a i© I
afTembly. Th? Governor bring then at the Grand Canaty iïlaftd,
and the Commandant'informing Lieutenant Campbell, thatühere was
not a -fufficient quantity o f powder iii-?jthe magazine _to admit!- o f a
&hite$ that cèretaonial Was.Waved on the pr^mt ocmfioa*: -
The ilköd jb f TeneiifFe is one $ f foeGariaiy illfod&, tod fobjêët
to ^ King o f Spife. It liesbetweeft twCntyroight andtwènty-fon©
Degrees north latitude, and between feventeesa tod eighteen degrees
welt' longitude. It is“ about fifty miles in length, tv^nty-fivri in
bieadth, and one hundred and fifty in riteümfêrenee. Though it .is
the feeand in point o f precedence, it is theirfofi?t«tódÉ#fe^rith
reïpfeéfc to extent, riches, tend commerce. T h e piforipdpiadè fo this
ifland is foeksity d f Laguna, and is the rofideneg *öf fog Gbyemoi-I
bUt as we did hot ü fit it, I lhall confiftë m yfeif to the defeription « f
Santa Cruz,-before which We ta fw toribor.
This town lies on the noifo-eaft fide o f foe ill and, and has to haven
for Slipping j the beft anchorage not being more than half a mile from
Ihore, and Very deep, with a rocky bottom. The fhore is -feofil and
fteep, with the peak, which renders this illand fo famous, rififtg beyond
it to foe clouds.
Santa Cruz fe about three quarters o f a mile in length, afid half a
mile in breadth: foe houfes are ftrongly built o f ftone;- and in fob
fame fafhion as thofe o f Madeira. It has Teveral neat churches, two
o f which being decorated With large, fqnajTO, tod! fofty foWfcrs,
add much to the -effedt o f the town from the bay. Th e re is One
pretty gooftftreet, and not inconVtoitotly pavedT böt foe reft tofwèr
to nb other charaéler-than that o f dirfy lanes. There are two forts-
at foe eaftem and weftem end o f the town which command the hay.
There are but few troops in this or any o f its lifter Hlands, and they
are equally deficient in cloathing, equipment, and; difoipliae. Thé
militia is numerous, but never embodied, at called forth, except Oft
very particular emergencies. The town, though by no means large,
is very populous: the inhabitants are chiefly Spanilh, and fttffer all foe
difadvantageg
179*.
(- I I )
tfifadvanteges that arife from fo© pfjis^£#bial pride and fodofeflce o f
forir .daarariseï: for, > npfcWifofltodmg the abundant fertility o f this TöïFobeiv
ifland, . which yields foe greateft plenty to foo fmaHeft exertionsigthe m
general appearance o f foe people moft^eyidently betray their poverty
an d wretchednefs. , Thereis another'fori; to the weft of Santa CfUz,
eft a-very elevated point,, which appears to be built with great ftrength,
and .commands a part of fog-bgy, |
: The climate o£ thi§> iflanfois, warm, todv.-ilfoe thatk o f Madeira,
not fobjeét to change. Duribg our;dinyi .here,, the thermometer- flood
in foe lhadfi, f r e ^ rigfoy deg tes , varying, a little^ on boatd
the ffaip. The CSovcatook rpfides: .chiefly at the ifiand .diftinguisfhed by
foe name o f foe Grand Casaary1, about twelve or fifteen‘ leagues diftanl
from Tenerife.
§ir Getsrge and Mr. Staunton, with foe D ofoorsGfilan, Dinwid- Wednef-
dSe, tod hfot, Mefleurs Maxwell, Barrow, and Alexander, together day *+‘
with Colonel Benfon, having' formed a plan to vilit the peak j they
let Out at eight o’clock in the morning o f this day, from foe hotel at
Santa Cruz, with' every proper aid. and provifion to- carry .the defign
into execution. The.thermometer foen ftood at feventy-fbven degrees.
They proceeded on mules, and' under the direction o f guides hired
far the purpöfe, with; little or no interruption, till they had ad*
vanned abjptft e^at mfteg up foe mountain, . When the air became fo
cold, that .every ewe was glad to make feme additiort to his cloathing;
at foe fame,’time the thermometer had fallen upwards o f twenty degrees*
Hero the party added fome very neceflary refrelhment tó -foe change
in, their .dtefs,* and then prodeeddd on their joutney .till they arrived
at th o fao t. o f the peak,, which was entirely covered with fiiow,
fix feet in depth ; but difocifttiesi eye^ foomeftt e^fotred to impede
foeir progrefs ;. Sir Geprge Staunton had been thrownrfrom.his mule
at augment o f great danger ; foe animal on whwfc..P0 0 PE Gillan
node jg had fallen wifoJfoicfei to^ h j # deromrined, from
foe awful appearance .of the journey before foemr, the- exhaufted-condition
o f the party, and the late- hour o f the eyeniog, to pafsr foe night
C 2 on