Gran

fharp than Canary. As it is but in little efteem in Europe, they export it chiefly to the Weft Indies, where it keeps well for a long time in the hotteft climates. Befides Malmsey, Verdona, and the common Canary wine, Teneriffe island so abounds in all kinds of grain, wheat, maiz, and barley, that great quantities are shipped off to other countries; nor is it lefs prolific in quadrupeds and birds of all kinds. In a word, exclufive of fome inconveniences from earthquakes and volcanos, the universe presents not a more delightful fpot for contemplation, ease, and all the felicities of quiet life f.

Eaft-fouth-eaft, and about ten leagues diftant from TeCanaria. neriffe, stands the island of Gran Canaria or Great Canary, between 27 and 28 deg. of north latitude (G). It is twelve leagues in length, and nearly as much in breadth. Prevoft calls this ifland the chief of the Canaries, without affigning any other reason than its name, and the refidence of a bishop; from which last circumftance we may collect, that either this prelate has palaces in the different islands, or that all the larger ones are diftinct fees. The truth we believe is, that though the viceroy, the bishop, and all the people of diftinction live in Teneriffe, yet the island of Canary is a bishop's fee, fuffragran to the archbishop of Seville in Spain; for, befides this, there is here a court of inquifition, and the fovereign council of all the Canaries is held here occafionally. Nay more, in Nicolls's time it is certain, there was only one bishop of the Canary Islands; and no alteration in this particular is pofitively mentioned by any author. The capital of this ifland is called Palma; in Latin, Civitas Palmarum; in Spanish, Cividad das Palmas, a name by which it is fpecified in all the public acts and particular contracts, or procedures of juftice, yet do fome authors call it Canary. It ftands on the north part of the island, at a small distance from the fea, and is celebrated for its temperate climate, extent, neatnefs, and other particulars. It is adorned with a

f Sprat's Hiftory of the Royal Society, p. 209. La Croix, p. 675, & feq. Prevoft, tom. iii. liv. v. cap. 1. Purchas's Pilgrims, lib. xii. cap 7. p 788. Davity, tom. v. p. 610. Sanut. lib. iii. Linschot, cap. 97. Cadamoft. apud Ramus. cap. 7.

(G) Some writers, and in particular Davity and La Croix, make the distance between these islands about four

teen leagues; but we have fixed upon the authority of Nicolls, who had long been an inhabitant of the Canaries.

mag

magnificent cathedral, several convents, and a number of elegant buildings, which render it little inferior to Laguna; and it is perhaps fuperior in point of police, all the principal men of wealth and credit acting in the capacity of civil magiftrates.

The country is more level, and as fertile as Teneriffe, yet the foil is light and fandy, covered over by a coat of rich mould, about fixteen inches thick. Every year produces two crops of all kinds of vegetables, except fruits; the one in February, and the other in May, and both plentiful. Their flour-bread in this ifland is efpecially excellent, both in taste and colour; in which laft it rivals fnow itself. Sugar-canes are raised in fuch abundance, that there are no lefs than twelve fugar-works, each fo large as to be mistaken by ftrangers for little towns; and the abundance of this commodity conftitutes the principal wealth of the island, incredible quantities of coarse fugar being yearly exported. Le Maire fpecifies four convents of different orders; viz. the Francifcan, Dominican, Bernardine, and Cordelier houses, all of them rich and well built.

The island of Fuerte, or Fuerte Ventura, ftands about Fuerte fixteen leagues north-north-east of Canary island, one end Ventura. of it lying under the 28th, and the other extending almoft to the 29th degree of north latitude, being about fifty miles in length, and variable in its breadth; in fome parts ten leagues, in others no more than as many miles. The foil is in general fertile in corn, roots, and fruits, and beautifully diverfified in hills and vallies, well watered and supplied with a variety of timber. This island pro-` duces, befides the other fruits common to the Canaries, a prodigious abundance of dates, maftick, and olives, with orchel for dyeing, and a fpecies of fig-tree that yields a medicinal balm as white as milk; but the virtues of it are wholly unknown in Europe. An incredible quantity of goat-milk cheese is made in Fuerte Ventura, as may be eafily conceived from that ifland's breeding upwards of fifty thousand kids every year. The flesh is fat, better coloured, and sweeter, than in any other country; each of them weighing between forty and fifty pounds. Dapper fays, that here are three confiderable fea-port towns, Langla, Tarafato, and Pozzo Negro, with two good roads befides for fhipping, where they may ride fecure against all storms. We find in Herbert, but in no other author, that this ifland was taken in 1596 by the English; but has, fince

Lancerota.

that time, been better fortified. On the north coaft of Fuerte Ventura, about a mile farther in the fea, it is that the little ifland of Gratiofa ftands; with a particular account of which it would be unneceffary to trouble the reader.

The last island of the Canaries we fhall defcribe is Lancerota, or Lanzerota, formerly Centuria, as we find it in all the ancient geographers. It lies under 29 deg. 30 min. north latitude, and 12 deg. 31 min. weft longitude from London. In length it is thirteen leagues from north to fouth, nine in breadth, and about forty in compaís, taking in the bays and creeks. It is parted by a ridge of mountains which afford nothing but pafture for cattle, though the vallies are fruitful, but fandy, and thin in the foil. It abounds in grain, fruits, horned cattle, hares, camels, and affes. In Nicolls's days it was the property of Don Auguftin de Herrera; but fhips crews had an appeal, in all judicial cafes, to the viceroy of the Canaries. One great branch of the trade of Lancerota consists in dried goats flesh, which the inhabitants fell in great quantities to the neighbouring iflands, under the name of tuffineta.

