iS32.] PEAK OF TENERIFFE. 201 



of fresh fruits growing in beautiful valleys, and reading Hum- 

 boldt's descriptions of the island's glorious views, when per- 

 haps you may nearly guess at our disappointment, when a 

 small pale man informed us we must perform a strict quaran- 

 tine of twelve days. There was a death-like stillness in the 

 ship till the Captain cried " up jib," and we left this long- 

 wished for place. 



We were becalmed for a day between Teneriffe and the 

 Grand Canary, and here I first experienced any enjoyment. 

 The view was glorious. The Peak of Teneriffe was seen 

 amongst the clouds like another world. Our only drawback 

 was the extreme wish of visiting this glorious island. Tell 

 Eyton never to forget either the Canary Islands or South Aiiierica; 

 that I am sure it will well repay the necessary trouble, but 

 that he must make up his mind to find a good deal of the 

 latter, I feel certain he will regret it if he does not make 

 the attempt. From Teneriffe to St. Jago the voyage was 

 extremely pleasant. I had a net astern the vessel which 

 caught great numbers of curious animals, and fully occupied 

 my time in my cabin, and on deck the weather was so delight- 

 ful and clear, that the sky and water together made a picture. 

 On the 1 6th we arrived at Port Praya, the capital of the Cape 

 de Verds, and there we remained twenty-three days, viz., till 

 yesterday, the yth of February. The time has flown away 

 most delightfully, indeed nothing can be pleasanter ; exceed- 

 ingly busy, and that business both a duty and a great delight. 

 I do not believe I have spent one half-hour idly since leaving 

 Teneriffe. St. Jago has afforded me an exceedingly rich har- 

 vest in several branches of Natural History. I find the de- 

 scriptions scarcely worth anything of many of the commoner 

 animals that inhabit the Tropics. I allude, of course, to those 

 of the lower classes. 



Geologising in a volcanic country is most delightful ; 

 besides the interest attached to itself, it leads you into most 

 beautiful and retired spots. Nobody but a person fond of 

 Natural History can imagine the pleasure of strolling under 

 cocoa-nuts in a thicket of bananas and coffee-plants, and an 



