Sumviit of the Peak of Ten^^ff's. 33 



opposed to my enterprise of ascending the peak so. early in 

 the season. It is to be remembered that two gentlemen in 

 the suite of lord Macartney were not able to succeed in the 

 month of October 1 792^ on account of the cold and snow ; 

 and that at a later period captain JBaudin was in danger of 

 perishing there in the month of December. No person, 

 therefore, was tempted to accompany me* 



At six o'clock in the morning of the l6th I left the port 

 of Orotava, trusting to the fine weather, and still more to 

 my beinff accustomed to the snow and ice in the high moun- 

 tains. I had with me a guide, a mule laden with water and 

 provisions, and a mule driver. The peak stands in the 

 southern part of the island, on an eminence which rises 

 more than 1 100 tolses above the level of the sea. The day 

 was employed in ascending to the bottom of this colossal 

 peak. 



Less time could not be employed in passing from the 

 tropic to the polar ice. We travelled for five hours over 

 gentle acclivities covered with the richest and most luxu- 

 riant vegetation. All the flowers in bloom exhaled the 

 most delicious perfume, and the nuldness of the tempera- 

 ture was equal to the sweetness of the air. On this occa- 

 sion I could not help calling to mind Tasso, Armida, and 

 the delights of the Fortunate Islands of antiquity. We 

 were a long time in the middle of an immense wood of lau- 

 rels, and a tall kind of heath., the elegant stems of which 

 were covered with white blossom. Pines then announced 

 to us a soil more ungrateful, because more deviated. The 

 lava of currents, hitherto concealed by vegetation, began to 

 appear in all their aridity and confusion. The pines v/ere 

 soon succeeded by a large species of broom, spartium si/- 

 pranniium, which extends to the eminence, wliere its dis- 

 mal bushes, scattered over heaps of scorise or plains of vol- 

 canic sand, participate only with some lichens, the property 

 of the driest and most arid desert that can be imagnied. 



We halted on a small sandy plain of pumice stone, bor- 

 dered by two enormous currents of vitreous lava : some 

 blocks of this lava, ranged in a semicircle, form here what 

 is called sfa/izn de las Ingleses, where we reposed for the 

 night under a most beautiful sky. The barometer stood at 

 19 inches 9-5 lines, and the thermometer at 4*9 degrees. 

 According to a corresponding observation made at the port, 

 we were 1329 toises above the level of the sea. I was much 

 astonished to see the broom, but indeed stunted, live at that 

 elevation. A good fire which we made defended us from 

 the intenseness of the cold. 

 Vol. XV 11. No. C5. C Tl.e 



