SCENE BY IN THE COUNTBY. 
33 
or elegance. Nevertheless one is repaid for a stroll 
in the country, where the scenery is remarkably 
wild and impressive — deep ravines, from which 
mountainous rocks rise abruptly void of every trace 
of vegetation except a few cacti and other hardy 
plants. 
There is a sort of grandeur in this volcanic scenery 
— in the scorched craters of these enormous rocks, 
ribbed at the sides, rising into a variety of shapes. 
Now all is quiet, no traces of life, no appearance 
of vegetation — all is arid, dry, and parched ; while 
away to the southward can just be discerned a fine 
picture of woodland scenery, arresting the eye at 
once by its great contrast, and, as it were, com- 
pelling one to admire the extreme beauty afforded 
by the charming landscape. Here and there were 
noticed inclosures of cacti, used in rearing the 
cochineal, which, with the castor-oil plant, appears to 
be extensively produced for exportation. Our stay 
at first was only for two days, during which a 
party of naturalists landed, and made an attempt 
to ascend the famous Peak (12,180 feet). They had 
a pleasant time of it, reaching 9000 feet, where 
they found the temperature of the air at night 
intensely cold. It was too early in the season for 
natural history work ; still collections geological, 
botanical, and zoological were made. 
While the naturalists were away, the vessel cruised 
about, and obtained a series of dredgings, serial 
