1825. 



PACIFIC AND BEERING'S STRAIT. 3 



obligingly allowed me to pitch a tent in one of the chap. 

 forts for the purpose of making observations, and v^i^ 

 placed a guard of soldiers to keep watch over the June . 

 instruments. In Santa Cruz there is very little to 

 interest a stranger : when he has paraded some in- 

 ferior gardens which perpetuate the memory of the 

 Marquis de Brancifort, cast his eye round the in- 

 terior of the great church of San Francisco, where a 

 flag that once belonged to Lord Nelson will not 

 be allowed to escape his attention, and scanned a 

 monument erected to the Virgin Mary de la Can- 

 delaria, the patroness-saint of the island, he has seen 

 all that can offer an inducement to expose himself 

 to a dusty walk on a hot day, which he will be sure 

 to find in the month of June in this scattered town. 

 The Plaza Reale will amuse those persons who wish 

 to indulge their criticism on the manner and cos- 

 tume of the inhabitants, who assemble there in the 

 evening to smoke their cigars, and enjoy the luxuri- 

 ous freshness of the air. 



At Laguna the capital, visiters will find a better 

 town, a more fertile country, a climate several de- 

 grees cooler than that of Santa Cruz, and every 

 species of produce more abundant and forward than 

 at the port ; and though the road is bad, few will 

 regret having encountered its difficulties. The ce- 

 lebrated Peak of Teyde is the great object of curi- 

 osity which engages the attention of travellers to 

 the Canary groupe, and we experienced much mor- 

 tification at not having it in our power to ascend it. 

 To have added our mite toward the determination 

 of its altitude by barometrical measurement, was a 

 consideration not overlooked ; but, circumstanced as 

 we were, it was not of sufficient importance to jus- 



b 2 



