TENEEIFFE. O 



above this into a zone covered with a tree-like heath {Erica 

 arborea). This heath continued for about 2,000 feet, and then 

 ceased abruptly, and we came, higher up, amongst large blueish- 

 green bushes of a sort of broom (Spartocytisus nubigenus), called 

 by the natives " Eetama," amongst which we pitched our tent, at 

 an elevation of 6,500 feet. Above the Eetama, a small violet 

 {Viola teydeana) is said to extend up to 10,000 feet, and above 

 this all is barren. The pine (Pinus canariensis) which grows on 

 some parts of the mountain is not seen on the usual track of 

 ascent. A halt was made amongst the heath for lunch, and 

 plenty of water-cresses were found growing in a spring. We had 

 to carry water up with us from tins spring, since there is no 

 water to be obtained above, except by melting snow. The 

 porous volcanic ashes soak up all the water yielded by the 

 natural melting of the snow above, and there is no place where 

 any can be gathered. 



At about 4,000 feet elevation we went through a dense bank 

 of cloud, formed by the trade wind, a similar one to that which 

 was seen from below on the day before, and winch had hidden 

 the middle of the mountain from our view, but not the same, for 

 in the early morning there had not been a cloud in the sky. 

 The bank formed at about mid-clay. At our camp, far above 

 this cloud-bank, the sun shone brightly, until about six o'clock 

 in the evening, when it began to disappear, and the air, which 

 had been almost too hot, became suddenly cold, the temperature 

 going down almost to freezing point. 



We enjoyed a very extraordinary sunset effect. The upper 

 surface of the cloud-bank .stretched away like a snow-white 

 billowy sea beneath us in every direction, hiding the actual sea 

 from our sight entirely, but just allowing us a glimpse of the far- 

 off island of Palma, which appeared as a purple streak at the 

 edge of the cloud horizon. As the sun went down the clear sky 

 beyond the white motionless cloud-bank became tinged of a 

 brilliant oiange colour, and over it there shot out from the 

 descending sun a fan of pale crimson streamers deeply tinted at 

 their base, and gradually fading off into the dark blue sky above 

 but visible nearly to the zenith. Beyond the great cloud-bank 

 more distant streaky clouds, lit up of a brilliant violet, formed 



