TRAVELS AND RESEARCHES OF BARON HUMBOLDT. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHIERS, PUBLISHER 329 & 331 PEARL STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1869. THE TRAVELS AND RESEARCHES OF ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLDT; BEING A CONDENSED NARRATI7E OF HIS JOURNEYS IN TH1 EQUINOCTIAL REGIONS OF AMERICA, AND IN ASIATIC RUSSIA: —TOGETHER WITH ANALYSES OF HIS MORE IMPORTANT INVESTIGATIONS. BY W. MACGILLIVRAY, A.M., Conslvator of the Museums of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Member ao the Natural History Societies of Edinburgh and Philadelphia, &c. VITH A MAP OF THE ORINOCO, AND RNORAVINGS, NE W YORK. HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, 329 & 331 PEARL STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE. 1869. PREFACE. THE celebrity which Baron Humboldt enjoys, and which he has earned by a life of laborious investiga. tion and perilous enterprise, renders his name familiar to every person whose attention has been drawn to political statistics or natural philosophy. In the estimation of the learned no author of the present day occupies a higher place among those who have enlarged the boundaries of human knowledge. To every one, accordingly, whose aim is the general cultivation of the mental faculties, his works are recommended by the splendid pictures of scenery which they contain, the diversified information which they afford respecting objects of universal interest, and the graceful attractions with which he has succeeded in investing the majesty of science. These considerations have induced the publishers to offer a condensed account of his Travels and Researches, such as, without excluding subjects even of laboured investigation, might yet chiefly embrace those which are best suited to the purposes of the general reader. The public taste has of late years gradually inclined towards objects of useful know. ledge,-works of imagination have in a great mea 6 PREFACE. sure given place to those occupied with descriptions of nature, physical or moral,-and the phenomena of the material world now afford entertainment te many who in former times would have sought for it at a different source. Romantic incidents, perilous adventures, the struggles of conflicting armies, and vivid delineations of national manners and individual character, naturally excite a lively interest in every bosom, whatever may be the age or sex; but, surely, the great facts of creative power and wisdom, as exhibited in regions of the globe of which they have no personal knowledge, are not less calculated to fix the attention of all reflecting minds. The magnificent vegetation of the tropical regions, displaying forests of gigantic trees, interspersed with the varied foliage of innumerable shrubs, and adorned with festoons of climbing and odoriferous plants; the elevated table-lands of the Andes, crowned by volcanic cones whose summits shoot high into the region of perennial snow; the earthquakes that have desolated populous and fertile countries; the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, with its circling currents; and the varied aspect of the heavens in those distant lands,-are subjects suited to the taste of every individual who is capable of contemplating the wonderful machinery of the universe. It is unnecessary here to present an analysis of the labours of the illustrious philosopher whose footsteps are traced in this volume. Suffice it to observe, that some notices respecting his early life introduce the reader to an acquaintance with his character and motives, as the adventurous traveller, who, crossing PREFACE 7 the Atlantic, traversed the ridges and plains of Venezuela, ascended the Orinoco to its junction with the Amazon, sailed down the former river to the capital )f Guiana, and after examining the island of Cuba, nounted by the valley of the Magdalena to the elerated platforms of the Andes, explored the majestic solitudes of the great cordilleras of Quito, navigated the margin of the Pacific Ocean, and wandered over the extensive and interesting provinces of NewSpain, whence he made his way back by the United States to Europe. The publication of the important results of this journey was not completed when he undertook another to Asiatic Russia and the confines of China, from which he has but lately returned. From the various works which he has given to the world have been derived the chief materials of this narrative; and, when additional particulars were wanted, application was made to M. de Humboldt himself, who kindly pointed out the sources whence the desired information might be obtained. The life of a man of letters, he justly observed, ought to be sought for in his books; and for this reason little has been said respecting his occupations during the intervals of repose which have succeeded his perilous journeys. It is only necessary further to apprize the reader, that the several measurements, the indications of the thermometer, and the value of articles of industry or commerce, which in the original volumes are expressed according to French, Spanish, and Russian usage, have been reduced to English equivalents. 8 PREFACE. Finally, the publishers, confident that this abridged account of the travels of Humboldt will prove beneficial in diffusing a knowledge of the researches of that eminent naturalist, and in leading to the study of those phenomena which present themselves daily to the eye, send it forth with a hope that its reception will be as favourable and extensive as that bestowed upon its predecessors. EDINBURGH, October, 1832. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION. Birth and Education of Humboldt-His early Occupations-He resolve* to visit Africa-Is disappointed in his Views, and goes to Madrid, where he is introduced to the King, and obtains Permission to visit the Spanish Colonies-Observations made on the Journey througk Spain-Geological Constitution of the Country between Madrid an Corunna-Climate-Ancient Submersion of the Shores of the Mediterranean-Reception at Corunna, and Preparations for the Voyage to South America............................... Page 15 CHAPTER II. VOYAGE FROM CORUNNA TO TENERIFFE. Departure from Corunna-Currents of the Atlantic Ocean-Marine Animals-Falling Stars-Swallows-Canary Islands-Lancerota-Fucus vitifolius-Causes of the Green Colour of Plants-La GraciosaStratified Basalt alternating with Marl-Hyalite-Quartz SandRemarks on the Distance at which Mountains are visible at Sea, and the Causes by which it is modified- Landing at Tenerifie......... 22 CHAtTER III. ISLAND OF TENERIFFE. Santa Cruz-Villa de la Laguna —Guanches-Present Inhabitants of Teneriffe-Climate-Scenery of the Coast-Orotava-Dragon-treeAscent of the Peak-Its Geological Character-Eruptions-Zones of Vegetation-Fires of St. Joh.................................. 35 CHAPTER IV. PASSAGE FROM TENERIFFE TO CUMANA. Departure from Santa Cruz-Floating Seaweeds-Flying-fish-StarsMalignant Fever-Island of Tobago-Death of a Passenger-Island of Coche-Port of Cumana-Observations made during the Voyage; Temperature of the Air; Temperature of the Sea; Hygrometrical State of the Air; Colour of the Sky and Ocean.................. 4 B 10 CONTENTS, CHAPTER V. CUMANA. Landing at Cumana-Introduction to the Governor-State of the SickDescription of the Country and City of Cumana-Mode of Bathing in the Manzanares-Port of Cumana-Earthquakes; Their Periodicity; Connexion with the State of the Atmosphere; Gaseous Emanations; Subterranean Noises; Propagation of Shocks; Connexion between those of Cumana and the West Indies, and general Phenomena... 59 CHAPTER VI. RESIDENCE AT CUMANA. Lunar Halo-African Slaves-Excursion to the Peninsula of Araya -- Geological Constitution of the Country-Salt-works of Araya-Indians and Mulattoes-Pearl-fishery —Maniquarez-Mexican Deer —Spring of Naphtha..................................................66 CHAPTER VII. MISSIONS OF THE CHAYMAS. Excursion to the Missions of the Chayma Indians-Remarks oR Cultivation-The Impossible-Aspect of the Vegetation-San FernandoAccount of a Man who suckled a Child-Cumanacoa-Cultivation of Tobacco-Igneous Exhalations-Jaguars-Mountain of CocollarTurimiquiri-Missions of San Antonio and Guanaguana.......... 73 CHAPTER VIII. EXCURSION CONTINUED, AND RETURN TO CUMANA. Convent ofCaripe-Cave of Guacharo, inhabited by Nocturnal BirdsPurgatory-Forest Scenery-HowlingMonkeys-Vera Cruz-Cariaco -Intermittent Fevers —Cocoa-trees-Passage across the Gulf of Cariaco to Cumana.............................................. 86 CHAPTER IX. INDIANS OF NEW-ANDALUSIA. Physical Constitution and Manners of the Chaymas-Their Languages -American Races....................................... CHAPTER X. RESIDENCE AT CUMANA. Reslcernte at Cumana-Attack of a Zambo-Eclipse of the SunExtraordinary Atmospherical Phenomena-Shocks of an Earthquake -Luminous Meteors............................ 104 CONTENT'r 11 CHAPTER XI. VOYAGE FROM CUMANA TO GUAYRA. Passage from Cumana to La Guayra-Phosphorescence of the SeaGroupof the Caraccas and Chimanas-Port of New-Barcelona-La Guayra-Yellow Fever —Coast and Cape Blanco - Road from La Guayra to Caraccas................................. 110 CHAPTER XIL CITY OF CARACCAS AND SURROUNDING DISTRICT. City of Caraccas-General View of Venezuela-Population-ClimateCharacter of the Inhabitants of Caraccas-Ascent of the Silla-Geological Nature of the District, and the Mines................... 