98 



take; and how can we admit, that the water is 

 engulfed at the base of these rocks, which often 

 are not of volcanic origin; and that this conti- 

 nual engulfing determines the particles of water 

 to fill up the vacuum that takes place * ? 



The wind having freshened a little towards the 

 morning on the 18th, we succeeded in passing the 

 channel. We drew very near the Infierno the 

 second time, and remarked the large crevices, 

 through which the gazeous fluids probably issued, 

 when this basaltic mass was raised. We lost 

 sight of the small islands of Alegranza, Montana 

 Clara* and Graciosa, which appear to have never 

 been inhabited by the Guanches. They are now 

 visited only to gather archil ; this production is 

 however less sought after, since so many other 

 lichens of the north of Europe yield other mate- 

 rials proper for dyeing. Montana Clara is noted 

 for it's beautiful Canary birds. The note of these 

 birds varies with their flocks, like that of our 

 chaffinches, which often differs in two neighbour- 

 ing districts. Montana Clara yields pasture for 

 goats, which proves that the interior of this islet 

 is less arid than it's coasts. The name of Ale- 



* We are surprised to read in a highly useful work, which 

 is in the hand of every seaman ; in the ninth edition of Hamil- 

 ton Moore's Practical Navigator, p. 200, that it is by the 

 effect of the attraction of the masses, or of universal gravita- 

 tion, that a vessel leaves the coasts with difficulty, and that the 

 boat of a frigate is attracted by the frigate itself. 



