This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1907 Excerpt: ... THE CUP OF THE CALDERA I A GIRL stood at the mouth of a cave, and the snow-white cotton of her dress gleamed with brilliance almost dazzling under the sun's eye against her dark background. Like an eagle's nest on some rocky eyrie, only to be approached by winged things, appeared the strange home of the girl. Seen from afar it hung a black speck on the terrific acclivities of a dead volcano; upon nearer approach it proved not difficult of access by a narnow and sinuous pathway which wound over the cinders of mighty fires long since cold. Caldera de Baldama lies in that region of Grand Canary known as the Monte; and its enormous cup, fringed all about with flowing strata, petrified wave on wave, spread its circumference around the watcher, where she stood by her home, like a white dove beside its nest. The prevailing black of the gaunt cliffs, which represented the mouth of the crater, was much diversified by the red and yellow of iron deposits. These brilliant colours flamed along the sombre lips of the volcano where they bene in a noble sweep; and below this complete ring of great and lesser precipices, wide slopes of pumice or lava detritus converged in gradual declivities to a plain at the bottom of the cup. These great and gloomy banks lacked not for foliage and many flowers; while just beyond the actual spread of the Caldera there extended mile upon mile of dark, cinerulent hillsides sacred to the vines. In the cup itself brilliant pink and scarlet geraniums grew in great clumps; giant agaves broke the downward sweep of the hills, and the prickly-pear spread barriers along the slopes and ledges. Blue cineraria and crimson poppy adorned this vast hollow of ashes; while far below, where vegetation dwindled in distance to a mere jade-green mistiness, seen...