123 CHAPTER XIII. EARTHQUAKES OF CARACCAS. Extensive Connexion of Earthquakes-Eruption of the Volcano of St. Vincent's-Earthquake of the 26th March, 1812-Destruction of the City-Ten Thousand of the Inhabitants killed-Consternation of the Survivors-Extent of the Commotions......................... 135 CHAPTER XIV. JOURNEY FROM CARACCAS TO THE LAKE OF VALENCIA. Departure from Caraccas-La Buenavista-Valleys of San Pedro and the Tuy-Manterola-Zamang-tree-Valleys of Aragua-Lake of Valencia -Diminution of its Waters-Hot Springs-Jaguar-New-ValenciaThermal Waters of La Trinchera-Porto Cabello-Cow-tree-Cocoaplantations-General View of the Littoral District of Venezuela.. 142 CHAPTER XV. JOURNEY ACROSS THE LLANOS FROM ARAGUA TO SAN FERNANDO. Mountains between the Valleys of Aragua and the Llanos-Their Geologi cal Constitution-The Llanos of Caraccas-Route ovtr the Savanna to the Rio Apure-Cattle and Deer-Vegetation-Calabozo-Gymnoti or Electric Eels-Indian Girl-Alligators and Boas-Arrival at San Fernando de Apure.......................................... 160 CHAPTER XVL VOYAGE DOWN THE RIO APURE San Fernando-Commencement of the Rainy Season-Progress of Atmospherical Phenomena-Cetaceous Animals-Voyage down the Rio Apure-Vegetation and Wild Animals-Crocodiles, Chiguires, and 2 CONTENTS. Jaguars-Don Ignacio and Donna Isabella-Water-fowl-Nocturnal Howlings in the Forest-Caribe-fish-Adventure with a Jaguar-Manatees-Mouth of the Rio Apure............................. 174 CHAPTER XVII. VOYAGE UP THE ORINOCO. Ascent of the Orinoco-Port of Encaramada-Traditions of a universal Deluge-Gathering of Turtles' Eggs-Two Species described-Mode of collecting the Eggs and of manufacturing the Oil-Probable Number of these Animals on the Orinoco-Decorations of the IndiansEncampment of Pararuma-Height of the Inuldations ef the Orinoco-Rapids of Tabage................................. 189 CHAPTER XVIII. VOYAGE UP THE ORINOCO CONTINUED. Mission of Atures —Epidemic Fevers-Black Crust of Granitic RocksCauses of Depopulation of the Missions-Falls of Apures-SceneryAnecdote of a Jaguar-Domestic Animals-Wild Man of the Woods -Mosquitoes and other poisonous Insects-Mission and Cataracts of Maypures-Scenery-Inhabitants-Splce-trees-San Fernando deAtabipo-San Baltasar-The' Mother's Rock-Vegetation-DolphinsSan Antonio de Javita-Indians-Elastic Gum-Serpents-Portage of the Pimichin-Arrival at the Rio Negro, a Branch of the AmazonAscent of the Casiquiare............................. —. 206 CHAPTER XIX. ROUTE FROM ESMERALDA TO ANGOSTURA. Mission of Esmeralda-Curare Poison -Indians - Duida MountainDescent of the Orinoco-Cave of Ataruipe-Raudalito of CarucariMission of Uruana-Character of the Otomacs-Clay eaten by the Natives-Arrival at Angostura-The Travellers attacked by Fever-Ferocity of the Crocodiles....................................... 234 CHAPTER XX. JOURNEY ACROSS THE LLANOS TO NEW-BARCELONA. Departure from Angostura-Village of Cari-Natives-New-BarcelonaHot Springs-Crocodiles-Passage to Cumana.................. 248 CHAPTER XXI. PASSAGE TO HAVANA, AND RESIDEKCE IN CUBA. Passage from New-Barcelona ti Havana-Description of the latter-Ex tent of Cuba-Geological Constitution —Vegetation-Climate-Popult CONTENTS. 13 tlon-Agriculture- Exports-Preparations forjoining Captain Baudin's Expedition-Journey to Batabano, and Voyage to Trinidad de Cuba 2.5 CHAPTER XXII. VOYAGE FROM CUBA TO CARTHAGENA. Passage from Trinidad of Cuba to Carthagena-Description of the latter -Village of Turbaco-Air-volcanoes —Preparations for ascending the Rio Magdalena....................................... 266 CHAPTER XXIII. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF TIE JOURNEY FROM CARTHAGENA TO QUITO AND MEXICO. Ascent of the Rio Magdalena-Santa Fe de Bogota-Cataract of Tequendama-Natural Bridges of Icononzo-Passage of Quindiu-Cargueros -Popayan-Quito-Cotopaxi and Chimborazo-Route from Quito to Lima-Guayaquil-Mexico-Guanaxuato-Volcano of Jorullo-Pyramid ofCholula................................................ 279 CHAPTER XXIV. DESCRIPTION OF NEW-SPAIN OR MEXICO. General Description of New-Spain or Mexico-Cordilleras-Climates -Mines-Rivers-Lakes-Soil-Volcanoes —Harbours-PopulationProvinces-Valley of Mexico, and Description of the Capital-Inundations, and Works undertaken for the Purpose of preventing them.. 297 CHAPTER XXV. STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF NEW-SPAIN CONTINUED. Agriculture of Mexico-Banana, Manioc, and Maize-Cereal Plants — Nutritive Roots and Vegetables-Agave Americana-Colonial Commodities-Cattle, and Animal Productions...................... 325 CHAPTER XXVI. MINES OF NEW-SPAIN. Mining Districts-Metalliferous Veins and Beds-Geological Relations of the Ores-Produce of the Mines-Recapitulation............. 338 CHAPTER XXVII. PASSAGE FROM VERA CRUZ TO CUBA AND PHILADELPHIA, AND VOYAGE TO EUROPE. Departure from Mexico-Passage to Havana and Philadelphia-Return to Europe-Results of the Journeys in America................. 347 14 CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXVIIL JOURNEY TO ASIA. Brief Account of Ilumboldt's Journey to Asia, with a Sketch of the orn great Chains of Mountains which intersect the central Part of that Continent.................................................... 353 ENGRAVINGS. VIoNrTTE-Basaltic Rocks and Cascade of Regla. Dragon-tree of Orotava.................................... Page 42 Humboldt's Route on the Orinoco.............................. 112 Jaguar, or American Tiger................................... 183 Air-volcanoes of Turbaco............................. S74 Costumes of the Indians of Mechoacan....................... M9 THE TRAVELS AND RESEARCHES OF BARON HUMBOLDT. CHAPTER I. Introduction. Birth and Education of Humboldt-His early Occupations-He resolves to visit Africa-Is disappointed in h.s Views, and goes to Madrid, where he is introduced to the King, and obtains Permission to visit the Spanish Colonies-Observations made on the Journey througL Spain-Geological Constitution of the Country between Madrid and Corunna-Climate-Ancient Submersion of the Shores of the Mediterranean-Reception at Corunna, and Preparations for the Voyage to South America. WITH the name of Humboldt we associate all that is interesting in the physical sciences. No traveller who has visited remote regions of the globe, for the purpose of observing the varied phenomena of nature, has added so much to our stock of positive knowledge. While the navigator has explored the coasts of unknown lands, discovered islands and shores, marked the depths of the sea, estimated the force of currents, and noted the more obvious traits in the aspect of the countries at which he has touched; while the zoologist has investigated the multiplied forms of animal life, the botanist the diversified vegetation, the geologist the structure and 16 INTRODUCTGRY REMARKS. relations of the rocky masses of which the exterior of the earth is composed; and while each has thus contributed to the illustration of the wonderful constitution of our planet, the. distinguished traveller whose discoveries form the subject of this volume stands alone as uniting in himself a knowledge of all these sciences. Geography, meteorology, magnetism, the distribution of heat, the various departments of natural history, together with the affinities of races and languages, the history of nations, the political constitution of countries, statistics, commerce, and agriculture,-all have received accumulated and valuable additions from the exercise of his rare talents. The narrative of no traveller, therefore, could be more interesting to the man of varied information. But as from a work like that of which the present volume constitutes a part subjects strictly scientific must be excluded, unless when they can be treated in a manner intelligible to the public at large, it may here be stated, that many of the investigations of which we present the results must be traced in the voluminous works which the author himself has published. At the same time enough will be given to gratify the scientific reader; and while the narrative of personal adventure, the diversified phenomena of the physical world, the condition of societies, and the numerous other subjects discussed, will afford amusement and instruction, let it be remembered that truths faithfully extracted from the book of nature are alone calculated to enlarge the sphere of mental vision; and that, while fanciful description is more apt to mislead than to direct the footsteps of the student, there is reflected from the actual examination of the material universe a light which never fails to conduct the mind at once to sure knowledge and to pious sentiment. Frederick Henry Alexander Von Humboldt was born at Berlin, on the 14th of September, 1769. He received his academic education at Gottingen and I;IRTH AND EDUCATION OF HUMBOLDT. 