50 ASCENT OF THE PEAK. 
plain covered with snow. Soon afterwards another 
very curious sight occurred, namely, the semblance 
of small rockets thrown into the air, and which 
they at first imagined to be a certain indication of 
some new eruption of the great volcano of Lance- ° 
rota. But the illusion soon ceased, and they found 
that the luminous points were only the images of 
stars magnified and refracted by the vapours. They 
remained motionless at intervals, then rose perpen- 
dicularly, descended sidewise, and returned to their 
original position. After three hours’ march over an 
extremely rugged tract, the travellers reached a 
small plain called La Rambleta, from the centre of 
which rises the Piton or Sugar-loaf. The slope of 
this cone, covered with volcanic ashes and pumice, 
is so steep that it would have been almost impossible 
to reach the summit, had they not ascended by an 
old current of lava, which had in some measure re- 
sisted the action of the atmosphere. 
On attaining the top of this steep, they found the | 
crater surrounded byawall of compact lava, in which, 
however, there was a breach affording a passage to 
the bottom of the funnel or caldera, the greatest dia- 
meter of which at the mouth seemed to be 320 feet. 
There were no large openings in the crater; but aque- 
ous vapours were emitted by some of the crevices, in 
which heat was perceptible. In fact, the volcano has 
not been active at the summit for thousands of years, 
its eruptions having been from the sides, and the depth 
of the crater is only about 106 feet. After examin- 
ing the objects that presented themselves in this ele- 
vated spot and enjoying the vast prospect, the tra- 
vellers commenced their descent, and towards even- 
ing reached the port of Orotava. 
