4 TENERIFE. 



which leads lo the base of the actual cone of the Peak. This 

 ridge is bounded by a precipice on the side facing Orotava. 

 The villagers tried to dissuade the party from going farther 

 after we had ascended about 2,000 feet, saying that we should 

 be frozen to death. 



The well-known zones of vegetation of the Peak of Tenerife 

 are not very well defined on the route which we adopted. The 

 limit of cultivation was reached at about 3,000 feet, at which 

 height corn of some kind was just springing up, and we passed 

 above this into a zone covered with a tree-like heath {Erica 



PEAK OF TENERIFE FROM THE ROAD ABOVE OROTAVA. 



(From a sketch by the Author.) 



arborea). This heath continued for about 2,000 feet, and then 

 ceased abruptly, and we came, higher up, amongst large 

 bluish-green bushes of a sort of broom {Spartocytisusnubigenus), 

 called by the natives " Retama," amongst which we pitched 

 our tent, at an elevation of 6,500 feet. Above the Ketama, a 

 small violet {Viola teydeana) is said to extend up to 10,000 

 feet, and above this all is barren. The pine {Finns canarieftsis) 

 which grows on some parts of the mountain is not seen on the 

 usual track of ascent. A halt was made amongst the heath for 

 lunch, and plenty of water-cresses were found growing in n 

 spring. We had to carry water up with us from this spring 

 since there is no water to be obtained above, except by 

 melting sno\t. The porous volcanic ashes soak up all the 



