CHAPTEH X. 



THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA. 



MADEIRA AND TENERIFFE. 



" It was a chosen plott of fertile land 

 Emongst wild waves sett, like a little nest ; 

 As if it had by nature's cunning hand 

 Bene choycely picked out from all the rest, 

 And laid forth for ensample of the best ; 

 No dainty flower, or herbe that grows on grownde 

 No aborett with painted blossoms dressed, 

 And smelling sweete, but there it might be found. 

 To bud out faire, and her swete smells throwe all arownd." 

 The Fairie Queene. 



The start. — The object of the trip. — My fellow-passengers. — Ma- 

 deira.— Sad reminiscences. — Spero meliora. — Hospitality at 

 Funchal. — Teneriffe. — Santa Cruz. — Laguna, — Orotava. — The 

 dragon tree. — An ascent of the Peak of Teneriff"e. 



From ''Lands of the East" I shall now trans- 

 port you, gentle reader, to the saloon of the 

 " Armenian," a West African mail-steamer which 

 was uneasily forging her way through the leaden- 



