52 EVE OF ST. JOHN. 



water. As the travellers approached the town of Oro- 

 tava, they met great flocks of canaries. These birds, 

 well known in Europe and America, were in general 

 uniformly green. Some, however, had a yellow tinge 

 on their backs ; their note was the same as that of the 

 tame canary. Towards the close of the day they reached 

 the port of Orotava, where they received the unexpected 

 intelligence that the Pizarro would not set sail till the 

 24th or 2oth. If they could have calculated on this de- 

 lay, they might either have lengthened their stay on the 

 peak, or have made an excursion to the volcano of Cha- 

 horra. As it was they passed the following day in visit- 

 ing the environs of Orotava, and enjoying its agreeable 

 society. They were present on the eve of St. John at a 

 pastoral fete. In the beginning of the evening the slope 

 of the volcano exhibited on a sudden a most extraordi- 

 nary spectacle. The shepherds, in conformity to a cus- 

 tom, no doubt introduced by the Spaniards, had lighted 

 the fires of St. John. The scattered masses of fire, and 

 the columns of smoke driven by the wind, formed a fine 

 contrast with the deep verdure of the forests which 

 covered the sides of the peak. Shouts of joy resound- 

 ing from afar were the only sounds that broke the silence 

 of nature in these solitary regions. 



They left the road of Santa Cruz on the 25th of June, 

 and directed their course towards South America. They 

 soon lost sight of the Canary Islands, the lofty moun- 

 tains of which were covered with a reddish vapour. The 

 peak alone appeared from time to time, as at intervals the 

 wind dispersed the clouds that enveloped the Sugar-loaf. 

 A few land birds, which had been driven to sea by the 

 impetuosity of the wind, followed them for several days. 



