468 
VOYAGE OF THE POTOMAC. 
[September, 
and for which reason they have named it the Serra de la Paja. 
Here a fine view of the first valley is presented, and rising from 
the steril parts of the coast, the eye dwells with pleasure on the 
prospect, embracing no less than fifty little chacras, or farms, with 
nearly an equal nurnber of houses ; small and rude, it is true, yet 
not unfit for the climate, and surrounded with plenty, which the 
fertility of the soil produces at a small expense of labour on the 
part of man. 
On the southeastern extremity of the first valley, a magnificent 
volcanic mountain rises, around the summit of which, and others 
of less elevation, the clouds may be constantly seen gathering in 
mist, which impart to the higher portions of the island a degree 
of humidity not to be expected from a view of the coast, and cer- 
tainly in direct contradiction to all previous accounts given of this 
archipelago. 
From one side of this mountain the water, delicious, and of 
crystal purity, may be seen trickling down fromx the rocks. One 
of these destiladeras is a real curiosity. That part of the rock 
yielding most water, presents an exterior entirely dry, and is sur- 
rounded and clothed by shrubbery, flowers, and aromatic herbs ; 
and the water, which issues by numerous little filtering streams, 
is as pure as that which gushed from the rock of old, when smit- 
ten by the rod of the prophet. 
The governor, who may with great justice be called the father 
and founder of the colony, has adopted, certainly, one wise meas- 
ure. He has prohibited, under the severest penalties, the intro- 
duction of all kinds of liquor into the island ; and this measure is 
no doubt the secret cause of the successful experiment already 
made by the Florianas. At a small party given by the governor 
to Commodore Downes, water was the only beverage to be seen 
on the table. He apologized for the want of wine, and remarked, 
that he adopted it as a rule, not to partake of any luxury that 
policy required him to prohibit in the island ; which apology was 
deemed good by the commodore and all present. It was very 
easy, however, to perceive that our host had not spent his whole 
life in such society ; as the number and variety of the dishes 
brought to the table, formed exclusively of the productions of the 
island, would have done credit to the good taste of a person sur- 
rounded by many more, advantages. 
