TENERIFFE. 45 
rain had fallen. In the evening one of the English merchants 
entertained us Avith a ball, to console us in some degree for 
our recent disappointment. 
The descent of the mercury in the barometer indicated the 
height of that part of the mountain where we passed the night 
to be 6030 feet, and the valley of pumice stone and ashes 
might perhaps be 2500 feet higher. The whole height of the 
peak from the plain of Oratava, according to the best ob- 
servations, is from 13,000 to 14,000 feet. Though this ele- 
vation in the latitude of the peak is greater than what is re- 
quired on continental situations, under the same parallel, to 
produce perpetual congelation, yet as it rises immediately 
from the plain and is closely surrounded by the sea, the 
snow remains on its summit only from November to April in- 
clusive. At the base of the uppermost cone are large caverns, 
into which, at the spring of the year, the peasantry roll 
masses of ice and snow ; and from hence tlie island is supplied 
with ice the whole summer. 
We were not more successful in gratifying curiosity on 
another point, which was one of the objects of our journey, 
namely, that of visiting some of the caverns in which the 
original inhabitants of the island were accustomed to deposit 
their dead. Most of the English gentlemen assured us that 
tiiey had seen such bodies, but we were not fortunate enough 
to meet with any who could point out the exact situation of 
the caverns ; and. all our inquiries of the natives ended only 
in a string of contradictions : not that they meant to deceive 
us, but the traveller who asks much of simple and uninformed 
