34 CANARY ISLANDS. 



globe that present a spectacle more beautifully romantic 

 and wildly picturesque than the Valley of Orotava. 



After an hour's ride over a fertile plain, I commenced 

 ascending the mountain in a zig-zag manner, and con- 

 tinued my way to Laguna over a rough, narrow road, 

 which, in many places, was almost impassible. The only 

 settlements between this place and Laguna, are the ham- 

 lets of Santa Ursula, Vittoria, and Matanzas, the two lat- 

 ter names, (victory and slaughter,) notorious in occurring 

 together in most Spanish provinces, create an unpleasant 

 contrast with the peace and quietude which these colonies 

 usually inspire. In pursuing my route, I observed on the 

 left, along the sea-shore, numerous date-trees, (Phcenix 

 dactylifera. Lin.) and farther up, groups of the orange 

 and the banana. The more precipitous parts of the de- 

 scent were covered with vines and peach-trees, richly 

 laden with fruit, while the more level portions were planted 

 with grain and other vegetables. The fields were fre- 

 quently separated by hedges of the prickly pear, (Cactus 

 opuntia. Lin.) and the American aloes, (Agave ameru 

 cana. Lin.) The latter, when vigorous, sometimes rises 

 to the height of sixty feet, and branches out on every side, 

 so as to form a kind of pyramid of greenish yellow flowers, 

 which stand erect, and come out at every joint. As a 

 hedge, its hardy lance-like leaves render it totally impene- 

 trable to man and beast. When pressed, the light blue 

 leaves yield a thick juice, which, with lye-ashes, is formed 

 into balls and used as soap. The peasantry of these islands 

 soak them in water, and beat them with mallets, as flax or 

 hemp, and afterwards spin the lignum into coarse thread, 

 suitable for making lines and small cordage of a very 

 strong and durable quality. 



In travelling from Laguna to Santa Cruz, the only 

 plants that I observed were the Euphorbia canariensis, the 

 Cacalia kleinia, and the Cactus opuntia. The road was 

 steep and difficult, in many places, and appeared to be 

 formed of the debris of an ancient current of lava from the 

 Peak. My horse moved with a snail-like pace, and slipped 

 at every rod. At length, after a considerable fatigue, I 

 reached a small plain near a beautiful stone bridge, thrown 

 across a deep ravine, and shortly after arrived at the place 



