Page:The Strange Voyage and Adventures of Domingo Gonsales, to the World in the Moon.djvu/54

48 vision, we let forth from Oratava, a Port Town in the Island of Teneriff, situate on the North Side, two Mile distant from the main Sea, and travelled from twelve at Night till eight in the Morning, by which time we got to the Top of the first Mountain toward the Pico de Terraira; there under a very large and conspicuous Pine Tree we took our Breakfast, dined, and refresht ourselves till two in the Afternoon. Then we passed through many sandy Ways, over many lofty Mountains, but naked and bare, and not covered with Pine Trees as our first Night’s Passage was; this exposed us to excessive Heat, till we arrived to the Foot of the Pico, where we found divers huge Stones, which seemed to have fallen from some upper Part: About six in the Evening we began to ascend up the Pico, but were scarce advanced a Mile, when the Way being no more passable for Horses, we left them with our Servants. In the Ascent of one Mile, some of our Company grew very faint and sick, disordered by Fluxes, Vomitings, and agueish Distempers, our Horses Hair standing up like Bristles, and calling for some of our Wine carried in small Barrels on an Horse, we found it so wonderfully cold, that we could not drink it till we had made a Fire to warm it, notwithstanding the Air was very calm and moderate, but when the Sun was set, it began to blow with such Violence, and grew so cold, that taking up our Lodging among the hollow Rocks, we were necessitated to keep Fires in the Mouths of them all Night.

About four in the Morning we began to mount again, and being come another Mile up, one of our Company failed and was able to proceed no further: Here began the black Rocks; the rest of us pursued our Journey till we came to the Sugar Loaf, where we began to travel again in a white Rh