RI<:COLLECTIONS OF TENERIFFE. 433 



magnitude. The night was most lovely, and so warm that 

 we all remained on deck till a late hour. 



3d. — On coming on deck we found ourselves in a most 

 tantalizing situation. We were becalmed about ten miles 

 from the shore, with a full view of our desired port. The 

 magnificent valley of Taoro, bounded on one side by a pre- 

 cipitous wall of rocks, of immense height, richly adorned with 

 plantations, villas, and towns, and backed by the giant Peak, 

 now clear from base to summit, presented one of the most 

 beautiful pictures I ever beheld. At noon we gave up in 

 despair all attempts to land at Port Orotava, and endeavoured 

 to avail ourselves of a light breeze which just then sprung up, 

 to get round to Santa Cruz. As we ci'ept slowly along, near 

 the shore, we were much pleased with the aspect of the country. 

 It sloped gradually from the base of the mountains to the sea, 

 and appeared in a high state of cultivation, studded with nu- 

 merous pretty white villages, situated in plantations of trees, 

 among which the tall pillar-like stems and feathery crowns of 

 the date palm were very conspicuous. Several small craters 

 (one of which was remarkably perfect in its form) were scat- 

 tered about. They are mostly circular, similar to those I have 

 already described near Funchal, in Madeira ; and, like them, 

 appear to have poured out nothing but tufa, the decomposition 

 of which has doubtless mainly contributed to the fertility of 

 the soil. The high mountains at the back of this rich district, 

 when examined with the telescope, appeared covered with 

 dense forests, even to their very summits. The trees were 

 apparently evergreen, but the distance was too great to admit 

 of our ascertaining whether they were Pi7ms Canariensis, or 

 some species of Laurus. From their form, however, I should 

 be inclined to refer them to the latter. In the evening, in 

 standing out farther to sea, in order to get round the Punta 

 d'Anaga, we had another fine view of the Peak by moon- 

 light. 



%/^ — This morning we found ourselves much in the same 

 situation as last evening, there having been little or no wind 

 during the night. The Peak was quite clear at the summit 

 but the lower part was enveloped in clouds. We were ojEf a 

 rather more desolate region than yesterday, the shores being 

 precipitous and rocky, intersected by deep ravines. At length, 



NO. V. VOL. V. 3 K 