To thefe feven great iflands may be added the small ones of St. Clair, Gratiofa, Rocca, and Alegranza, fituated at the north-east end of Lancerota; but they have nothing fo peculiar as to merit a defcription. We shall therefore clofe thefe obfervations on the Canaries with remarking, that the natives of these islands enjoy a clear, ferene, temperate air; for though they lie in a warm climate, they are fo conftantly refreshed with breezes from the fea, that the noon-day heats are very tolerable, and the mornings and evenings inexpreflibly pleafant. They never feel pinching colds or fcorching heats, nor do the poorest people know the want of cloathing, firing, fruits, or wine. In a word, if fields covered with the finest and richeft verdure, hills with a variety of woods and fruits, great abundance of all the neceffaries and conveniencies of living, and, in short, a fcene the most rural, fimple, and elegant, can render people happy, the inhabitants of the Canaries cannot fail of meriting the name given to them by the ancients, of Fortunate.

SECT.

WE come, in the last place, to defcribe the islands of Madeira.

Madeira and Porto Santo, from the lame and

defective materials furnifhed us from voyagers and geographers.

Some imagine, that Madeira was known to the ancients by the names of Juno and Antetala; but it is probable the Portuguese were the firft difcoverers, unless there be truth in the following relation of Ovington. This gentleman fays, that though the difcovery is attributed by all Europeans to the Portuguefe, yet there is a tradition among the natives, which gives the whole honour to the English. They affirm, that an English gentleman, who had married a lady of immenfe fortune, embarked at Bristol, in the year 1342, for France, and was driven by a florm to the island of Madeira, fo called afterwards by the Spaniards, on account of the incredible quantity of trees and prodigious forests it produced. Here he landed, and finding it uninhabited, fell into melancholy and defpondency, which foon put an end to his life; but the failors ventured again to fea, and happily arrived on the coaft of Barbary. There they met with a Portugucfe fquadron, to whom they related their adventure, and promised to conduct the admiral to the island they had quitted. Immediately notice was fent to the court of Lisbon, and the propofal appeared fo advantageous, that inftructions were given to an admiral, with whofe name we are unacquainted, to go in fearch of the ifland; in which he fucceeded, and, in the fpace of a few years, rendered it one of the moft delightful fpots in the univerfe. However, the moft probable and best attefted account is, that the Portuguese did not become acquainted with Madeira before the year 1431, when Don Henry firft fent a colony thither, under the conduct of Triftan Teffora and Gonzales or Gonzalvo Zarco, who were nominated governors alternately, or, as others affirm, of different parts of the ifland. Upon this partition of power, it was divided into two provinces, Machico and Funchal: the new colonists immediately fet to work in clearing the ground, and, for this purpofe, fet fire to the forefts, which burnt with fuch violence, that the governor and people were forced to feek protection from the flames

flames in the fea, in which they had almost perished, before they were taken up by a ship. So abundant was the fewel, and fierce the flames, that this fire continued, we are told, for near feven years; in confequence of which, the foil was fo enriched by the wood-afhes, that, for a long time, it produced one hundred fold; though we are told, this increafe is diminished to twenty-five times the quantity of grain fown, or fugar-canes planted (H). At firft the colony confifted of no more than eight hundred fouls: now, if we may credit Atkins, the island of Madeira can raise eighteen thousand able-bodied men; nor were they much inferior in ftrength in the year 1640, when, by that furprising revolution, Portugal threw off the Spanish yoke.

This ifland, Barbout is of opinion, is the Carne of the ancients, lying in 32 deg. of north latitude, and 17 of weft longitude from London, feventy leagues north-weft, or, according to fome authors, north-east of Teneriffe,

(H) Atkins and Ovington both affirm, upon the teftimony of the Spaniards and natives, that the afhes, and their falts, occafioned, for a while, an amazing fertility, particularly in fugar; but that a worm, which had crept in, to the deftruction of the cane, obliged the Spaniards to convert their fugar-plantations into vintages, which proved equally advantageous, from the excellency of the grape.

The malmfey wine made here is, according to them, an admirable cordial; and the best vintages in this kind belonged to the Jefuits of Funchal. They gather their vintages in September and October, making every year no less than twenty thousand pipes. The fame authors affirm, that Madeira produces only two kinds of grapes, the one brown, the

other of a reddifh colour, and from these are made two forts of wine, one of which is called tinto, from its high colour. This, they fay, is, in the opinion of fome perfons, actually coloured by certain ingredients, with which they fine it; but this the inhabitants conftantly deny; and we shall fee in the text four several distinct kinds of Madeira wine. Ovington adds, that fo far has Madeira degenerated from wonted fertility, that fome years are fo barren as to endanger a famine, the inhabitants being forced to rely for bread on the fupplies brought by the fhipping. This was the cafe in the year 168, when he was on the island (1). Captain Uring goes farther, and affirms, that it feldom produces more grain than fupplies the people for three months (2).

(1) Atkins, p. 23. (2) Ovington, p. 10. Uring's Voy. p. 10.

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