17 Frankfort on the Oder. In 1790 he visited Holland and England in company with Messrs. George Forster and Van Geuns, and in the same year published his first work, entitled " Observations on the.Basalts of the Rhine." In 1791 he went to Freyberg to receive the instructions of the celebrated Werner, the founder of geological science. The results of some of his observations in the mines of that district were published in 1793, under the title of Specimen Flora Fribergensis Subterraneae. Having been appointed assessor of the Council of Mines at Berlin in 1792, and afterward directorgeneral of the mines of the principalities of Bareith and Anspach in Franconia, he directed his efforts to the formation of public establishments in these districts; but in 1795 he resigned his office with the view of travelling, and visited part of Italy. His active and comprehensive mind engaged in the study of all the physical sciences; but the discoveries of Galvani seem at this-period to have more particularly attracted his attention. The results of his experiments on animal electricity were published in 1796, with notes by Professor Blumenbach. In 1795 he had gone to Vienna, where he remained some time, ardently engaged in the study of a fine collection of exotic plants in that city. He travelled through several cantons of Salzburg and Styria with the celebrated Von Buch, but was prevented by the war which then raged in Italy from extending his journey to that country, whither he was anxious to proceed for the purpose of examining the volcanic districts of Naples and Sicily. Accompanied by his brothe.William Von Humboldt and Mr. Fischer, he ther visited Paris, where he formed an acquaintance with M. Aime Bonpland, a pupil of the School of Medicine and Garden of Plants, who, afterward becoming his associate in travel, has greatly distinguished himself by his numerous discoveries in botany. Humboldt, from his earliest youth, had cherished 18 JOURNEY TO SPAIN. an ardent desire to travel into distant regions little known to Europeans; and having at the age of eighteen resolved to visit the New Continent, he prepared himself by examining some of the most interesting parts of Europe, that he might be enabled to compare the geological structure of these two portions of the globe, and acquire a practical acquaintance with the instruments best adapted for aiding him in his observations. Fortunate in possessing ample pecuniary resources, he did not experience the privations which have disconcerted the plans and retarded the progress of many eminen' individuals; but, not the less subject to unforeseen vicissitudes, he had to undergo several disappointments that thwarted the schemes which, like all men of ardent mind, he had indulged himself in forming. Meeting with a person passionately fond of the fine arts, and anxious to visit Upper Egypt, he resolved to accompany him to that interesting country; but political events interfered, and forced him to abandon the project. The knowledge of the monuments of the more ancient nations of the Old World, which he acquired at this period, was subsequently of great use to him in his researches in the New Continent. An expedition of discovery to the southern hemisphere, under the direction of Captain Baudin, then preparing in France, and with which MM. Michaux and Bonpland were to be associated as naturalists, held out to him the hope of gratifying his desire of exploring unknown regions. But the war which broke out in Germany and Italy compelled the government to withdraw the funds allotted to this enterprise. Becoming acquainted with a Swedish consul who happened to pass through Paris, with the view of embarking at Marseilles on a mission to Algiers, he resolved to embrace the opportunity thus offered of visiting Africa, in order to examine the lofty chain of mountains in the empire of Morocco, and ultimately to join the body of 9EOLOGY AND CLIMATE OF SPAIN. 1'9 scientific men attached to the French army in Egypt. Accompanied by his friend Bonpland, he therefore Retook himself to Marseilles, where he waited for two months the arrival of the frigate which was to convey the consul to his destination. At length. learning that this vessel had been injured by a storm, he resolved to pass the winter in Spain, in hopes of finding another the following spring. On his way to Madrid, he determined the geographical position of several important parts, and ascertained the height of the central plain of Castile. In March, 1799, he was presented at the court of Aranjuez, and graciously received by the king, to whom he explained the motives which induced him to undertake a voyage to the New Continent. Be-.ag seconded in his application by the representations of an enlightened minister, Don Mariano Luls de Urquijo, he to his great joy obtained leave to visit and explore, without impediment or restriction, all the Spanish territories in America. The impatience of the travellers to take advantage of the permission thus granted did not allow them to bestow much time upon preparations; and about the middle of May they left Madrid, crossed part of Old Castile, Leon, and Galicia, and betook themselves to Corunna, whence they were to sail for the island of Cuba. According to the observations made by our travellers, the interior of Spain consists of an elevated table-land, formed of secondary deposites,-sandstone, gypsum, rock-salt, and Jura limestone. The climate of the Castiles is much colder than that of Toulon and Genoa, its mean temperature scarcely rising to 59~ of Fahrenheit's thermometer. The central plain is surrounded by a low and narrow belt, in several parts of Which the fan-palm, the date, tho sugar-cane, the banana, and many plants common t,Spain and the north of Africa vegetate, without suf fering from the severity of the winter. In the spaw-, 20 ARRIVAL AT CORUNNA. included between the parallels of thirty-six and forty degrees of north latitude the mean temperature ranges from 62 6~ to 68 2~ Fahrenheit, and by a concurrence of favourable circumstances this section has become the principal seat of industry and intel. lectual cultivation. Ascending from the shores of the Mediterranean, towards the elevated plains of La Mancha and the Castiles, one imagines that he sees far inland, in the extended precipices, the ancient coast of the Peninsula; a circumstance which brings to mind the traditions of the Samothracians and certain historical testimonies, according to which the bursting of the waters through the Dardanelles, while it enlarged the basin of the Mediterranean, overwhelmed the southern part of Europe. The high central plain just described would, it may be presumed, resist the effects of the inundation until the escape of the waters by the strait formed between the Pillars of Hercules, had gradually lowered the level of the Mediterranean, and thereby once more laid bare Upper Egypt on the one hand, and on the other, the fertile valleys of Tarragon, Valentia, and Murcia. From Astorga to Corunna the mountains gradually rise, the secondary strata disappear by degrees, and the transition rocks which succeed announce the proximity of primitive formations. Large mountains of graywacke and graywacke-slate present themselves. In the vicinity of the latter town are granitic summits which extend to Cape Ortegal, and whick might seem, with those of Brittany and Cornwall, to have once formed a chain of mountains that has been broken up and submersed. This rock is characterized by large and beautiful crystals of felspar, and contains tin-ore, which is worked with much labour and little profit by the Galicians. On arriving at Corunna, they found the port blockade d by the English, for the purpose of interrupting the communication between the mother-country TEMPERATURE QF THE SEA. 21 and the American colonies. The principal secretary of state had recommended them to Don Rafael Clavigo, recently appointed director-general of the maritime posts, who neglected nothing that could render their residence agreeable, and advised them to embark on board the corvette Pizarro bound for Havana and Mexico. Instructions were given for the safe disposal of the instruments, and the captain was ordered to stop at Teneriffe so long as should be found necessary to enable the travellers to visit the port of Orotava and ascend the Peak. During the few days of their detention, they occupied themselves in preparing the plants which they had collected and in making sundry observations. Crossing to Ferrol they made some interesting experiments on the temperature of the sea and the decrease of heat in thee successive strata of the water. The thermometer on the bank and near it was from 54~ to 55'9~, while in deep water it stood at 59~ or 59'5~, the air being 55~. The fact that the proximity of a sand-bank is indicated by a rapid descent of the temperature of the sea at its surface is of great importance for the safety of navigators; for, although the use of the thermometer ought not to supersede that of the lead, variations of temperature indicative of danger may be perceived by it long before the vessel reaches the shoal. A heavy swell from the north-west rendered it impossible to continue their experiments. It was produced by a storm at sea, and obliged the English vessels to retire from the coast,-a circumstance which induced our travy ellers speedily to embark their instruments and baggage, although they were prevented from sailing by a high westerlywind, that continued for several days DEPARTURE FROM CORUNNA. CHAPTER II. Voyage from Corunna to Teneriffe. Departme from Corunna-Currents of the Atlantic Ocean-Marine Ant mals- fFaling Stars-Swallows-Canary Islands-Lancerota-Fucus vitifolius-Causes of the Green Colour of Plants-La GraciosaStratified Basalt alternating with Marl-Hyalite-Quartz SandRemarks on the Distance at which Mountains are visible at Sea, and the Causes by which it is modified-Landing at Teneriffe. THE wind having come round to the north-east, the Pizarro set sail on the afternoon of the 5th of June, 1799, and after working out of the narrow passage passed the Tower of Hercules, or lighthouse of Corunna, at half-past six. Towards evening the wind increased, and the sea ran high. They directed their course to the north-west, for the purpose of avoiding the English frigates which were cruising off the coast, and about nine spied the fire of a fishing-hut at Lisarga, which was the last object they beheld in the west of Europe. As they advanced, the light mingled itself with the stars which rose on the horizon. "Our eyes," says Humboldt, "remained involuntarily fixed upon it. Such impressions do not fade from the memory of those who have undertaken long voyages at an age when the emotions of the heart are in full force. How many recollections are awakened in the imagination by a luminous point which in the middle of a dark night, appearing at intervals above the agitated waves, marks the shore of one's native land!" They were obliged to run under courses, and proceeded at the rate of ten knots, although the vessel was not a fast sailer. At six in the morning she rolled so much that the fore topgallant-mast was carried away. On the 7th they were in the latitude EQUINOCTIAL CURRENT. 