own, we saw some fig-trees, and several corn
fields. These are but small, and not thrown into ridges, as is practised
in England. Nor does it appear that they can raise any corn here without
great labour, as the ground is so encumbered with stones, that they are
obliged to collect and lay them in broad rows, or walls, in small
distances. The large hills that run to the S.W., appeared to be pretty
well furnished with trees. Nothing else worth noticing presented itself
during this excursion, except a few aloe plants in flower, near the side
of the road, and the cheerfulness of our guides, who amused us with
songs by the way."

"Most of the laborious work in this island is performed by mules; horses
being to appearance scarce, and chiefly reserved for the use of the
officers. They are of a small size, but well shaped and spirited. Oxen
are also employed to drag their casks along upon a large clumsy piece of
wood; and they are yoked by the head, though it doth not seem that this
has any peculiar advantage over our method of fixing the harness on the
shoulders. In my walks and excursions I saw some hawks, parrots which
are natives of the island, the sea-swallow or tern, sea-gulls,
partridges, wagtails, swallows, martins, blackbirds, and Canary-birds in
large flocks. There are also lizards of the common, and another sort;
some insects, as locusts; and three or four sorts of dragon flies."

"I had an opportunity of conversing with a sensible and well-informed
gentleman residing here, and whose veracity I have not the least reason
to doubt. From him I learnt some particulars, which, during the short
stay of three days, did not fall within my own observation. He informed
me, that a shrub is common here, agreeing exactly with the description
given by Tournefort and Linnaeus, of the tea shrub, as growing in China
and Japan. It is reckoned a weed, and he roots out thousands of them
every year from his vineyards. The Spaniards, however, of the island,
sometimes use it as tea, and ascribe to it all the qualities of that
imported from China. They also give it the name of tea; but what is
remarkable, they say it was found here when the islands were first
discovered."

"Another botanical curiosity, mentioned by him, is what they call the
impregnated lemon.[74] It is a perfect and distinct lemon, inclosed
within another, differing from the outer one only in being a little more
globular. The leaves of the tree that produces this sort, a