Tfenetffö. of The year, late in October, was, indeed, unfavourable
to such an undertaking. The cold, in the mountains,
at this season, was described by the natives, ill the
neighbourhood, to be intolerable <; and snow and hail
now fell frequently with such suddenness and violence,
as to overwhelm those who were exposed to them, Still,
however, the.ascent was hot declared to be-impossible.
If the two succeeding days, at the expiration of which,
it was necessary to join the ships at Santa CruE,-should
luckily prove fair, and the weather Calm, the object, it
was hoped, might be attained. The opportunity, to the
same persons, would not probably rechr ;• andthdy determined
to try their chance: deeming the progress they
might make, however inconsiderable f t should prove,
towards, the summit of the mountain, a gratification superior
to what any other excursion-OSuM1 afford.
The morning o f the twenty-third of October was serene,
and promised a good day. Fahrenheit» thenrnor
meter, near the sea side, was at seventy-six degrees in
the shade. The huge cone of thé Peak, towering abive
a bed of fleecy clouds, seemed to overhang Alle city
of Orotava, tho at the distance of several miles. The
party set out, about noon, and proceeded for some,time
th rough a pleasant vale,.mostly covered with vineyards,
which produce a sweet and agreeable wine: > they soon
began to ascend the mountain, along the'sloping side of
a deep valley, almost entirely covered with a grove of
forgé Ghesnmt troes.. O'iaj theedge of the mountain were
thinly shattered: a few selitary te s » parity,' hid in. the'
thick shrubbery which surrounded them.. After passing
the valley of ehesnub femi-thte partypresently arrived
the summit of the first, called, the Qjseen, mountain^
on which there wasiahëveJt p t o of esnsriderafelo extent,
covered with heith growing several. feét high,, and in- -
^rspersed with' myrtles, laurel* and shrub
(vbceihium), all in gieat l u x w i a n c o m
was attempt«® ithdreiby m a»i nor indeed, thMeabont^
any human habifcatiezn ft
At the termination @£ this;plain ;eenï3®é»?8dca second
mountain ve ry cbfferent, inappearmce^&Qffi:' Ghofac-
mer:. Its -steep sides were emggy;and;barreni- The road
lay along a dangerous; ascent- on the brink of precipices.
Litsdtó^erduce appeareéjbut-whafi was afforded. hyA®
Spanishbroom and cytwu^, whiehc seemed to thrjvoin
the rocky iSiirfaG^ of vlftva with"whfefe this mo&ntasPt
wèi "almost-cqVeye4 A few prnëltaseb W^O-thiidyfsc$$
teöd' on its sides; > Several wild goató-wiélfé.- fownd; tfoesg?
abouts, being the only quadruped observed toi dwell
upon those mountains.
The party «mtóojiöl
paths, depending chiefly'for their safest' on the? surer
fbotedness oftheif-mules,tijd Aeyasriv&diSfea watering
place in the hollow of-a hug®:w p fe i u m f c i the, shad® qf
a solitary pine. 1 Notwithstanding the realand apparent