The Churches here are ^ ^richly ornamented with Images as in other
Roman Catholic Countries, and attended by a number of all-
-pious Priests, cloathd [sic] very shabbily, I suppose to shew their
Contempt of the World – this side of the Island is very moun-
-tainous much encumberd [sic] with Stones and has a very parched
and barren Appearance, some Figs, Vines, Euphorbia canarien-
-sis, Aloe americanae and the Semper vivum canariensa are
met with on the Hills but few or no other Plants – The Road
to Laguna is ascending, extremely stoney and uneaven, distance
5 or 6 Miles – in going there "we" met with a Syngenesious Plant
like the Baccharis menifolia, a small Trifolium and a
Number of Aloes, which at this Time were beautifully in Bloom.
The Laguna Town of Laguna is nearly as large as Santa Cruz
built in the same Stile [sic] but has a more ancient Appearance – it
contains a Square in a Corner of which is a fine Fountain, by
which "I" suppose the Town is principally supplied with Water –
near the Fountain is a large Prison which at this Time containd [sic]
many Prisoners of both Sexes, who looked thro' the Bars and
begd [sic] very heartily – In "our" Return, we met with an old Gen
-tleman who took a particular Fancy to a large ugly Knife "we"
had to gather Lichens with, and wanted to purchase it, with much
ado he was prevaild [sic] on to accept it, in return he askd [sic] "us" to his
House and entertaind [sic] us with Fruit and some excellent Wine
with the Spirit of true Spaniard, making a great display of
his Plate and riches, in many Utensils "we" had not the least
Occasion for – "We" visited a Nunnery of the Order of S^t Dominic
in the Chappel [sic] was a fine statue of the Virgin Mary, with four
Wax Candles burning before her, peeping thro the Bars of the
Convent "we" perceivd [sic] several fine young Women at Prayers, a
middle aged Woman opend [sic] the Door half way but would by