23 of Cape Finisterre, the group of granitic rocks on which, named the Sierra de Torinona, is visible at sea to the distance of 59 miles. On the 8th, at sunset, they discovered from the mast-head an English convoy; and to avoid them they altered their course during the night. On the 9th they began to feel the effects of the great current which flows from the Azores towards the Straits of Gibraltar and the Canaries. Its direction was at first east-by-south; but nearer the inlet it became due east, and its force was such as, between 37~ and 30~ lat., sometimes to carry the vessel in twenty-four hours from 21 to 30 miles eastward. Between the tropics, especially from the coast of Senegal to the Caribbean Sea, there is a stream that always flows from east to west, and which is named the Equinoctial Current. Its mean rapidity may be estimated at ten or eleven miles in twenty-four hours. This movement of the waters, which is also observed in the Pacific Ocean, having a direction contrary to that of the earth's rotation, is supposed to be connected with the latter only in so far as it changes into trade-winds those aerial currents from the poles, which, in the lower regions of the atmosphere, carry the cold air of the high latitudes towards the equator; and it is to the general impulse which these winds give to the surface of the ocean that the phenomenon in question is to be attributed. This current carries the waters of the Atlantic towards the Mosquito and Honduras coasts, from which they move northwards, and. passing into the Gulf of Mexico follow the bendings of the shore from Vera Cruz to the mouth of the Rio del Norte, and from thence to the mouths of the Mississippi and the shoals at the southern extremity of Florida. After performing this circuit, it again directs itself northward, rushing with great impetuosity through the Straits of Bahama. At the end of these narrows, in the parallel of Cape Canaveral, the flow, 24 GULF-STREAM. which rushes onward like a torrent, sometimes at the rate of five miles an hour, runs to the north-east. Its velocity diminishes and its breadth enlarges as it proceeds northward. Between Cape Biscayo and the Bank of Bahama the width is only 52 miles, while in 281~ of lat. it is 59; and in the parallel of Charleston, opposite Cape Henlopen, it is from 138 to 173 miles, the rapidity being from three to five miles an hour where the stream is narrow, and only one mile as it advances towards the north. To the east of Boston and in the meridian of Halifax the current is nearly 276 miles broad. Here it suddenly turns towards the east; its western margin touching the extremity of the great bank of Newfoundland. From this to the Azores it continues to flow to the E. and E.S.E., still retaining part of the impulse which it had received nearly 1150 miles distant in the Straits of Florida. In the meridian of the Isles of Corvo and Flores, the most western of the Azores, it is not less than 552 miles in breadth. From the Azores it directs itself towards the Straits of Gibraltar, the island of Madeira, and the Canary Isles. To the south of Madeira we can distinctly follow its motion to the S.E. and S.S.E., bearing on the shores of Africa, between Capes Cantin and Bojador. Cape Blanco, which, next to Cape Verd, farther to the south, is the most prominent part of that coast, seems again to influence the direction of the stream; and in this parallel it mixes with the great equinoctial current as already described. In this manner the waters of the Atlantic, between the parallels of 11~ and 43~, are carried round in a continual whirlpool, which Humboldt calculates must take two years and ten months to perform its circuit of 13,118 miles. This great current is named the Gulf-stream. Off the coast of Newfoundland a branch separates from it, and runs from S.W. tc N.E. towards the coasts of Europe. From Corunna to 36~ of latitude, our travellers had MARINE; ANIMALS-MEDUSXE. 25 scarcely seen any other animals than terns (or seaswallows) and a few dolphins; but on the 11th June they entered a zone in which the whole sea was covered with a prodigious quantity of medusae.'ine vessel was almost becalmed; but the molusca advanced towards the south-east with a rapidity equal to four times that of the current, and continued to pass nearly three-quarters of an hour, after which only a few scattered individuals were seen. Among these animals they recognised the Medusa aurita of Baster, the M. pelagica of Bosc, and a third approach ing in its characters to the M. hysocella, which is dis: tinguished by its yellowish-brown colour, and by having its tentacula longer than the body. Several of them were four inches in diameter, and the bright reflection from their bodies contrasted pleasantly with the azure tint of the sea. On the morning of the 13th June, in lat. 34~ 33', they observed large quantities of the Dagysa notata, of which several had been seen among the medusme, and which consist of little transparent gelatinous sacs, extending to 14 lines, with a diameter of 2 or 3, and open at both ends. These cylinders are longitudinally agglutinated like the cells of a honeycomb, and form strings from six to eight inches in length. They observed, after it became dark, that none of the three species of medusa which they had collected emitted light unless they were slightly shaken. When a very irritable individual is placed on a tin plate, and the latter is struck with a piece of metal, the vibrations of the tin are sufficient to make the animal shine. Sometimes, on galvanizing medusee, the phosphorescence appears at the moment when the chain closes, although the exciters are not in direct contact with the body of the subject. The fingers, after touching it, remain luminous for two or three minutes. Wood, on being rubbed with a medusa, becomes luminous, and after the phosphorescence has ceased, it may be rekindled by passing C 26 FALLING STARS. the dry hand over it; but when the light is a second time extinguished it cannot be reproduced. Between the island of Madeira and the coast of Africa they were struck by the prodigious quantity of falling stars, which continued to increase as they advanced southward. These meteors, Humboldt remarks, are more common and more luminous in certain regions of the earth than in others. He has nowhere seen them more frequent than in the vicinity of the volcanoes of Quito and in that part of the South Sea which washes the shores of Guatimala. According to the observations of Benzenberg and Brandes, many falling stars noticed in Europe were only 63,950 yards, or a little more than 36 miles high; and one was measured, the elevation of which did not exceed 29,843 yards, or about 17 miles. In warm climates, and especially between the tropics, they often leave behind them a train which remains luminous for twelve or fifteen seconds. At other times they seem to burst, and separate into a number of sparks. They are generally much lower than in the north of Europe. These meteors can be observed only when the sky is clear; and perhaps none has ever been seen beneath a cloud. According to the observations ofM. Arago, they usu. ally follow the same course for several hours; and in this case their direction is that of the wind. When the voyagers were 138 miles to the east of Madeira, a common swallow (Hirundo rustica) perched on the topsail-yard, and was caught. What could induce a bird, asks our traveller, to fly so far at this season, and in calm weather l In the expedition of Entrecasteaux, a swallow was also seen at the distance of 207 miles off Cape Blanco; but this happened about the end of October, and M. Labillardiere imagined that it had newly arrived from Europe. The Pizarro had been ordered to touch at Lancerota, one of the Canaries, to ascertain whether the ISLAND OF LANCEROTA. 