3448 Visit to Teneriffe, fyc. 



Our view from the summit struck me as being, probably, similar to 

 what is often presented to a voyager in the Arctic regions. We were 

 far above the clouds, which extended as a broken series of snow-white 

 cumuli resting upon the sides of the mountain, assuming the appear- 

 ance of vast fields of ice and snow, with great icebergs scattered about. 

 Here and there a transient opening admitted of a peep into some sun- 

 lit spot among the lower parts of the island, miles away at our feet — 

 the cultivated grounds, the villages and towns, and the iron-bound 

 coast with its lines of surf. The atmospheric refraction was so great 

 that the summit of the Grand Canary Island looming out of the clouds 

 appeared almost on a level with us, although distant about 60 miles. 



Our descent of the cone occupied but a few minutes, as guided by 

 our poles we slid down amidst clouds of ashes, and soon reached the 

 bottom. We then diverged to the left to visit the famous Cueva del 

 Hielo — or ice cavern — a vast cave with an opening in its roof amidst 

 immense blocks of rock. The bottom was filled with ice of great 

 thickness, and the arched roof hung with icicles on which the few strag- 

 gling sun-beams played with great effect. Tee is found here all the 

 year round in sufficient quantity to supply the whole island during 

 summer. It is brought down to the Estancia on men's shoulders, and 

 thence on horses to Orotava, where the price is a dollar a load. The 

 descent into the cave is made by means of ropes. The occupation of 

 an ice-collector is said to be a most hazardous one, many of them 

 having loss their lives during storms upon the Peak. 



Mounting our horses at the Estancia we reached Orotava at 2, p. M. 

 On our way down we had again an opportunity of observing the well- 

 defined limits of the various zones of vegetation. Leaving that of the 

 broom or retama, and passing through that of the tree heath, we 

 reached the moist and usually clouded region of evergreen junipers 

 and laurels, to which succeeded the region of culture of European 

 plants, bringing us down to the last and lowest, that of the banana 

 and date palm. 



Next day we returned to Santa Cruz, highly delighted with our 

 excursion, and the ship immediately proceeded on her voyage. 



London, April, 1852. 

 Dear Sir, 



In sending you the foregoing account of an excursion 

 in Teneriffe, I am anxious to direct the attention of your readers to 

 the facilities which now exist for reaching that fine island, and to 

 claim for it a share of that attention which naturalists have so liberally 



