297 
There are five farms in the Caldera (including the Barranco de 
las Angustias), with a total population of 66 men, women and 
children, he farms are Taburiente, Tenerra, Camacho, Vifia and 
> 
?aredon. 
The upper level of the mists is apparently about 1000 ft. below 
Tenerra, The meteorological conditions inside the crater form an 
interesting contrast with those of the Peak of Tenerife, which is 
shrouded by mists during the daytime and clear at night. 
Our muleteers returned for us on June 14th, and we had a 
pleasant ride to Los Llanos with occasional stops for collecting anid 
photographing. 
The next day one of us returned to Santa Cruz by the Cumbre 
Vieja, whilst the other went with the luggage by the public motor. 
The journey across the Cumbre Vieja, one of the passes over the 
ridge which forms the backbone of the southern half of the island, 
was made by mule, starting at 5.30 a.m. 
At about 2800 ft. there were numerous pines with an under- 
growth of Tagasaste, tree-heath and bracken, and low pine-woods 
commenced a little below 3000 ft. Where the pines had _ been 
cut down on the Loma de Andrique, about 3800 fr., the hillside 
was yellow with bushes of Codeso (Adenocarpus viscosus), 
At 3850 ft. a desert of black volcanic sand and gravel was 
entered, parts of which were destitute of vegetation, whilst others 
had only a sprinkling of burnt-up annuals a few inches high 
These included a sorrel, a Stlene, 2 rock-rose (Helianthemum 
guttatum), a Composite, two trefoils and two or three grasses. 
A continuous carpet of vegetation was absent except im a few 
depressions into which some brown sandy soil had been washed. 
Towards the top of the pass the black sand was replaced by brown 
soil, which was covered with a scrub of tree-heath and pink 
Cistus (C. Berthelotianus), amongst which were a few pines. 
The summit of the pass is about 4700 ft. above sea-level. On the 
eastern slope there is a good deal of bracken near the top, and at 
about 4500 ft. the first bush of Faya (Myrica Faya) was seen. 
This rapidly became more plentiful, and at 4400 ft. the track 
entered a low wood of Faya and tree-heath, which gradually passed 
into typical laurel-wood. Among the more interesting herbs seen 
were Geranium anemonifolium and Cedronella canariensis, the latter 
not in flower. ‘Two yellow-flowered species of Sempervivum were 
very common on a wall by the side of the track. One of these is 
known as ‘ Crespinel’ and its juice is used to cure sores. The track 
joins the road at Brefia Alta, 1200 ft., and the remainder of the 
journey to Santa Cruz calls for no remark. 
We left La Palma on the evening of June 16th, and arrived at 
Santa Cruz, Tenerife, the next morning. In the afternoon a small 
ravine behind the Hotel Pino de Oro was explored. This contained 
an interesting association of xerophilous plants including Plocama 
pendula, Euphorbia canariensis, Kleinia neriifolia (leafless), Lavan- 
dula abrotanoides, a Micromeria and the wide-spread Nicotiana 
