LETTER XII. 



Return to Orotava. 



After completing my inquiries at Chasna, I set off 

 early in the morning of the •20th instant for this place. I 

 pursued my rout about half of a mile to the south-eastward 

 from the village to a spring called by the natives, La Agua 

 Blanca, (white water). It consisted of a small pool of a 

 whitish appearance, probably caused by stagnation, and 

 contained millions of the larvae of mosquetoes. In tasting 

 the water, I found nothing uncommon in its properties. 

 From thence, I proceeded to El Valle de Ucanca, when 

 about nine o'clock, the sky became overcast, and indicated 

 an approacliing storm. I immediately commenced ascend- 

 ing the girdle of mountains that surrounds the Peak, which 

 were so steep, that I was under the necessity of dismounting, 

 and with some difficulty, reached its summit, where the 

 wind blew most violently, dashing me with thick mists and 

 clouds. I descended the northern side of the mountain at 

 the depth of about 2000 feet to an extensive plain, destitute 

 of vegetation, and apparently the bed of a lake during the 

 rainy seasons. Near this plain, it is said that there is 

 another spring which either possesses the quality of incrus- 

 tation, or of petrifaction, and that by placing objects within 

 its influence, they soon become incrusted with a calcareous, 

 or a siiicious covering. In some of the ravines near the 

 southern extremity of this plain, there are immense quan- 

 tities of argillaceous tufa, called by the natives, el azulejo, 

 which has a beautiful, soft, cerulean hue. 



About ten o'clock I overtook my mule and proceeded to 

 Las Cafiadas, over a succession of tracts of scragged rocks 

 and small llanos, passing by a number of conical masses of 

 lava of an immense height, which threateningly leaned over 



