El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-19

covered the spars of the Eugene: and
10 repair some trif1ing damages of the
night We crept in shore.
| As day frightened through clouds
half rain, half mist, and wholly erav
or obscure, we saw the land LOOMING
high and dark. Beyond it in the dis
lance there was space of vivid light.
In the foreground, surf white as snow
was breaking on the beach. and high
over all, in mid-air lowered the won
drous Peak of Adam, on the eastern
side of which the sun Gas yet unrisen
TO us) was shining brightly when we
came to anchor in the harbor of Santa
Cruz.
we moored in thirty-three fathoms
water, about half a mile from the
shore, which in most places is steep
with green and lovely slopes rising
nigh above it. AS Capt. Weston pro-
posed to weigh next morning. he al
lowed me to go ashore, but sent with
me, to be guide and companion. Tom
Lambourne, the tattooed sailor. who
| had been frequently before at the
| Grand Canary, and in whom he repos-
ed great trust.
he gave me courier bag containing
some provisions, a flask of spirits. and
a telescope; and thus provided, old
Tom and /, with such emotions of
pleasure as two newly escaped school,
boys might feel, landed on the shore
which seemed to heave, sink. and rise
under my feet-for after the late storm
l still felt that which is termed 1.-The
roll of the ship"
1t was in this harbor of Santa Cruz
that the famous old English Admiral
Blake encountered, and within six
hours burned and sunk seven great
Spanish galleons. though they were
anchored under the protecting cannon
OF seven forts and a strong castle. in
the walls of which some of his shot
were shown imbedded for many years
after
cast longing eyes to the summit of
the mighty Peak of Adam. It seemed
to rise sheer from the sea, over which.
literally piercing the clouds, it towers
to the height of more than twelve
thousand feet; but the idea of attempt
Ing to climb it within so short a space |
OF time as We had to spend on shore |
never occurred to me, but what a feat |
1t would have been to relate when I |
returned to Erlesmere!
The morning was early yet; the sun
was barely above the now cloudless
horizon; so the shadow of this stupen-
oous cone was cast not only over the
whole island, which seems to form
merely its base, but to the far horizon,
perhaps beyond it; for there are writ
ers who assert that in clear weather
cape Bojadore, that dreary and bar
rem promontory Of Africa, ninety miles
distant, is visible from it's summit.
Did the waves of the sea ever over
dow that mighty peak? At such a
question the mind becomes lost in
conjecture.
AS l am not writing a descriptive
book of travels, but merely a plain
narrative OF my own very recent adj
ventures, 1 need not detail at great
ength, either the magnitude or the as ,
oect of this great island-mountain of
he Atlantic.
From cliffs Of dark-brown basalt- :
lgainst which the ocean pours in vain :
is foam and fury, we assembled the ;
teep slope of the volcano for a few =
niles. Then at our feet, as it were. !
We could see that fertile island, where :,
. perpetual spring seems to smile, and r
There the fragrant myrtle, the golden
range trees, and the dark funereal u
ypresses form the mere hedgerows of +,
hose plantations where the sugar. h
ane, the broad leaved plantain, the h
lsclous Indian fig, the trailing vine, r.
lie fragrant cinnamon, and the pretty h
oHee bush, were all fourishing in q
lxurtance that filed US with wonder NJ
nd pleasure. 81
Further off was the boundless sea, of
lat deep blue which it borrowed from m
lie sky above, and mirrored in its d.
epth were the shipping in the road
cad, with their white canvas hang 50
g loose to dry in the sun; the green ST
GODS and dark rocks reflected down. as
ard, and the old turreted castle Of A
lnta Cruz, with the scarlet and yell fl:
W banner of CASTLE and Leon on it's W
ne-worn ramparts. ar
The summit of the great cone, on the m
othed sides Of which we never tired ia
gazing, soon became lost in vapor; G.
r above the dark green belt of many gc
lies, named the Region of Laure1s, SC
id that other belt or forest of timber,
here pines, chestnuts, nd oaks of
st size mingle their varied foliage W
gether, the mountain seemed all of w;
olet tint, which paled away into faint M
lie as its apex mingled and became to
st amid the gossamer clouds. tn
The vines. in 1uxuriance, bordered tr
e pathway as we assembled, and it is to
Id that for years after the wine has so
en- taken from these isles to England, sh
elsewhere, it always ferments and tn
comes agitated when the wineries lii
I'm whence it came are in bloom; but
is tale may perhaps be as true as av
2 accounts of these mighty ruins br
itch Pliny AYERS once covered all the tn
rtunate islands, but of which no in