27 harbour oi Santa Cruz in Teneriffe was blockaded by the English; and on the 16th, in the afternoon, the seamen discovered land, which proved to be that island. As they advanced they saw first the island of Forteventura, famous for the number of camels reared upon it, and soon after the smaller one of Lobos. Spending part of the night on deck, the naturalists viewed the volcanic summits of Lancerota illumined by the moon, and enjoyed the beautiful serenity of the atmosphere. After a time, great black clouds, rising behind the volcano, shrouded at intervals the moon and the constellation of Scorpio. They observed lights carried about on the shore; probably by fishermen, and having been employed occasionally during their passage in reading some of the old Spanish voyages, these moving fires recalled to their imagination those seen on the island of Guanahani on the memorable night of the discovery of the New World. In passing through the archipelago of small islands situated to the north of. Lancerota, they were struck by the configuration of the coasts, which resembled the banks of the Rhine near Bonn. It is a remarkable circumstance, our author observes, that, while the forms of animals and plants exhibit the greatest diversity in different climates, the rocky masses present the same appearances in both hemispheres. In the Canary Isles, as in Auvergne, in the Mittelgebirge, in Bohemia, in Mexico, and on the banks of the Ganges, the trap formation displays a symmetrical arrangement of the mountains, ex hibiting truncated cones and graduated platforms. The whole western part of Lancerota announces the character of a country recently deranged by volcanic action, every part being black, arid, and destitute of soil. The Abb6 Viera relates that in 1730 more than half of the island changed its appearance. The great volcano ravaged the most fertile and bestcultivated district, and entirely destroyed nine vil. 28 COLOUR OF MARINF PLANTS. lages. Its eruptions were preceded by an earthquake, and violent shocks continued to be felt for several years,-a phenomenon of rare occurrence, the agitation of the ground usually ceasing after a disengagement of lava or other volcanic products. The summit of the great crater is rounded, and its absolute height does not appear to be much above 1918 feet. The island of Lancerota was formerly named Titeroigotra, and at the time of the arrival of the Spaniards its inhabitants were more civilized than the other Canarians, living in houses built of hewn stone, while the Guanches of Teneriffe resided in caves. There was then a very singular institution in the island. The women had several husbands, each of whom enjoyed the prerogative belonging to the head of a family in succession, the others remaining for the time in the capacity of common domestics.* The occurrence, between the islands of Alegranza and Montana Clara of a singular marine production, with light-green leaves, which was brought up by the lead from a great depth, affords our author, in his narrative, an opportunity of stating some interesting facts respecting the colouring of plants. This seaweed, growing at the bottom of the ocean at a depth of 205 feet, had its vine-shaped leaves as green as those of our gramineae. According to Bouguer's experiments, light is weakened after a passage of 192 feet, in the proportion of 1 to 1477'8. At the depth of 205 this fucus could only have had light * A similar practice is stated by Mr. Fraser in his " Journal of a Tour through the Himala Mountains," p. 206, to occur in several of the hill provinces of India. " It is usual all over the country for the future husband to purchase his wife from her parents; and the sum thus paid varies of course with the rank of the purchaser. The difficulty of raising this sum, and the alleged expense of maintaining women, may in part account for, if it cannot excuse, a most disgusting usage, which is universal over the country. Three or four or more brothers marry and cohabit with one woman, who is the wife of all. They are unable to raise the requisite sum individually, and thus club their shares, and buy this one common spouse." LA GRACIOSA. 29 equal to half of that supplied by a candle seen at the distance of a foot. The germs of several of the liliaceae, the embryo of the mallows and other families, the branches of some subterranean plants, and vegetables transported into mines in which the air contains hydrogen or a great quantity of azote, become green without light. From these facts one might be induced to think that the existence of carburet of iron, which gives the green colour to the parenchmay of plants, is not dependent upon the presence of the solar rays only. Turner and many other botanists are of opinion that most of the seaweeds whichwe find floating on the ocean, and which in certain parts of the Atlantic present the appearance of a vast inundated meadow, grow originally at the bottom of the sea, and are torn off by the waves. If this opinion be correct, the family of marine algae presents great difficulties to those physiologists who persist in thinking that, in all cases, the absence of light must produce blanching. The captain, having mistaken a basaltic rock for a castle, saluted it, and sent one of the officers to inquire if the English were cruising in those parts. Our travellers took advantage of the boat to examine the land, which they had regarded as a prolongation of the coasts of Lancerota, but which turned out to be the small island of La Graciosa. "Nothing," says Humboldt, "can express the emotion a naturalist feels when for the first time he lands in a place which is not European. The attention is fixed upon so many objects, that one can hardly give an account of the impressions which he receives. At every step he imagines that he finds a new production; and in the midst of this agitation he often does not recognise those which are most common in our botanical gardens and museums." A fisherman, who, having been frightened by the firing, had fled from them, but whom the sailors overtook, stated that no vessels had been seen for several weeks 30 BASAI r ALTERNATING WITH MARL. The rocks of this small island were of basalt and marl, destitute of trees or shrubs, in most places without a trace of soil, and but scantily crusted with lichens. The basalts are not columnar, but arranged in strata from 10 to 16 inches thick, and incline to the north-west at an angle of 80 degrees, alternating with marl. Some of these strata are compact, and containlarge crystals of foliated olivine, often porous, with oblong cavities, from two to eight lines in diameter, which are coated with calcedony, and enclose fragments of compact basalt. The marl, which alternates more than a hundred times with the trap, is of a yellowish colour, extremely friable, very tenacious internally, and often divided into regular prisms like those of basalt. It contains much lime, and effervesces strongly with muriatic acid. The travellers had not time to reach the summit of a hill, the base of which was formed of clay, with layers of basalt resting on it, precisely as in the Schneibenberger Huegel of Saxony. These rocks were covered with hyalite, of which they procured.everal fine specimens, leaving masses eight or ten inches square untouched. On the shore there were two kinds of sand, the one black and basaltic, the other white and quartzy. Exposed to the sun's rays the thermometer rose in the former to 124-20, and in the latter to 1040; while in the shade the temperature of the air was 81*5~, being 14~ higher than the sea air. The quartzy sand contains fragtnents of felspar. Pieces of granite have been observed at Teneriffe; and the island of Gomera, according to M. Broussonet, contains a nucleus of mica-slate. From these facts Humboldt infers that in the Canaries, as in the Andes of Quito, in Auvergne, Greece, and most parts of the globe, the subterranean fires have made their way through primitive rocks. Having re-embarked, they hoisted sail, and en. ROCA DEL OESTE. 31 deavoured to get out again by the strait which separates Alegranza from Montana Clara; but, the wind having fallen, the currents drove them close upon a rock marked in old charts by the name of Infierno, and in modern ones under that of Roca del Oeste,a basaltic mass which has probably been raised by volcanic agency. Tacking during the night between Montana Clara and this islet, they were several times in great danger among shelves towards which they were drawn by the motion of the water; but the wind freshening in the morning, they succeeded in passing the channel, and sailed along the coasts of Lancerota, Lobos, and Forteventura. The haziness of the atmosphere prevented them from seeing the Peak of Teneriffe during the whole of their passage from Lancerota; but our traveller, in his narrative, states the following interesting circumstances relative to the distance at which mountains may be seen. If the height of the Peak, he says, is 12,182 feet, as indicated by the last trigonometrical measurement of Borda, its summit ought to be visible at the distance of 148 miles, supposing the eye at the level of the ocean, and the refraction equal to 0'079 of the distance. Navigators who frequent these latitudes find that the peaks of Teneriffe and the Azores are sometimes observed at very great distances, while at other times they cannot be seen when the interval is considerably less, although the sky is clear. Such circumstances are of importance to navigators, who, in returning to Europe, impatiently wait for a sight of these mountains to rectify their longitude. The