mountain in its perpendicular height, and that the summit 
was left bright while the clouds hovered low down on the 
flanks. After some time spent in hesitation we at length 
started, about five o'clock, taking with us the various neces- 
sary instruments, a store of provisions, thick coats to wear 
in the night, and also two beasts of great rarity in Pico, 
namely, a pony and an ass, which had been considerately 
procured for us by Mr. Dabney, and which we bestrode in 
turn while ascending the lower part of the hill. The extreme 
trepidation exhibited by the women and children, whom we 
met in the road, while mounted on these animals, showed 
unequivocally how little they were familiar with the appea- 
rance of such creatures. 
The first part of our route carried us for a short distance 
along a bare and rocky shore. In the vicinity of Mr. Dab- 
ney’s house I observed a few plants of Hyoscyaiius Canarien- 
sis, being the only spot in which it was found during my 
walks about the islands. Shortly bending our course inland 
and upwards, we travelled for some miles along a rough road, 
partly paved, but mostly floored by the natural and very un- 
even surface of the rock, ground into deep ruts by the wheels 
of the small bullock waggons which are the only conveyances 
