Page:Africa by Élisée Reclus, Volume 3.djvu/102

 to those of Volvic in Auvergne; Matanza, whose name recalls the "slaughter" of eight hundred Spaniards with their native auxiliaries; Victoria, where in 1495 the adelantado Lugo avenged his defeat of the previous year; Santa-Ursula, almost within sight of Orotava. This place, representing the ancient Aratapala, capital of the Amphictyonic council of all the kingships in the island, occupies the centre of a verdant cirque 3 miles from its port on the seacoast. During the flourishing period of the wine industry, when the famous vintages of malvoisie and "canary" were produced, this "puerto" was a very busy place, although possessing only an exposed roadstead. The sheltered harbour of Garachico, lying farther west on the same north coast, was nearly destroyed by an eruption from the Montaña Bermeja

in 1706. An unexplored cavern in the neighbourhood is said by the natives to communicate with the terminal crater of the volcano by a gallery nearly 9 miles long.

On the east slope of the island the town of Guimar occupies a position analogous to that of Orotava on the opposite side. In the neighbourhood are the Cuevas de los Reyes, or "Royal Caves," the most extensive sepulchral grottoes of the former inhabitants.

Gomera, which has preserved its Berber name, is separated from Teneriffe by