in Ancient Geography, an island on the coast of Troas, at the distance of 40 stadia from the continent, and 80 in compass; with a cognominal Æolian town, and a temple of Apollo Smintheus. Its origin is derived from Tennes or Tenes, who being exposed in a coffin or bogy by his father Cygnus the Thracian, at the instigation of the mother-in-law, was by fate carried to this island, made king of it, and at length worshipped as a god on account of his virtues. The island was famous for its earthen ware, for which purpose it had an excellent red clay; and hence Bochart would derive the appellation from tinedum, a "red clay." Tenedia securis, is a proverbial saying to denote severity; from a law there passed, that persons found in the act of adultery should be put to death; a severity executed on the king's son; and therefore, in the coins of Tenedos, on one side are two heads, in memorial of the king and his son, and on the reverse an axe, (Aristotle). This island still retains its ancient name; and is one of the smallest islands of the Archipelago, situated near the coast of Lesser Asia, west of the ruins of Troy. It is chiefly rocky, but fertile, being remarkable for producing the best Muscadine wine in the Levant; and its position, thus near the mouth of the Hellespont, has given it importance in all ages; vessels bound towards Constantinople finding shelter in its port, or safe anchorage in the road, during the Etesian or contrary winds, and in foul weather. The emperor Justinian erected a magazine to receive the cargoes of the corn ships from Alexandria, when detained there. This was a lofty building, 280 feet long, and 90 broad. The voyage from Egypt was rendered less precarious, and the grain preserved until it could be transported to the capital. Afterwards, during the troubles of the Greek empire, Tenedos experienced a variety of fortune. The pirates, who infested these seas, made it for many years their place of rendezvous; and Othman seized it in 1302, procured vessels, and thence subdued the other islands of the Archipelago. Teneriff, an island of Africa, and one of the Canaries, being the most considerable for riches, trade, and extent. It lies to the south of the island of Salvages, to the west of the Grand Canary, to the north of the island of Gomera, and to the east of that of Palma. It is of a triangular form, being about 45 miles in length and 20 in breadth; and in the centre is the famous peak, called by the natives El Pico de Teide, which in clear weather may be seen at the distance of 120 or even 140 miles, like a thin blue vapour very little darker than the sky.

The most frequented harbour is called Santa Cruz, which is on the south side of the island, and where ships with good anchors and cables may be safe in all weathers. At this port is the principal commercial town in the island, called also Santa Cruz, in the middle of which is a mole, built at a vast expense, for the convenience of landing; between the mole and the town is a fort called St Philip's, and near it is a steep rocky den or valley, beginning at the sea shore, and running far inland, which would render the attack of an enemy very difficult; there are also other forts for its defence, all joined together by a thick stone wall, and mounted with cannon.

Santa Cruz is a large town, containing several churches and convents, an hospital, and the best constructed private buildings of any in the Canary islands. It contains about 7000 inhabitants; it is not fortified on the land side, and all the country near it is dry, stony, and barren.

About four leagues to the south of Santa Cruz, close to the sea, there is a cave, with a church called the chapel of our Lady of Candelaria, in which is an image of the Virgin Mary, that is held in as much reverence here as that of Diana was at Ephesus. This chapel is endowed with so many ornaments that it is the richest place in all the seven islands. At a certain season of the year almost all the inhabitants go thither on pilgrimage, and innumerable and incredible stories are related and universally believed concerning this image.

About four miles inland from Santa Cruz stands the city of St Chrysostom de la Laguna, which is the metropolis of the island, and contains two parish churches and five convents, but has no trade, being inhabited principally by the gentry of the island. It contains, according to Humboldt, about 9000 inhabitants, and stands in a plain 2300 feet above the sea, in which however wheat is cultivated. There are many other towns in the island which contain a great number of people, but none are more than three leagues from the sea.

All the fertile ground within a league of the sea is covered with vines; that of the next league is sown with corn, the third is adorned with woods, and above the woods are the clouds, for the island gradually ascends from the sea, rising on all sides till it terminates in the peak, which is the centre.

On the south-east of the island inland from Candelaria is a town called Guimar, where there are some families which know themselves to be the genuine unmixed offspring of the original natives; but they know nothing of the manners of their ancestors, nor have they preserved any remains of their language. They are fairer than the Spaniards of Andalusia.

Teneriff contains about 65,000 persons, supposed to be equal to the number of inhabitants of all the rest of the seven islands put together. The peasants in general are wretchedly clothed; when they do appear better, they are habited in the Spanish fashion. The men, in a gentler line, dress very gayly, and are seldom seen without long swords. It is remarked, that few of them walk with dignity and ease; which may be attributed to the long cloaks they usually wear. The women wear veils; those worn by the lower ranks are of black stuff, those of the higher of black silk; and such among the latter as have any claim to beauty are far from being over careful in concealing their faces by them. The young ladies wear their fine long black hair plaited, and fastened with a comb or a ribbon on the top of the head.

The common people, and in this they resemble the inhabitants of most of the islands in the Pacific ocean lately discovered, have in them a strong tendency to thieving; they are besides lazy, and the most unfortunate beggars in the world. "I observed likewise (says Mr White) that the itch was so common among them, and had attained such a degree of virulence, that one would almost be led to believe it was epidemic there. Some of the women are so abandoned and shameless, that it would be doing an injustice to the prostitutes met with in the streets of London to say they are like them. The females of every degree are said to be of an amorous constitution, and addicted to intrigue; for which no houses could be better adapted than those in Teneriff.

"The manufactures carried on here are very few, and the product of them little more than sufficient for their own consumption. They consist of taffetas, gauze, coarse linens, blankets, a little silk, and curious garters. The principal dependence of the inhabitants is on their wine (their staple commodity), oil, corn, and every kind of stock for shipping. With these the island abounds; and, in their season, produces not only the tropical fruits, but the vegetable productions of the European gardens, in the greatest plenty."

The height of the peak of Teneriff has been variously estimated and calculated by different travellers and geographers. Dr Halley allows but two miles and a quarter from the level of the sea to the summit of the sugar-loaf, whilst the Spanish account of the Canary islands, translated by Mr Glas in 1763, makes it no less than five miles. Borda, however, found its height by trigonometrical measurement to be 1905 toises, or 12,181 feet. Humboldt has described the different zones characterized by certain vegetables on the sides of this mountain. At the bottom lies a plain 3320 feet above the sea, covered chiefly with arborecent heaths, in which there is a spring whose temperature is 65° Fahrenheit. Above this is the region of arborecent ferns, which is succeeded by one of junipers and pines. Next to this, at the height of 9100 feet, is a sandy plain, characterized by the spartium nubigenum, a species of broom. All above this the surface is nearly covered with masses of obsidian and pumice; and a little higher, traces of vegetation getation almost entirely disappear. Near the summit, and before sunrise, the travellers observed a singular phenomenon; luminous points floating and moving in the air, which proved to be the images of several stars, magnified by vapours. Humboldt saw the sun rise from a place near the summit, and found that the upper limb of that luminary was visible 12 minutes 55 seconds sooner than it should be in the plain by calculation. The crater is surrounded by a parapet of compact lava, and is of an elliptical form, 300 feet long by 200 broad. At the bottom the heat was perceptible only at a few crevices, from which the aqueous vapours issued with a buzzing noise. When thrust into these the thermometer rose to 122 or 135 of Fahrenheit. The vapours consist of pure water. The depth of the crater is about 110 feet. The temperature at the summit was 37° in the middle of June. The air was extremely clear, the sky of the deepest blue, and prospect most magnificent.