It cannot be ascended but in _July_ and _August_, lying all the other Months covered with Snow, though upon this and the near adjacent Islands none is to be seen: It requires three Days travel to come to the top: The Merchants and other worthy Persons who undertook this Journey proceed thus. Having furnished ourselves with a Guide, Servants, and Horses to carry our Wine and Provision, we set forth from _Oratava_, a Port Town in the Island of _Teneriff_, situate on the North Side, two Mile distant from the main Sea, and travelled from twelve at Night till eight in the Morning, by which Time we got to the Top of the first Mountain toward the _Pico de Terraira_; there under a very large and conspicuous Pine Tree we took our Breakfast, dined, and refresht ourselves till two in the Afternoon. Then we passed through many sandy Ways, over many lofty Mountains, but naked and bare, and not covered with Pine Trees as our first Night's Passage was; this exposed us to excessive Heat, till we arrived to the Foot of the _Pico_, where we found divers huge Stones, which seemed to have fallen from some upper Part: About six in the Evening we began to ascend up the _Pico_, but were scarce advanced a Mile, when the Way being no more passable for Horses, we left them with our Servants. In the Ascent of one Mile, some of our Company grew very saint and sick, disordered by fluxes, Vomitings, and agueish Distempers, our Horses Hair standing up like Bristles, and calling for some of our Wine carried in small Barrels on an Horse, we found it so wonderfully cold, that we could not drink it till we had made a fire to warm it, notwithstanding the Air was very calm and moderate, but when the Sun was set, it began to blow with such Violence, and grew so cold, that taking up our Lodging among the hollow Rocks, we were necessitated to keep fires in the Mouths of them all Night.