165 



la Rambleta, from the centre of which the Piton, 

 or Sugar-loaf, takes it's rise. On the side to- 

 ward Orotava the mountain resembles those 

 pyramids with steps, that are found at Fayoum 

 and in Mexico : for the elevated plains of Reta- 

 ma and Rambleta form two stages, the first of 

 which is four times higher than the second. If 

 we suppose the total height of the Peak to be 

 1904 toises, the Rambleta is 1820 toises above 

 the level of the sea. Here are found those spir- 

 acles, which are called by the natives the Nos- 

 trils of the Peak * Watery and heated vapors 

 issue at intervals from several crevices in the 

 ground, and the thermometer rose to 43*2° : 

 Mr. Labillardiere had found the temperature 

 of these vapors, eight years before us, 53*7° ; 

 a difference which does not perhaps prove so 

 much a diminution of activity in the volcano, 

 as a local change in the heating of it's internal 

 surface. The vapors have no smell, and seem 

 to^be pure water. A short time before the great 

 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, in 1805, Mr. Gay- 

 Lussac and myself had observed, that water, 

 under the form of vapor, in the interior of the 

 crater, did not redden paper dipped in sirup 

 of violets. I cannot, however, admit the bold 

 hypothesis of several naturalists, according to 

 which the Nostrils of the Peak are to be consi- 



* Nariccs del Pico, 



