it.

SCENERY NEAR ORATAVA.

In the ride from Matanzas to Oratava the road is wretched but the scenery compensates for this. Upon arriving at the brow of the hill above Oratava, a beautiful prospect bursts upon the sight; directly in front rises the lordly Peak, whilst in the foreground are vineyards, cottages, and palm-trees; in the centre stands La Villa, the upper town of Oratava, encircled with gardens; on the right lies a rich slope running down to the sea which bounds the prospect on that side; and on the left rise rocky mountains, for the greater part clothed with wood.

We now spurred our horses on and, leaving the guides behind, soon reached La Villa, accompanied by a countryman who had joined us upon a pony; but, on getting into the town, the melancholy truth rushed upon my recollection that we could not speak Spanish: had we remained with our guides this would not much have signified, for they had been told at Santa Cruz to take us to a hotel.

EMBARRASSMENTS ON ARRIVAL THERE.

Nothing remained now but to do our best to open a communication; we accordingly accosted a variety of individuals in English, French, Italian, German--but in vain. Spanish alone was understood or spoken here; our friend, the countryman, stuck to us most nobly, he understood us not a bit better than the rest but saw that we were in distress and would not desert us.

We at last deliberately halted under a house where we could get a little shade, for the sun was intensely hot and, a crowd having soon collected, we harangued them alternately and received long answers in reply; but, although able to make out a great deal of what they said, we could not get them to understand a single word on our part. At length kind fate sent the guides to our rescue and they led us off direct to the hotel.

This however brought only partial relief to our wants; we opened our mouths, and pointed down our throats. So much was understood and a chicken instantly killed. We laid our heads upon a table, feigning sleep, and were shown to a wretched room; but here all converse terminated. Mr. Lushington desired to ascend the Peak therefore it became necessary that we should hit upon some means of making them comprehend this; but all efforts were in vain. At length they proposed to send for an interpreter, which was accordingly done; but he was at dinner, and could not then come.

At last the interpreter arrived, a Spanish Don who had been for some years resident in a mercantile house in New York; he was very dirty, but good-natured, and soon made the necessary arrangements for Mr. Lushington; who for eight dollars was to be provided with a pony, a sumpter mule, provisions and guides, taken safely to the top of the Peak and brought back again; which I thought reasonable enough.

After these arrangements I managed to scrape some acquaintance with this Spanish gentleman, who told me to my great edification that I was in a notorious gambling house. I had been informed at Santa Cruz that the inhabitants of those islands were dreadfully addicted to that vice, and I now, from personal observation, found this was too true.

After dinner I started to walk to the Port of Oratava, distant about three miles; there was beautiful scenery the whole way, and a tolerable road for the island. I called on Mr. Carpenter, the British Consul, to whom I had a letter, and he made arrangements for my being admitted to the botanical gardens at six o'clock the next morning.

On my return to La Villa all the roues of the town were assembled at our hotel to eat ices and gamble: I joined them in the former but not in the latter amusement.

SPANISH INTERPRETER. MANNERS.

The gentleman who had acted as interpreter for us was also there, but I could gain very little further information from him. He told me that they had just heard George the Eighth, the King of England, was dead (William the Fourth had just died) and his knowledge of the other European countries was much upon the same scale. I found that gambling was here carried on to an extent which was really deplorable.

July 21.

I started at half-past five for the botanic gardens, diligently inspected them, and afterwards made a set of magnetic observations; this occupied a large portion of the morning. I however still had time to geologise for about three hours, and then rode back to Santa Cruz, where I did not arrive till late at night.

STATISTICS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. TABLES.

July 22.

In the morning I renewed my magnetic observations and, having dined at the table d'hote, I passed the afternoon in calling upon several persons, and collecting such information regarding the group of islands as I could pick up. Two statistical tables then given to me I have here inserted.

The first shows the extent of the seven larger islands and the average number of inhabitants in each. On these numbers I think dependence may be placed, as they nearly agree, in the total, with that given by Tarrente in the Geografia Universal (1828) who makes it 196,517, being about 12,000 above the number given by Humboldt for the gross population at the end of the last century.

The second table gives the quantity of the most important products raised annually in each island.

To these I have added a short table showing the mean heat of every month at Tenerife, as deduced from a continued series of daily observations by Dr. Savignon and Mr. Richardson, at Laguna between the years 1811 and 1818, to which is annexed another of the quantity of rain which fell during some months of the years 1812 and 1813.

The two gentlemen who had made these observations having since died, I was not able to obtain any of the actual thermometrical observations, but to the son of Mr. Richardson I am obliged for having allowed me to copy the results contained in these tables.

SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS MADE BY DR. SAVIGNON* AND MR. RICHARDSON, AT LAGUNA.

(*Footnote. Monsieur Savignon, Medecin du Gouvernement, se distingue par un caractere honorable et des connoissances etendues dans la profession. Voyage aux Terres Australes Tome 1 page 21.)

La temporatura media de la Laguna puedi considerarse de 63 de Fahrenheit, dentro las casas del centro de la Ciudad, en sombra y al ayre libre; segun resulta de 8 Anos de observaciones, no interrumpidas ni un solo dia desde 1811 a 1818.*

(*Footnote. The mean temperature of Laguna may be estimated at 63 degrees of Fahrenheit, within doors, in the middle of the town; the thermometer being placed in the shade, and exposed to the air. Result of eight years' uninterrupted daily observations from 1811 to 1818.)

A few observations taken on board the Beagle during the five days it lay at Santa Cruz seemed to give a mean heat of about 76 degrees; but it must be remembered that these observations were made in a vessel lying only about a quarter of a mile from the shore and exposed to the constant rays of the sun during six days of a season