:t/e!:■:.
which have heen given of the Island. We, apparently
in common Avith all others, were struck Avith its
exceeding heauty, and particularly with the wonderful
profusion of lioAvers. Patches of glorious colour
Avere visible from the ship even at this early season,
and these Avhen looked at more closely resolved
themselves into astonishing festoons and garlands of
floAvering creepers, hanging across the streets and
clothing and mantling over every wall and trellis.
There was a fine Bougainvillea in Captain Philli-
more’s garden at Cibraltar which greatly excited our
admiration; hut round Pnnchal it was everywhere,
in every shade of colour from a hrick-red through
rich crimsons and violets to a pale delicate mauve.
What a pity it is that this singularly ornamental
plant Avill not as yet stand the climate of England!
Erom its hrilliancy not depending upon the flower, hut
upon a bunch of bracts or flower-leaves, it stands a
long time, scarcely varying in effect from early in
December to the middle or end of August. Second
only to the Bougainvillea in decorating the verandas
and trellises in Madeira are several species of JBig-
nonia, particularly B. venusta, Avhich runs ont into
long Avreaths, clustering round every available projection
and glorifying it Avith its trusses of golden
bells. Many of onr party Avent off at once on horseback
to the bills, whilst others found enough to enjoy
during the fcAv hours of our stay, in the gardens and
Avalks in the neighhourhood of the town.
Madeira is very rich in land-shells, Avhich are particularly
interesting OAving to the singular position in
AA'hich these Atlantic islands stand as to the source
and extension of their land faunae. Some of the
ne !
naturalists of onr party took the opportunity of
going over a very instructive collection of the land-
shells Avhich has been made by the Bev. B. Boog
Watson, during his residence.
On the morning of tbe 5tb of Eebruary we left
Madeira and stood for the Canaries. We had a
capital breeze all the way, force = 5—6, from the
north-east. MA only stopped to sound once in 1,970
fathoms, about half-way ; and Ave made on an average
eight knots an hour, so that we found ourselves off
Teneriffe early on the morning of the 7th.
"We anchored in the hay of Santa Cruz, and remained
there a couple of days, and sent off a tenting
party, consisting of several of the civilian scientific
staff and one or two of the naval oificers, to the
Canàdas, the mountain plateau at an elevation of
ahout 7,000 feet, 5,000 feet below the summit of the
Peak. With the friendly assistance of the British
Consul their arrangements were all satisfactorily
made. They went across the island to Orotava,
whence they commenced the ascent of the mountain.
They spent four nights camped on the high grounds.
It was too early in the season to attempt the ascent
of the Peak, and rather too early for natural-bistory
work ; the chief object was to get into the modus
operandi of such expeditions in preparation for the
future. Still collections were made, both in zoology
and in geology, and the party Avere greatly interested
in the Avonderful atmospheric effects from their camping
ground ahove the loAver stratum of clouds. The
ship Aveighed anchor on the morning of Monday the
10th, and took a sounding and dredging cruise
among the islands. We dredged hetAv^een Teneriffe
k :ll| ■G., ,,
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