and the Canary Islands. 



same height, but there were no more African forms, no more 

 Palms, no arborescent Euphorbias, no more Agavas or Cacalia 

 Kleinii ; and the Opuntia that rose highest was already left be- 

 hind at the elevation of 1005 feet. 



After another hour's continual climbing, we reached the great- 

 est height of the rocks in the immediate vicinity of Funchal ; it 

 is a stone visible from below, and 2435 feet above the sea. Im- 

 mediately behind this height, we entered a thick grove of splen- 

 did Laurus Indica, whose wood almost rivals the beauty of ma- 

 hogany. Among them stood lofty trees of Laurus nobilis the 

 laurel of the poets, and of Laurus Til (Jhstens), one of the lar- 

 gest trees of the island, which no axe touches or wounds with 

 impunity. The stench emitted by the wood is so violent, that 

 it compels the woodman to take to flight ; so that a tree can be 

 felled only in a number of days, and after long intervals. If it 

 is not touched or inj ured, its ample foliage and its wide spread 

 branches, render it a real ornament of the woods. We observed 

 also arborescent heaths. Erica scopana and Erica arbor ea. The 

 road to St Anna, upon the north side of the island, and from 

 that to the top of the mountains, is here separated by a water- 

 fall. This point, by the barometer, was 3251 feet high. The 

 fog now appearing, covered every surrounding object, and we 

 were obliged to continue our journey enveloped in thick mist. 

 It was still possible, however, at least, at first to see so far be- 

 fore us, as in some measure to trace the direction of the road. 

 At one o'clock we attained an elevation of 4162 feet, and at a 

 little distance we discovered through the fog a mountain valley 

 adorned with bushes ; it was the Val Ganana. We entered, and 

 found, to our no small astonishment, that it was an entire wood 

 of billberries in blossom ( Vaccinium arctystaphyllos)^ small trees 

 from 16 to 20 feet high, which we were obliged to examine minute- 

 ly, before we could be satisfied that they were not the common 

 billberry of our woods ( Vaccinium myrtillus), grown to an un- 

 usual size. Not far from the height stood the last majestic laurel, 

 an ancient tree, covered with moss, and completely distorted. It 

 stood at the height of 4769 feet. In the opposite valley, we came 

 up to several trees of Erica arborea, which were 6 feet in circum- 

 ference, and more than 30 feet high. After half an hour's walk 

 towards the west, there appeared, beneath a little crag opposite 



