108 A VOYAGE TO AUG. 



to the south westward, it becomes higher, and con- 

 tinues to rise towards the Pic, which, from the road, 

 appears but little higher than the surrounding hills. 

 From thence it seems to decrease, though not 

 suddenly, as far as the eye can reach. From a sup- 

 position that we should not stay above one day, I was 

 obliged to contract my excursions into the country ; 

 otherwise, I had proposed to visit the top of this 

 famous mountain.* 



" To the eastward of Santa Cruz, the island appears 

 perfectly barren. Ridges of hills run towards the 

 sea ; between which ridges are deep valleys, termi- 

 nating at mountains or hills that run across, and are 

 higher than the former. Those that run towards the 

 sea, are marked by impressions on their sides, which 

 make them appear as a succession of conic hills, with 

 their tops very rugged. The higher ones that run 

 across, are more uniform in their appearance. 



" In the forenoon of the 1st of August, after we had 

 anchored in the road, I went on shore to one of these 

 valleys, with an intention to reach the top of the re- 

 moter hills, which seemed covered with wood ; but 

 time would not allow me to get further than their 

 foot. After walking about three miles, I found no 

 alteration in the appearance of the lower hills ; which 

 produce great quantities of the euphorbia Canariensis. 

 It is surprising that this large succulent plant should 



* See an account of a journey to the top of the Pic of Teneriffe, 

 in Sprat's History of the Royal Society, p. 200, &c. Glas also 

 went to the top of it. History of the Canary Islands, p. 252 to 

 259. In the Philosophical Transactions, vol. xlvii. p. 353 356, 

 we have Observations made, in going up the Pic of Teneriffe, by 

 Dr. T. Heberden. The Doctor makes its height, about the level 

 of the sea, to be 2566 fathoms, or 15,396 English feet ; and says, 

 that this was confirmed by two subsequent observations by himself, 

 and another made by Mr. Crosse, the consul. And yet, I find, 

 that the Chevalier de Borda, who measured the height of this 

 mountain in August 1776, makes it to be only 1931 French toises, 

 or 12,34-0 English feet. See Dr. Forster's Observations during a 

 Voyage round the World, p. 32. 