constitution of the atmosphere has a great influence on the visibility of distant objects, the transparency of the air being much increased when a certain quantity of water is uniformly diffused through it. It is not surprising that the Peak of Teneriffe should be less frequently visible at a great distance than the tops of the Andes, not being like them in 32 DISTANCE AT WHICH MOUNIAINS vested with perpetual snow. The Sugar-loaf which constitutes the summit of the former no doubt reflects a great degree of light, on account of the white colour of the pumice with which it is covered, but its height does not form a twentieth part of the total elevation, and the sides of the volcano are coated with blocks of dark-coloured lava, or with luxuriant vegetation, the masses of which reflect little light, the leaves of the trees being separated by shadows of greater extent than the illuminated parts. Hence the Peak of Teneriffe is to be referred to the class of mountains which are seen at great dislances onlv in what Bouguer calls a negative manner, or because they intercept the light transmitted from the extreme limits of the atmosphere; and we perceive their existence only by means of the difference of intensity that subsists between the light which surrounds them, and that reflected by the particles of air placed between the object of vision and the observer. In receding from Teneriffe, the Sugarloaf is long seen in a positive manner, as it reflects a whitish light, and detaches itself clearly from the sky; but as this terminal cone is only 512 feet high, by 256 in breadth at its summit, it has been questioned whether it can be visible beyond the distance of 138 miles. If it be admitted that the mean breadth of the Sugar-loaf is 639' feet, it will still subtend, at the distance now named, an angle of more than three minutes, which is enough to render it visible; and were the height of the cone greatly to exceed its basis, the angle might be still less, and the mass yet make an impression on our organs; for it has been proved by micrometrical observations, that the limit of vision is one minute only when the dimensions of objects are the same in all directions. As the visibility of an object, which detaches it. self from the sky of a brown colour, depends on the quantities of light the eye meets in two lines, of which one ends at the mountain and the other is MAY BE SEEN AT SEA. 33 prolonged to the surface of the aerial ocean, it follows that the farther we remove from the object the less also becomes the difference between the light of the surrounding atmosphere and that of the strata of air placed before the mountain. For this reason, when summits of low elevation begin to appear above the horizon, they are of a darker tint than those more elevated ones which we discover at very great distances. In like manner, the visibility of mountains which are only negatively perceived does not depend solely upon the state of the low regions of the air, to which our meteorological observations are confined, but also upon its transparency and physical constitution in the most elevated parts; for the image is more distinctly detached, the more- intense the aerial light which comes from the limits of the atmosphere has originally been, or the less it has lost in its passage. This in a certain degree accounts for the circumstance that the Peak is sometimes visible and sometimes invisible to navigators who are equally distant from it, when the state of the thermometer and hygrometer is precisely the same in the lower stratum of air. It is even probable that the chance of perceiving this volcano would not be greater were the cone equal, as in Vesuvius, to a fourth part of the whole height. The ashes spread upon its surface do not reflect so much light as the snow with which the summits of the Andes are covered; but, on the contrary, make the mountain, when seen from a great distance, become more obscurely detached, and assume a brown tint. They contribute, as it were, to equalize the portions of aerial light, the variable difference of which renders the object more or less distinctly visible. Bare calcareous mountains, summits covered with granitic sand, and the elevated savannas of the Andes, which are of a bright yellow colour, are more clearly seen at small distances than objects that are ne'-eived only in a negative manner; but theory 34 SANTA CRUZ. points out a limit beyond which the latter are more distinctly detached from the azure vault of the sky. The aerial light projected on the tops of hills increases the visibility of those which are seen positively, but diminishes that of such as are detached with a brown colour. Bouguer, proceeding on theoretical data, has found that mountains which are seen negatively cannot be perceived at distances exceeding 121 miles; but experience goes against this conclusion. The Peak of Teneriffe has often been observed at the distance of 124, 131, and even 138 miles; and the summit of Mowna-Roa in the Sandwich Isles, which is probably 16,000 feet high, has been seen, at a period when it was destitute of snow, skirting the horizon from a distance of 183 miles. This is the most striking example yet known of the visibility of high land, and is the more remarkable that the object was negatively seen. The atmosphere continuing hazy, the navigators did not discover the island of Grand Canary, notwithstanding its height, until the evening of the 18th June. On the following day they saw the point of Naga, but the Peak of Teneriffe still remained invisible. After repeatedly sounding, on account of the thickness of the mist, they anchored in the road of Santa Cruz, when at the moment they began to salute the place the fog instantaneously dispersed, and the Peak of Teyde, illuminated by the first rays of the sun, appeared in a break above the clouds. Our travellers betook themselves to the bow of the vessel to enjoy the majestic spectacle, when, at the very moment, four English ships were seen close astern. The anchor was immediately got up, and the Pizarro stood in as close as possible, to place herself under the protection of the fort. While waiting the governor's permission to land, Humboldt employed the time in making observations for determining the longitude of the mole of Santa Cruz and the dip of the needle. Berthoud's chro SANTA CRUZ OF TENERIFFE. 35 norneter gave 18~ 33' 10", the accuracy of w hich resuit, although differing from the longitude assigned by Cook and others, was afterward confirmed by Krusenstern, who found that port 16~ 12' 45" west of Greenwich, and consequently 18~ 33' west of Paris. The dip of the magnetic needle was 62~ 24', although it varied considerably in different placer along the shore. After undergoing the fatigue of answering the numberless questions proposed by persons who visited them on board, our travellers were at length permitted to land. CHAPTER III. Island of Teneriffe. Santa Cruz-Villa de la Laguna —Guanches-Present Inhabitants of Teneriffe-Climate-Scenery of the Coast-Orotava-Dragon-treeAscent of the Peak-Its Geological Character-Eruptions —Zones of Vegetation-Fires of St. John. SANTA CRUZ, the Anaja of the Guanches, which is a neat town, with a population of 8000 persons, may be considered as a great caravansera situated on the road to America and India, and has consequently been often described. The recommendations of the court of Madrid procured for our travellers the most satisfactory reception in the Canaries. The captain-general gave permission to examine the island, and Colonel Armiaga, who commanded a regiment of infantry, extended his hospitality to them, and showed the most polite attention. In his garden they admired the banana, the papaw, and other plants cultivated in the open air, which they had before seen only in hothouses. In the evening t,.ey made a botanical excursion 86 VILLA DE LA LAGUNA. towards the fort of Passo Alto, along the basaltic rocks which close the promontory of Naga, but had little success, as the drought and dust had in a manner destroyed the vegetation. The Cacalia kleinia, Euphorbia canariensis, and other succulent plants, which derive their nourishment more from the air than from the soil, reminded them by their aspect that the Canaries belong to Africa, and even to the most arid part of that continent. The captain of the Pizarro, having apprized them that, on account of the blockade by the English, they ought not to reckon upon a longer stay than four or five days, they hastened to set out for the port of Orotava, where they might find guides for the ascent of the Peak; and on the 20th, before sunrise, they were on the way to Villa de la Laguna, which is 2238 feet higher than the port of Santa Cruz. The road to this place is on the right of a torrent, which, in the rainy season, forms beautiful falls. Near the town they met with some white camels, employed in transporting merchandise. These animals, as well as horses, were introduced into the Canary Islands in the fifteenth century by the Norman conquerors, and were unknown to the Guanches. Camels are more abundant in Lancerota and Forteventura, which are nearer the continent, than at Teneriffe, where they very seldom propagate. The hill on which the Villa de la Laguna stands belongs to the series of basaltic mountains which forms a girdle around the Peak, and is independent of the newer volcanic rocks. The basalt on