SANTA CRUZ. 41 



cured for tliem the most satisfactory reception. The 

 captain-general gave them immediate permission to ex- 

 amine the island, and Col. Armiaga, who commanded a 

 regiment of infantry, received them into his house with 

 great hospitality. They could not enough admire the 

 banana, the papaw tree, and other plants, which they 

 had hitherto seen only in hot-houses, cultivated in his 

 garden in the open air. In the evening they went to 

 herborize along the rocks, but were little satisfied with 

 their harvest, for the drought and dust had almost de- 

 stroyed vegetation. The few plants that they saw, chiefly 

 succulent ones, which draw their nourishment from the 

 air rather than the soil on which they grow, reminded 

 them by their appearance, that this group of islands be- 

 longed to Africa, and even to the most arid part of that 

 arid continent. 



Though the captain of the Pizarro had orders to stop 

 long enough at Teneriffe to give the naturalists time to 

 scale the summit of the peak, if the snows did not prevent 

 their ascent, they received notice, on account of the block- 

 ade of the English ships, not to expect longer delay 

 than four or five days. They consequently hastened 

 their departure for the port of Orotava, which was situ- 

 ated on the western declivity of the volcano, where they 

 were sure of procuring guides ; for they could find no 

 one at Santa Cruz who had mounted the peak. 



On the 20th of June, before sunrise, they began their 

 excursion by ascending to the Yilla de Laguna. The 

 road by which they ascended was on the right of a tor- 

 rent, which in the rainy season formed fine cascades. 

 Near the town they met some white camels. The town 

 itself, at which they soon arrived, was situated in a 



