After leaving Laguna the country for some miles bore a very uninteresting appearance; for, although apparently fertile, it was quite parched up by the extreme heat of the sun; our guides, who were on foot carrying our carpet bags, kept up with us by running, and, occasionally when tired, catching hold of the horses’ tails to assist themselves along.

We halted for breakfast at Matanzas (or the place of slaughter) so called from a dreadful slaughter of the Spaniards which was here made by the Guanches, the aborigines of the island.  I examined the spot where this occurred; it is a narrow defile, formed by a precipice on one hand, and perpendicular rocks on the other, and lies on the only route by which you can pass across the island from east to west; it was therefore well adapted for the purposes of savage warfare, and the Guanches here made the Spaniards pay dearly for the cruelties practised on themselves.

All traces of this interesting people, who were eventually extirpated by the Spaniards, have long since vanished, and, although I spared no pains, I could glean but little information about them, but to this subject I will advert again.

Before breakfast I made a set of magnetic observations, and then, swallowing a hasty meal, prepared to start.  A difficulty however arose here, for neither Mr. Lushington nor myself spoke a word of Spanish, although we understood tolerably well what others said to us; the paying our bill became therefore rather a matter of embarrassment.  One of the guides saw our distress and made signs that he would arrange matters for us; we accordingly gave him a dollar.  With this he paid the bill and I saw him receive some change, which he coolly pocketed; I afterwards asked him for it, but he pretended with the utmost nonchalance not to understand me; so we saw no more of 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.