LETTER XIII. 



Excursion to Candelaria. 



Early in the morning of the 25th instant, I set off 

 on an excursion to the south part of the island. After 

 passing directly through the Valley of Orotava, I entered 

 a beautiful grove of chesnuts, (Castanea vesca. Lin.) 

 shortly after which I came to a small hamlet near a famous 

 fountain called La Agua Mansa, (meek water,) from 

 v.'hich the Villa of Orotava is supplied with water. Many 

 of the chesnut-trees among which I passed had a circum- 

 ference of twenty-five or thirty feet, although they were 

 planted within the last century 



After making some observations on temperature and 

 mineralogy, I ascended a steep mountain to the height of 

 about 9000 feet above the level of the ocean. On reach- 

 ing its top, I observed a phenomenon, the like of which I 

 have never seen nor heard of before, although it might 

 often occur in many parts of the globe, if the spectator 

 were placed under similar circumstances. In ascending the 

 mountain I passed through a stratum of dripping clouds, 

 and about noon reached its summit, where the sun shone 

 with intense brilliancy. On turning my face towards the 

 north I beheld the sun's rays refracted in the clouds below 

 my feet, forming a perfect bow which unfolded every hue 



" In fair proportion running from the red 

 To where the violet fades." 



Shortly after I commenced my descent on the southern 

 side of the mountain, and about one o'clock reached El 

 Volcan de Guimar, formed by a lateral eruption of the 

 Peak in El Llano de los Infantes, on the 31st of De- 

 cember, 1704. On the 5th of January following, a sec- 



