Pico Ruivo, by Captain Sabine. 79 



its performance in the ascent of the Peak of Teneriffe, but our 

 departure from England had been so long delayed by contrary 

 and tempestuous winds, that we were only able to remain seven 

 hours at Santa Cruz. We were told, indeed, that the Peak 

 was inaccessible in the winter season, but we had heard the 

 same at Funchal of the Pico Ruivo. I am aware that the 

 difficulty in the two cases doe3 not admit of comparison, but 

 the true interpretation is, that neither is accessible without 

 more exertion than travellers are ordinarily disposed to bestow. 

 Had Sir Robert Mends felt at liberty to have remained at Tene- 

 riffe for three days, we should certainly have made the attempt, 

 and as Captain Baudin succeeded in December, I trust we' 

 should not have failed in 'January. The precise determina- 

 tion of the height of this peak is yet to be accomplished, 

 and appears worthy of being undertaken, were it only to sub- 

 mit barometric measurement to the test of a m-ore exact com- 

 parison with the geometric method, (both conducted with 

 the precision of which modern instruments are capable,) than 

 has yet been effected. A residence of some days at the pro- 

 per season, near the summit of this remarkable Peak, which 

 rises so abruptly, and to so great an elevation, from the middle 

 of the basin of the Atlantic, might indeed be expected to pro- 

 duce many important meteorological and other results ; and 

 would certainly throw much light on the extent of variation, to 

 which barometric measurement is liable, from varying circum- 

 stances connected with the atmosphere itself, independently of 

 errors of instrument or observation, or of the formula by which 

 a result is deduced; the limit within which this liability might 

 be apprehended would appear, by a comparison of the registry 

 of the barometer at the top and at the bottom, continued for a 

 sufficient time. 



We experienced a similar disappointment, and scarcely in an 

 inferior degree, in passing hastily by Fuego, one of the Cape 

 Verds. I am not aware of any good account of this very re- 

 markable island having been published, and am surprised that 

 It has been so little visited. It rises in a cone almost from the 

 water's edge to an height much exceeding tiiat of St. Antonio, 



