38 SOME BIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



On we went at the same level pace, the country 

 becoming somewhat less arid and a tinge of wild vege- 

 tation appearing now and again in the landscape. Once 

 we passed a house which was painted a brilliant blue 

 colour ; it was pointed out to me as quite the most 

 beautiful object in Fuerteventura. I cannot say that I 

 admired it, though the colour of most of the houses in 

 the villages so far had certainly been monotonous, all 

 of them being built of clay-coloured stone, more like 

 boxes than houses, having exceedingly thick walls, 

 unplastered outside. The immense thickness of the 

 walls of the houses showed how well the Fuerteventuran 

 Spaniards understood their own climate, for however 

 hot the sun might be outside, their rooms were in- 

 variably beautifully cool. None of the houses, with 

 very few exceptions, consisted of more than the ground 

 floor. 



Some way further on Lorenzo, after a conversation 

 with the camel driver, pointed out to me a house stand- 

 ing by itself a little distance away from the road, and 

 called out in his cheery voice, Casa del medico, Seiior, 

 mucho dinero in banco, muy rico. I asked them if he 

 was the only doctor in the island, and they said they 

 thought he was, though I should think there must be 

 one in Puerto Cabras. The man certainly deserved to 

 be rich if he had to doctor the whole of the populace. 

 Towards evening we approach a range of mountains, 

 and are told that our destination lies some little way 

 beyond them, but the path makes a bend to the left 

 hand so as to avoid the long climb up for the camels. 



Another two hours' travelling and we round these 

 mountains, and then see in front of us two good-sized 