which the travellers walked was blackish-brown, compact, and partially decomposed. They found in it hornblende, olivine,and transparent pyroxene, with lamellar fracture, of an olive-green tint, and often crystallized in six-sided prisms. The rock of Laguna is not columnar, but divided into thin beds, inclined at an angle of from 30~ to 48~, and has no VILLA DE Li LAGUNA. J7 appearance of having been formed by a current of lava from the Peak. Some arborescent Euphorbia, Cacalia kleinia, and Cacti, were the only plants observed on these parched acclivities. The mules slipped at every step on the inclined surfaces of the rock although traces of an old road were observable, which, with the numerous other indications that occur in these colonies, afford evidence of the activity displayed by the Spanish nation in the sixteenth century. The heat of Santa Cruz, which is suffocating, is in a great measure to be attributed to the reverberation of the rocks in its vicinity; but as the travellers approached Laguna they became sensible of a very pleasant diminution of temperature. In fact, the perpetual coolness which exists here renders it a delightful residence. It is situated in a small plain, surrounded by gardens, and commanded by a hill crowned with the laurel, the myrtle, and the arbutus. The rain, in collecting, forms from time to time a kind of large pool or marsh, which has induced travellers to describe the capital of Teneriffe as situated on the margin of a lake. The town, Which was deprived of its opulence in consequence of the port of Garachico having been destroyed by the lateral eruptions of the volcano, has only 9000 inhabitants, of which about 400 are monks. It is surrounded by numerous windmills for corn. Hum-:oldt observes that the cereal grasses were known to the original inhabitants, and that parched barleyflour and goats' milk formed their principal meals. This food tends to show that they were connected with the nations of the old continent, perhaps even with those of the Caucasian race, and not with the inhabitants of the New World, who, previous to the arrival of the Europeans among them, had no knowledge of grain, milk, or cheese. The Canary Islands were originally inhabited by a people famed for their tall stature, and known by 38 GUANCHES. the name of Guanches. They have now entirely disappeared under the oppression of a more power. ful and more enlightened race, which, assuming the superiority supposed to be sanctioned by civilization and the profession of the Christian faith, disposed of the natives in a manner little accordant with the character of a true follower of the Cross. The archipelago of the Canaries was divided into small states hostile to each other; and in the fifteenth century the Spaniards and Portuguese made voyages to these islands for slaves, as the Europeans have latterly been accustomed to do to the coast of Guinea. One Guanche then became the property of another, who sold him to the dealers; while many, rather than become slaves, killed their children and themselves. The natives had been greatly reduced in this manner, when Alonzo de Lugo completed their subjugation. The residue of that unhappy people perished by a terrible pestilence, which was supposed to have originated from the bodies left exposed by the Spaniards after the battle of Laguna. At the present day no individual of pure blood exists in these islands, where all that remains of the aborigines are certain mummies, reduced to an extraordinary degree of desiccation, and found in the sepulchral caverns which are cut in the rock on the eastern slope of the Peak. These skeletons contain remains of aromatic plants, especially the Chenopodium ambrosioides, and are often decorated with small laces, to which are suspended little cakes of baked earth. The people who succeeded the Guanches were descended from the Spaniards and Normans. The present inhabitants are described by our author as being of a moral and religious character, but of a roving and enterprising disposition, and less industrious at home than abroad. The population in 1790 was 174,000. The produce of the several islands consists chiefly of wheat, barley, maize, potatoes, CLIMATE OF TENERIFFE. 39 wine, a great variety of fruits, sugar, and other articles of food; but the lower orders are frequently obliged to have recourse to the roots of a species of fern. The principal objects of commerce are wine, brandy, archil (a kind of lichen used as a die), and soda. Teneriffe has been praised for the salubrity of its climate. The ground of the Canary Islands rises gradually to a great height, and presents, on a small scale, the temperature of every zone, from the intense heat of Africa to the cold of the alpine regions; so that a person may have the benefit of whatever climate best suits his temperament or disease. A similar variety exists as to the vegetation; and no country seemed to our travellers more fitted to dissipate melancholy, and restore peace to an agitated mind, than Teneriffe and Madeira, where the natural beauty of the situation and the salubrity of the air conspire to quiet the anxieties of the spirit, and invigorate the body, while the feelings are not harassed by the revolting sight of slavery, which exists in almost all the European colonies. In winter the climate of Laguna is excessively foggy, and the inhabitants often complain of cold, although snow never falls. The lowest height at which it occurs annually in Teneriffe has not been ascertained; but it has been seen in a place lying above Esperanza de la Laguna, close to the town of that name, in the gardens of which the breadfruittree (Artocarpus zncisa), introduced by M. Broussonet, has been naturalized. In connexion with this subject, Humboldt remarks, that in hot countries the plants are so vigorous that they can bear a greater degree of frost than might be expected, provided it be of short duration. The banana is cultivated in Cuba, in places where the thermometer sometimes descends to very near the freezing-point; and in Spain and Italy, orange and date-trees do not perish, 40 SCENERY. although the cold may be two degrees below zero, Trees growing in a fertile soil are remarked by cultivators to be less delicate, and less affected by changes of temperature, than those planted in land that affords little nutriment. From Laguna to the port of Orotava and the western coast of Teneriffe the route is at first over a hilly country, covered by a black argillaceous soil. The subjacent rock is concealed by layers of ferruginous earth; but in some of the ravines are seen columnar basalts, with recent conglomerates, resembling volcanic tufas lying over them, which contain fragments of the former, and also, as is asserted, marine petrifactions. This delightful country, of which travellers of all nations speak with enthusiasm, is entered by the valley of Tacoronte, and pre. sents scenes of unrivalled beauty. The seashore is ornamented with palms of the date and cocoa species. Farther up, groups of musa and dragon-trees present themselves. The declivities are covered with vines. Orange-trees, myrtles, and cypresses surround the chapels that have been raised on the little hills. The lands are separated by enclosures formed of the agave and cactus. Multitudes of cryptogamic plants, especially ferns, cover the walls In winter, while the volcano is wrapped in snow, there is continued spring in this beautiful district; and in summer, towards evening, the sea-breezes diffuse a gentle coolness over it. From Tegueste and Tacoronte to the village of San Juan de la Rambla, the coast is cultivated like a garden, and might he compared to the neighbourhood of Capua or Valentia; but the western part of Teneriffe is much more beautiful, on account of the proximity of the Peak, the sight of which has a most imposing effect, and excites the imagination to penetrate into the mysterious source of volcanic action. For thousands of years no light has been observed at the summit of the mountain, and yet enormous lateral DURASNO-OROTAVA. 