IN THE WESTERN AZORES. 401 
the curved and straggling habit of L. suberectum seen lower 
down the hill. 
Higher still, as we ascended above the clouds, and attained 
an elevation that gave us a full view of the upper part of the 
Peak, now seen rising into a clear blue sky as anticipated, 
several other shrubs re-appeared which had been also seen 
below the region of the clouds ; and we soon found ourselves 
crossing a much drier and more stony portion of the moun- 
tain, which was thickly covered with the species of Erica, 
Juniperus, Myrsine and Vaccinium, before mentioned. Ap- 
parently, this upper zone of wood had been the growth of 
a long series of years, although the shrubs were much smaller 
in their dimensions than those of the same species in the 
lower wooded zone, just below the region of clouds. Calluna 
vulgaris, and Menziesia polifolia (the dwarf variety figured in 
Loddiges’ Botanical Cabinet) were interspersed in a few 
places between the larger shrubs, over spaces from which 
the latter had probably been burnt or cut and carried away. 
Here we saw a number of women and children, employed 
in burning this natural cover of shrubs; but I omitted to 
ask whether their work was done in the expectation of pro- 
ducing pasturage for sheep, or whether there was some other 
object in view. If the former, I should deem it likely to 
prove labour thrown away, so bare and stony was the steep 
acclivity here, and so nearly destitute of water at this season. 
Whatever might be the object, there must have been much 
time spent in walking to and from the scene of their labour, 
the uppermost houses being quite within the limit of the 
cultivated region, distant by a walk of two or three hours. 
It was now about noon, and we halted half an hour in 
this upper natural zone of shrubs, for the guides to eat 
their dinner, and for ourselves to make a lunch before com- 
mencing our ascent of the remaining and very steep portion 
of the Peak. Our resting-place was fixed by a small hollow 
in the rock, which held a gallon or two of water, and which 
slowly refilled itself as we abstracted the water from it, yet 
never overflowing. Here we found it advisable to leave our 
