!_' \ 1 1 . i a 1 1 1 •: 1 . 1 1 1 1 M I . 



small plain, Burrounded by gardens, and protected by a 



hill which was crowned by a wood of laurels, myrtle, 



and arbutu . It was encircled 1»\ a greal number of 



Shaded by tn - oi perpetual verdure, and 



■ I «»ii small eminences, these chapels added to the 



Seel <-l the landscape. The interior of the 



.vii was n«>t equal i<> its externa] appearance. The 



booses were solidly built, but very antique, and the 



str< Is - emed deserted. Our botanists, however, did 



• complain of the antiquity oi' the edifices, for the 



• Is and walls were covered with Canary house leek, 

 and elegant trichomanes. 



B fore they reached Orotava they visited, at a little 

 distance from tin- port, a botanic garden, which had been 

 laid "Ut at a great expense some years before by the 

 Marquis de Nava, There they found M. LeGros, the 

 I rench vice-consul, who had often scaled the summit of 

 the peak, and wh«> served them as a guide. 



They began their ascent on the morning of the 21st. 

 M. Le Gros, M. Lalande, secretary t<> tin- French Consul- 

 3 ata Cruz, and an English gardener at Durasno, 

 joined them on this excursion. The dav was not fine, 

 for tii.' Bummil of the peak, which was generally visible 

 at Orotava from sunrise till ten o'clock, was covered 



with thick cloud 



They passed along a lofty aqueduct, lined with a great 

 number of fine ferns, and visited several gardens, in 

 which the Bruit trees of the north of Europe were 

 mil i with orange trees, pomegranate, and date trees. 

 I! r<- th a- the famous dragon tree of M. Franqui. 

 Although they had been made acquainted with it, from 



the narratives of many travellers, they were not the less 



