About four the excursionists started on their return; and all of them walked, for, if any were tired enough to ride, they were too proud to say so. When they had gone about half of the distance, the stage passed them; but it immediately stopped, and Dona Maria and her father stepped out of it. “Maria insists upon walking with the young gentlemen,” said Don Roderigue apologetically. “I am dead of that stage!” protested the maiden. She placed herself at the side of Scott, and walked along as briskly as any of the party. She wanted to talk English; and she was very proud of the progress she had made since the students had first come to her father’s _quinta_. Of course there was no such thing as fatigue after the fair girl joined the party. The officers were inclined to rally Scott a good deal on account of his relations with the fair Portuguese: but he did not appear to be smitten; and, as she did not understand English well enough to appreciate his humor, she was not the company he liked best. The next day another excursion was made into the country in another direction; but it was about the same thing as before. The students wanted to make the ascent of the peak of Teneriffe; but the undertaking was too difficult, if not too dangerous, for the principal to sanction it. On the third day after the arrival of the squadron, it sailed again for Las Palmas. A couple of days were spent there; and the vessels proceeded to the north side of the island of Teneriffe, and anchored off the _Puerto de Orotava_. Dr. Winstock was very anxious that the students should visit this place. Dr. Phelps, the passenger in the Marian, declared that he should spend the winter there; and he was of the opinion that he should bring a dozen patients with him, for, after he had carefully examined the situation, he was satisfied that it was superior to Fayal, Madeira, Nassau, or any other place, as a health resort for persons with weak or diseased lungs. The doctor’s usual party walked out to the town, which is only a couple of miles inland; and Dona Maria insisted upon accompanying them. “This town is enclosed by mountains, as you see, from three to seven thousand feet high, on all sides except the seaward. It is sheltered from all the bad winds,” said Dr. Winstock. “But this is April; and we can’t tell how it feels in the winter,” suggested Dr. Phelps, who had joined his professional friend. “But I have been here in the winter: the glass never falls below fifty, nor gets above eighty-two. It is the most uniform climate in the world,” replied Dr. Winstock with enthusiasm. “But you mention thirty-two degrees variation.” “You have over a hundred variation in the Northern States. But I mentioned the rarest extremes. No average for a month is below sixty-two, or above seventy-two. An invalid may sleep all the year round with his windows open; and fires are never needed.”