3? TENERIFFE. 
town of Oratava, without having obtained a single ghmpse 
of the grand object of our journey, the Peak of TenerifFe ; 
when, by the clouds suddenly dissipating, its lofty and stu- 
pendous summit burst at once upon the view, far above the 
thinnest vapour that floated in the air : these clouds again 
collecting into different masses, either by the difference of 
their specific gravity, or b}-^ the attractive power of electricity, 
remained in suspension on the bosom of the mountain, in 
successive strata, like so manj'^ belts. Nothing could be more 
majestic than the huge cone tapering to a point, and backed 
by the azure blue ; and nothing could exceed in picturesque 
beauty the lower part of this grand mountain melting into the 
plain, which, with an almost imperceptible slope, stretched 
away to the sea-coast. At the foot of its base stands the 
pleasant city La Villa d' Oratava ; and three miles to the 
right the sea-port town El Puerta d'Oratava. In the 
former reside most of the grandees of the island, to whose 
families were originally given grants of land and who affect 
to set no small value on their true Castilian blood. It abounds 
with churches, monasteries and convents, and is surrounded 
with gardens, vineyards and fruit groves. Six British mer- 
cantile houses contribute in no small deoree to the flourishino- 
state of the sea-port town, which appears to be fully as large 
as the city, and to support quite as many churches, monas- 
teries and convents. 
The quantity of wine produced on the island varies from 
ten to twenty thousand pipes a year, the greater part of which 
is exported to the London market at the prime cost of about 
ten to twelve pounds a pipe, Avhere it is said to be converted 
