Ixviii INTRODUCTION. 



the level of the sea. At the height of 3200 feet they en- 

 countered a wood composed of the beautiful Laurus in- 

 dica, the Laurus nobilis, the Erica arborea or mediterranea, 

 and the Erica scoparia. Through thick fog, and continual 

 rain, thej persevered in the ascent ; and at the height of 

 4340 feet, they traversed the valley of Canada, where 

 Smith viewed with astonishment and delight, a whole forest 

 of myrtles (Vaccinium arctostaphyllos) of trees from 16 to 

 20 feet high and more. At 5390 feet they fell in with the 

 snow. The summit of Torringas was found to be 5857 

 feet. 



The two naturalists left Madeira on the 2d May, and 

 landed on the 5th at Oratava, in Teneriffe, where they 

 were kindly and hospitably received by one of the most 

 amiable and respectable families in the island, to whom 

 Mr. Smith, by his natural gaiety and the suavity of his 

 manners, made himself particularly acceptable : but the 

 charms of agreeable society did not make him forget the 

 object of his visit to the Canaries. He was always on his 

 feet, and incessantly in pursuit ; he never returned from 

 his excursions till late in the evening, and always laden 

 with a rich harvest of plants, the examination and arrange- 

 ment of which, left him but little time for sleep. Some- 

 times, in his rambles, overtaken by night, he passed it in 

 caverns, without food, and harassed by fatigue ; but happy 

 in the discoveries he had made, he neither felt nor thought 

 of either. The melting of the snow, on the 19th May, al- 

 lowed him to ascend the summit of the Peak of Teneriffe, 

 from whence he made a tour round the southern part of 

 the island, in which he examined, and determined for the 

 first time, the pine of the Canary islands to be an unde- 



