The expenses of its construction as also of keeping it in repair are principally defrayed by a tax upon all wine and spirits actually consumed in the town.
The scenery of the country I walked through was bold and romantic but by no means rich; fig-trees grew wild about the mountains, and it seemed singular that, whenever I approached one, the peasants on the adjacent hills shouted out in loud tones.

As far as I could understand the guide, this was done to deter us from eating the fruits now just ripe, and, upon my return to the town and making further enquiries, I found that such was their custom.
EXCURSION TO ORATAVA.
July 20th.
I started at six o'clock with Mr.Lushington for Oratava, distant about 30 miles from Santa Cruz.

We were mounted on small ponies, admirably adapted to the wretched roads of the country, and accompanied by two guides who carried our carpet bags.
CAMELS, MATANZAS, THE GUANCHES.
The first town we came to was Laguna, which appeared to be of some importance; it is distant about four miles from Santa Cruz.

On this road we passed many camels laden with heavy burdens; a circumstance which rather surprised me for I had always imagined that, owing to the peculiar formation of its foot, the camel was only fitted for travelling over sandy ground, whilst the way from Santa Cruz to Laguna is one continued mass of sharp rocks, utterly unworthy of the name of a road; yet these animals appeared to move over it without the least inconvenience.
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.