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lava, the top of the Piton subtends an angle in 

 height of more than eleven degrees and a half : 

 whilst at the mole of Santa Cruz* this angle 

 scarcely exceeds 4° 36'. 



Notwithstanding this difference, and though 

 in the latter place the volcano rises above the 

 horizon scarcely as much as Vesuvius seen from 

 the mole of Naples, the aspect of the peak is still 

 very majestic, when those who anchor in the 

 road discover it for the first time. The Piton 

 alone was visible to us ; it's cone projected itself 

 on a sky of the purest blue, whilst dark thick 

 clouds enveloped the rest of the mountain to the 

 height of 1800 toises. The pumice stone, illu- 

 mined by the first rays of the sun, reflected a 

 reddish light, like that which paints the summits 

 of the higher Alps. This light by degrees be- 

 comes a dazzling whiteness ; and, deceived like 

 the greater part of travellers 9 we thought that 

 the peak was still covered with snows, and that 

 we should with difficulty reach the edge of the 

 crater. 



We have remarked, in the Cordilleras of the 

 Andes, that the conical mountains, such as Co- 

 topaxi and Tungurahua, are oftener seen free 

 from clouds, than those mountains, the tops of 

 which are broken into bristly points, like Anti- 

 sana and Pichincha ; but the peak of TenerifFe, 



* The oblique distance from the top of the volcano to Orota- 

 va and to Santa Cruz are nearly 8600 toises and 22600 toises. 



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