i832.] PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 201 



of fresh fruits growing in beautiful valleys, and reading Hum- 

 boldt's descriptions of the island's glorious views, when per- 

 haps you may nearly guess at our disappointment, when a 

 small pale man informed us we must perform a strict quaran- 

 tine of twelve days. There was a death-like stillness in the 

 ship till the Captain cried *' up jib," and we left this long- 

 wished for place. 



We were becalmed for a day between Teneriffe and the 

 Grand Canary, and here I first experienced any enjoyment. 

 The view was glorious. The Peak of Teneriffe was seen 

 am^ongst the clouds like another world. Our only drawback 

 was the extreme wish of visiting this glorious island. Tell 

 Eytoii never to forget either the Canary Islands or South A^netica; 

 that I am sure it will well repay the necessary trouble, but 

 that he must make up his mind to find a good deal of the 

 latter. I feel certain he vv^ill regret it if he does not make 

 the attempt. From Teneriffe to St. Jago the voyage was 

 extremely pleasant. I had a net astern the vessel which 

 caught great numbers of curious animals, and fully occupied 

 my time in my cabin, and on deck the weather w^as so delight- 

 ful and clear, that the sky and water together made a picture. 

 On the 1 6th we arrived at Port Praya, the capital of the Cape 

 de Verds, and there we remained twenty-three days, viz., till 

 yesterday, the 7th of February. The time has flown away 

 most delightfully, indeed nothing can be pleasanter ; exceed- 

 ingly busy, and that business both a duty and a great delight. 

 I do not believe I have spent one half-hour idly since leaving 

 Teneriffe. St. Jago has afforded me an exceedingly rich har- 

 vest in several branches of Natural History. I find the de- 

 scriptions scarcely worth anything of many of the commoner 

 animals that inhabit the Tropics. I allude, of course, to those 

 of the lower classes. 



Geologising in a volcanic country is most delightful ; 

 besides the interest attached to itself, it leads you into most 

 beautiful and retired spots. Nobody but a person fond of 

 Natural History can imagine the pleasure of strolling under 

 cocoa-nuts in a thicket of bananas and coffee-plants, and an 



