Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 4.djvu/883

Rh the north-eastern extremity of the island. The highest peaks are Izaua (7374 feet), Perejil (6027), and Cuchillo (5467). We have no account in history of eruptions from either crater of the Peak. In 1795 a great quantity of lava was poured out from three vents on the eastern side ; and in the same year lava streams issued from a crater near Guimar, half-way between Santa Cruz and the Peak, in the following year, a vent on the north-western side of the Peak discharged a copious stream, which flowed down to the sea, and nearly filled up the harbour of Garachico. For three months in 1798 much lava and other volcanic matter were ejected from orifices to the west of Chahorra.

{{ti|1em|Santa Cruz de Santiago, on the south coast, is the residence of the governor-general of the Canaries, the civil lieutenant-governor of the Teneriti e district, and the military governor of the island. Its position is 28 28 30&quot; N. lat. and 16 16 W. long. It is a well-built and tolerably clean town of 10,830 inhabitants, lying on a small plain bounded by bare and rugged volcanic rocks, amongst which lie narrow valleys called barrancas. Scarcely any vegetation, except thorny cactuses and euphorbias, is to be seen in the neigh bourhood. The streets are at right angles to each other, narrow, but provided with side walks. There are three public squares. The houses are generally low, with flat roofs ; those of the better class are large, with a court-yard in the middle, planted with shrubs in the Spanish fashion. The market is well supplied with meat, fruits, and vegetables. Good water is brought from the fine forest of Mercedes, which is composed of laurels and other indigenous trees. A British consul resides in the town, and several English families. The accommodation for strangers is neither plentiful nor good. The Spanish cloak is much worn by the men, and the white mantilla by the women. Dromedaries brought from Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are in use for the conve}*ance of merchandise and in agricultural operations. A good animal costs from 30 to 40 dollars. A few wheel-carriages are in use. Much ground in the neighbourhood is planted with cactus (Opuntia Tuna] for the support of the cochineal insect. The town is defended by several batteries ; and it was by a shot from oue of these that Lord Nelson lost his arm, when he unsuccessfully attacked the place in 1797. Some English flags lost on that occasion are still hanging in one of the churches. The anchorage is good, and a mole facilitates landing. About 200 vessels annually visit the port, The climate is dry and moderately warm, the annual mean being 71 Fahr. The mean of the coldest month is 63 0- 8 Fahr., and of the hottest 78 - 8 Fahr. Rain falls on an average on thirty-six days in the year.}}

Laguna (population 4645) stands at the distance of four miles from Santa Cruz, in the centre of a plain where much grain is produced, elevated 1725 feet above the sea, and nearly surrounded by mountains. The situation is beautiful, but the town itself is gloomy. It contains seve ral deserted convents and a cathedral. In summer the temperature is refreshingly cool, and for that reason Laguna is then resorted to by the rich of Santa Cruz. In winter it is cold and damp, the plain being frequently laid under water by rain. This is in consequence of three aerial currents meeting there, from the north, east, and south-west. The mean temperature of the year is 63 2 Fahr. Snow has never been known to fall here. The humidity of the atmosphere is shown by the quantities of sempervivum growing on the houses and walls. A good road connects Santa Cruz and Orotava, a town on the north coast 25 miles distant. It passes through Laguna and Matanza, a place deriving its name from the over throw of the invading Spaniards Jjy the Guanches in 1494. All travellers s^eak in terms of warm admiration of the scenery in this part of the island. Ilumboldt says he &quot; never beheld a prospect more varied, more attractive, more harmo nious in the distribution of the masses of verdure and of rocks, than the western coast of Teneriffe.&quot; Date palms form a striking feature in the landscapes. The town of Orotava (population 3228) is 1040 feet above the sea. The houses are solidly built, but it has a deserted aspect. A stream of water is conducted through every street. The famous dragon-tree, which so many travellers have described, was lately destroyed by a storm. Port Orotava, three miles from the town, is a clean place, with between 4000 and 5000 inhabitants, amongst whom are three or four English families. The streets are broad and the houses well built. The roadstead, protected by a fort and some batteries, affords little or no shelter against wind. The botanic garden, founded by a patriotic Spanish nobleman, is now in the hands of a market-gardener. At Icod de Jos Vinos, a pretty town of 4000 inhabitants, farther to the west, in a fertile district, is a dragon-tree, the largest now existing in the island. The stem near the ground has a circumference of 38 feet, and its height is upwards of 60 feet. Near the town is an immense cavern, in which many Guauche bones are to be seen. There are several other towns of less importance, principally in the north-west, not far from the coast. The highest inhabited place is Chasna, on a plain more than 4000 feet above the sea, to the south of the Peak.

(Gran Canaria), the most fertile island of the group, is nearly circular in shape, with a diameter of 24 miles and a circumference of 75 miles. The interior is a mass of mountain, reaching to the height of about 6000 feet above the sea, with ravines radiating to the shore. Its highest peak, Los Pexos, is 6400 feet above the sea. Large tracts are covered with native pine (P. canariensis). There are several mineral springs on the island. From the nature of the ground only a small part is under cultivation. Las Palmas (population 12,572), the seat of the local Govern ment, is a well-built and clean town on a small bay on the north coast, deriving its name from the numerous palm trees. It contains a handsome cathedral, a hospital, a college, several secularized convents, and an alameda or public walk. Its climate is more humid than that of Santa Cruz. Water is brought into the principal streets and squares by an aqueduct. The harbour, Puerto de la Luz, is defended by several forts, and affords good anchorage and shelter against all winds except the south-east. A British vice-consul resides here. In 1851 the cholera visited the island, and 9000 persons died, whilst not a single case occurred on any other island. Tdde, the second place in the island, stands on a plain, surrounded by palm trees. At Atalaya, a short distance from Las Palmas, the making of earthenware vessels employ some hundreds of people, who inhabit holes made in the tufa.

(correctly, San Miguel de la Palma), 26 miles long, with an extreme breadth of 16 miles, lies 67 miles W.N.W. of Teneriffe. It is traversed in its longest direction (north to south) by a chain of mountains, the highest of which is 7900 feet above the sea. At the broadest part is a crater nine miles in diameter, known as the Caldera (i.e., cauldron), from which, on its south-west side, runs a ravine to the sea. The bottom of the crater has an elevation above the sea of 2300 feet, and it is overhung by peaks that rise more than 5000 feet above it. Some of these peaks are covered with snow for several months in the year. Extensive woods, principally composed of chestnut and pine, lie on their flanks. Palma contains several mineral springs, but there is great want of fresh water. The only stream which is never dried up is that which issues from the Caldera. In 1677 an eruption, preceded by an earthquake, took place from a volcano at the southern extremity of the island, and much damage 