THE STRAIT OF MAGELLAN. 505 



the Cape de Verdes, was abundant in the crevices of the 

 roughly constructed walls * 



As we gradually ascended higher and higher up the 

 mountain, the track became extremely bad, the donkeys find- 

 ing much difficulty in keeping their feet, and one of them 

 not seldom subsiding under its rider, but without detriment 

 either to itself or him. Pursuing our onward and upward way, 

 we were now and then enveloped in thick masses of mist, 

 which did not permit us to see far in front of us. We noticed 

 several species of birds, quails among the number, and at inter- 

 vals an unseen thrush sang melodiously. At length we reached 

 the lip of the crater, which at first presented the appearance 

 of a gulf of mist. This, however, soon cleared off, and before 

 we commenced the descent we gained an excellent view of 

 its wonderful cavity. It is always difficult, without actual 

 measurement, to form an accurate estimate of the dimensions 

 of anything of the kind, but, as nearly as we could judge, it 

 was almost circular, about half-a-mile in diameter, and six or 

 seven hundred feet in depth. The sides, which were in gene- 

 ral grown over with grass and low shrubs, were exceedingly 

 steep (in certain places nearly perpendicular), and displaying 

 deep fissures, in some of which small streams descended, 

 forming rather extensive patches of water at the bottom, 



* Dr. Hooker remarks {Lecture on Insular Floras, p. 5) — "Of flowering 

 plants, 350 species have been collected from the principal islands of the 

 Azores. Of these," according to him, "thirty are peculiar species, or well- 

 marked varieties, representatives for the most part of Madeiran or European 

 plants. About thirty are Atlantic types, common to the Azores and Madeira, 

 or to the Azores and the Canaries, or to all ; the rest are Portuguese or Spanish 

 plants." And he further observes that, " though so much farther north than 

 Madeira, the Azores contain scarcely any more boreal plants than Madeira, or 

 even than the Canaries ; and such as it does possess are likewise found in the 

 mountains of the Spanish Peninsula." 



