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CHAPTER III. 

 New Quarters. 



nnHE four days which we had spent at La Oliva were 

 certainly not productive of much, looked at from 

 an ornithological standpoint ; the birds in the neighbour- 

 hood were few, and those that we did come across were 

 evidently only commencing to nest. In all probability 

 the weather, and more especially the food supply, had 

 much to do with this. 



I had a further introduction, to a farmer who lived at 

 Tuineje, a village situated some little way south of the 

 centre of the island ; this village is marked on the small 

 map contained in the initial chapter. We were told 

 that it would take us a long day's journey to reach 

 Tuineje before nightfall, if indeed we were able to do 

 so by then, accordingly an early start was arranged for. 



Hospitable and kind though the people were at 

 La Oliva, I should have fared badly without the pro- 

 visions which I had brought with me from Tenerife, 

 especially as the old woman to whom I have before 

 referred was stationed over me while I ate my meals, 

 various delicacies being pointed out by her in the 

 homely dish which might with advantage be consumed 

 in the next mouthful. Tea was apparently an unknown 

 luxury in the island, but a very dilapidated and rusty 

 old teapot was after some difficulty borrowed in the 



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