406 . NOTES OF A BOTANICAL TOUR 
we could see the luminary itself. We made a rapid descent 
through the mist, and found the bushes and grass dripping 
wet until we got below it, when we came into a fair and 
sunny morning on the lower part of the mountain, and 
arrived at the house of Mr. Dabney before nine o'clock. 
The whole ascent and return had thus occupied us for about 
twenty-eight hours, or excluding the night, and the time 
spent in the observations with the theodolite, a space of 
fifteen or sixteen hours. "The entire ascent and return might 
therefore be made in one day; indeed, it was accomplished 
in a day by two English gentlemen, who ascended on the 
last day of June. 
I regret not being enabled to state the exact heights at 
which the various species of plants mentioned, commence 
and cease. I was of course much tied by accompanying a 
party who ascended for a different object. Captain Vidal 
wished only to ascertain the absolute height of the Peak, and 
the relative position of other islands, or other parts of the 
same island, as seen from the Peak. On this account, I was 
unable to avail myself of an opportunity, which might, under 
other circumstances, have been afforded, for ascertaining also 
the altitudes at which the shrubs and other plants grow, 
whether indigenous or cultivated. The highest cultivation, 
that of the potatoe and cocoa, probably did not exceed 2000 
feet. Neither, of course, did a rapid ascent and return allow 
much time for looking about after plants beyond the line of 
march, without risk of losing the party. It is highly pro- 
bable that the lower wooded zone would repay a more care- 
ful scrutiny, and prove more interesting to a botanical 
collector than the ascent to the actual summit of the Peak. 
On one other occasion I crossed to Pico again for a few 
hours, and landed at a different part of the coast, to ascend 
on of the small hills, or voleanic cones, formed by some 
eruptive burst of cinders and lava near the base of the great 
mountain. I got thoroughly soaked from head to foot by 
the heavy rain, which commenced almost as soon as I 
landed, and almost prevented my botanizing. On this oc- 
