THE PLANTS AND GARDENS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. 77 
came in quick succession down to the hot dry regions of the 
coast. 
Just below Pedro Gill we passed over stretches of black 
ash and cinders, making the travelling very laborious. Then 
came the remarkable gorge known as the Valle, described as 
" one of the most stupendous efforts of eruptive force to be seen 
in the world." The surface was traversed by a network of 
dykes, standing vertically like walls, owing to the weathering of 
the adjacent strata. In sheltered hollows were large bushes of 
Cytisus prolifer, covered with silky-white flowers. Below the 
Pine trees were splendid views of the plains around Arafo and 
Guimar, with the glittering sea beyond. A singular-looking 
mass extended in a sinuous line from the foot of the hills 
almost down to the beach. A bird's-eye view of it gave the 
appearance of a huge black glaci3r. It was a lava stream, " the 
volcan of 1705." The greyish, hoary hue noticed, on nearer 
approach, was caused by the abundant growth of a lichen — one 
of the first pioneers of vegetable life. A few robust plants, 
such as Plocoma pendida, Sonchus leptocephalus, and Euphorbia 
canariensis, had established themselves in crevices ; but during 
the 190 years that had elapsed since the molten stream had left 
the fiery caldron of the Peak the progress of vegetation upon 
it had been singularly slight. At Arafo a visit was paid to the 
garden of Senor Don Duggi, where Mango, Avocado Pear, and 
Loquat trees were very flourishing. There were also large 
areas covered with Sage, Onions, Tomatos, and Potatos, all for 
the English market. Guimar was reached at nightfall. It is 
a quiet little town at 985 feet elevation. The air is dry and 
balmy. There is a comfortable English hotel with a pleasant 
garden. In the neighbourhood are two remarkable gorges, 
Barranco Badajos and Barranco del Rio. The latter was visited. 
It affords one of the best botanical collecting grounds in the 
island. Nearly one hundred species of Canary plants were 
found, many of them seen nowhere else. The wet rocks were 
clothed with masses of the Maidenhair Fern. There were also 
the Canary Jasmine, the native Olive, the Canary Foxglove 
[Isoplcxis), a native Nettle (Boshmeria), numerous Ferns, with 
the interesting Ceterach aurcum, a Gnaphal'mm, large trees of 
Arbutus canariensis, the very showy Banunculus cortusce- 
folius, the "Mocan" of the Guanches {Visnea Mocanera), the 
