e celebrated Botanical Gardens, mentioned by Humboldt and others. We
passed through a small house, with a fine dragon-tree on either side,
and entered the gardens, where we found a valuable collection of trees
and shrubs of almost every known species. The kind and courteous
Curator, Don Hermann Wildgaret, accompanied us, and explained the
peculiarities of the many interesting plants, from Europe, Asia,
Africa, America, Australia, New Zealand, and the various islands of
the North and South Pacific and Indian Oceans. The climate of
Teneriffe is so equable, that the island forms a true garden of
acclimatisation for the vegetable productions of the various countries
of the world; by the judicious expenditure of a little more money,
this establishment might be made an important means of introducing to
Europe many new and valuable plants. At present the annual income is
5,000 francs, the salary of the Curator being 1,000 francs.

A rough drive over paved roads, commanding extensive views of sea and
rocks, and of some palm-trees on a promontory in the distance, brought
us, at about seven o'clock, to the boat, which was waiting our return.
We arrived in due course on board the 'Sunbeam,' laden with bouquets
of the choicest flowers, and soon after dinner we all retired to bed,
not having yet recovered from the fatigues of yesterday.

_Monday, July 24th_.--What one gains in the beauty and abundance of
vegetable life here, one loses in its rapid and premature decay. Fruit
gathered in the morning is scarcely fit to eat at night, and the
flowers brought on board yesterday evening were dead to-day at 4.30
a.m.; whilst some of the roses we brought from Cowes lasted until we
reached Madeira, though it must be owned so many fell to pieces that
my cabin used to be daily swept with rose-leaves instead of
tea-leaves.

We went ashore soon after six, and drove straight to the garden of the
Marquis de Sonzal, where there is a beautiful palm-tree, 101 feet
high, the remains of an enormous dragon-tree, old even in the
fifteenth century, besides hedges of myrtle, jasmine, and clematis,
and flowers of every description in full bloom. The dragon-tree is a
species of dracaena, and looks rather like a gigantic candelabra,
composed of a number of yuccas, perched on the top of a gnarled and
somewhat deformed stem, half palm half cactus. Another beautiful
garden was next visited, belonging to the Marquis de la Candia, who
received us and showed us h