4 1 eruptions, the last of which happened in 1798, prove the activity of a fire which is far from being extinct. There is, besides, something melancholy in the sight of a crater placed in the midst of a fertile and highlycultivated country. Pursuing their course to the port of Orotava, the travellers passed the beautiful hamlets of Matanza and Vittoria (slaughter and victory),-names which occur together in all the Spanish colonies, and present a disagreeable contrast to the feelings of peace and quiet which these countries inspire. On their way they visited a botanic garden at Durasno, where they found M. Le Gros, the French vice-consul, who subsequently served as an excellent guide to the Peak. The idea of forming such an establishment at Teneriffe originated with the Marquis de Nava, who thought that the Canary Islands afford the most suitable place for naturalizing the plants of the East and West Indies, previous to their introduction to Europe. They arrived very late at the port, and next morning commenced their journey to the Peak, accompanied by M. Le Gros, M. Lalande, secretary of the French consulate at Santa Cruz, the English gardener of Durasno, and a number of guides. Orotava, the Taoro of the Guanches, is situated on a very steep declivity, and has a pleasant aspect when viewed from a distance, although the houses, when seen at hand, have a gloomy appearance. One of the most remarkable objects in this place is the dragon-tree in the garden of M. Franqui, of which an engraving is here presented, and which our travellers found t be about 60 feet high, with a circumference of 48 feet near the roots. The trunk divides into a great number of branches, which rise in the form of a candelabrum, and are terminated by tufts of leaves. This tree is said to have been revered by the Guanches as the ash of Ephesus was by the Greeks; and in 1402, at the time of the first expedition of Bethencour, was as large and as hollow D 42 DRAGON-TREE OF OROT AV-s, Dragon-tree of Orotava. as our travellers found it. As the species is of very slow growth, the age of this individual must be great. It is singular that the dragon-tree should have been cultivated in these islands at so early a period, it being a native of India5 and nowhere occurring on the African continent. Leaving Orotava they passed by a narrow and stony path through a beautiful wood of chestnuts to a place covered with brambles, laurels, and arborescent heaths, where, under a solitary pine, known by the name of Pino del Dornajito, they procured a supply of water. From this place to the crater they continued to ascend without crossing a single valley, passing over several regions distinguished by their peculiar vegetation, and rested during part of the night in a very elevated position, where they suffered ASCENT OF THE PEAK. 43 severely from the cold. About three in the morn. ing they began to climb the Sugar-loaf, or small terminal cone, by the dull light of fir-torches, and examined a small subterl anean glacier or cave, whence the towns below are supplied with ice throughout the summer. In the twilight they observed a phenomenon not unusual on high mountains,-a stratum of white clouds spread out beneath, concealing the face of the ocean, and presenting the appearance of a vast plain covered with snow. Soon afterward another very curious sight occurred, namely, the semblance of small rockets thrown into the air, and which they at first imagined to be a certain indication of some new eruption of the great volcano of Lancerota. But the illusion soon ceased, and they found that the luminous points were only the images of stars magaified and refracted by the vapours. They remained motionless at intervals, then rose perpendicularly, descended sidewise, and returned to their original position. After three hours' march over an extremely rugged tract, the travellers reached a small plain, called La Rambleta, from the centre of which rises the Piton or Sugar-loaf. The slope of this cone, covered with volcanic ashes and pumice, is so steep that it would have been almost impossible to reach the summit, had they not ascended by an old current of lava, which had in some measure resisted the action of the atmosphere. On attaining the top of this steep they found the crater surrounded by a wall of compact lava, in which, however, there was a breach affording a passage to the bottom of the funnel or caldera, the greatest diameter of which at the mouth seemed to be 320 feet. There were no large openings in the crater; but aqueous vapours were emitted by some of the crevices, in which heat was perceptible. In fact, the volcano has not been active at the summit for thousands of years, its eruptions having been 44 PEAK OF TENERIFFE. from the sides, and the depth of the crater is only about 106 feet. After examining the objects that presented themselves in this elevated spot, and enjoying the vast prospect, the travellers commenced their descent, and towards evening reached the porl of Orotava. The Peak of Teneriffe forms a pyramidal mass, having a circumference at the base of more than 115,110 yards, and a height of 12,176 feet.* Twothirds of the mass are covered with vegetation, the remaining part being steril, and occupying about ten square leagues of surface. The cone is very small in proportion to the size of the mountain, it having a height of only 537 feet, or 2- of the whole The lower part of the island is composed of basalt and other igneous rocks of ancient formation, and is separated from the more recent lavas, and the products of the present volcano, by strata of tufa, puz zolana, and clay. The first that occur in ascending the Peak are of a black colour, altered by decomposition, and sometimes porous. Their basis is wacke, and has usually an irregular, but sometimes a conchoidal fracture. They are divided into very thin layers, and contain olivine, magnetic iron, ard augite. On the first elevated plain, that of Retama, the basaltic deposites disappear beneath heaps of ashes and pumice. Beyond this are lavas, with a basis of pitch-stone and obsidian, of a blackishbrown, or deep olive-green colour, and containing * Various measurements have been made of the height of the Peak of Teneriffe; but Humboldt, after enumerating fourteen, states that the fol lowing alone can be considered as deserving of confidence: Borda's, by trigonometry.......1905 toises. Borda's, by the barometer...... 1976 Lamanou's, by the same....... 1902 Cordier's, by the same...........1920 The average of these four observations makes the height 1926 toises; but if the barometric measurement of Borda be rejected, as liable to objections particularly stated by our author, the mean of the remaining measurement is 1909 toises, or 12,208 English feet. It is seen above, that the height adopted by Humboldt is 1904 toises, or 12,176 English feet. VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. 45 crystals of felspar, which are seldom vitreous. In the middle of the Malpays, or second platform, are found, among the glassy kinds, blocks of greenishgray clinkstone or porphyry-slate. Obsidian of several varieties is exceedingly abundant on the Peak, as well as pumice, the latter being generally of a white colour; and the crater contains an enormous quantity of sulphur. The oldest written testimony in regard to the activity of the volcano dates at the beginning of the sixteenth century, and is contained in the narrative of Aloysio Cadamusto, who landed in the Canaries in 1505. In 1558, 1646, and 1677, eruptions took place in the Isle of Palma; and on the 31st December, 1704, the Peak of Teneriffe exhibited a lateral burst, preceded by tremendous earthquakes. On the 5th January, 1705, another opening occurred, the lavas produced by which filled the whole valley of Fasnia. This aperture closed on the 13th January; but on the 2d February, a third formed in the Cannada de Arafo, the stream from which divided into three currents. On the 5th May, 1706, another eruption supervened, which destroyed the populous and opulent city of Garachico. In 1730, on the 1st September, the island of Lancerota was violently convulsed; and'on the 9th June, 1798, the Peak emitted a great quantity of matter, which continued to run three months and six days. The island of Teneriffe presents five zones of vegetation, arranged in stages one above another, and occupying a perpendicular height of 3730 yards. 1. The Region of Vines xtends from the shores to an elevation varying fron 430 to 640 yards, and is the only part carefully cul vated. It exhibits various species of arborescent Euphorbiae, Mesembryanthema, the Cacalia kleinia, the Draccena, and other plants, whose naked and tortuous trunks, succulent leaves, and bluish-green tints, constitute features distinctive of the vegetation of Africa. In this 46 ZONES OF VEGETATION. zone are raised the date-tree, the plantain, the sugar cane, the Indian-fig, the arum colocasia, the olive, the fruit trees of Europe, the vine, and wheat. 2. The Region of Laurels is that which forms the woody part of Teneriffe, where the surface of the ground is always verdant, being plentifully watered by springs. Four kinds of laurel, an oak, a wild olive, two species of iron-tree, the arbutus callicarpa, and other evergreens, adorn this zone. The trunks are covered by the ivy of the Canaries, and various twining shrubs, and the woods are filled with numerous species of fern. The hypericum, and other showy plants, enrich with their beautiful flowers the verdant carpet of moss and grass. 3. The Region of Pines, which commences at the height of 1920 yards, and has a breadth of 850, is characterized by a vast forest of trees, resembling the Scotch fir, intermixed with juniper. 4. The fourth zone is remarkable chiefly for the profusion of retama, a species of broom, which forms oases in the midst of a wide sea of ashes. It grows to the height of nine or ten feet, is ornamented, with fragrant flowers, and furnishes food to the goats, which have run wild on the Peak from time immemorial. 5. The fifth zone is the Region of the Grasses, in which some species of these supply a scanty covering to the heaps of pumice, obsidian, and lava. A few cryptogamic plants are observed higher; but the summit is entirely destitute of vegetation. Thus the whole island may be considered as a forest of laurels, arbutuses, and pines, of which the external margin only has been in some measure cleared, while the central part consists of a rocky and steril soil, unfit even for pasturage. The following day was passed by our travellers in visiting the neighbourhood of Orotava, and enjoying an agreeable company at Mr. Cologan's. On the eve of St. John, they were present at a pastoral DEPARTURE FROM SANTA CRUZ. 47 f