fort of defpotic power, which they have acquired in confequence of their number, wealth, and influence, over the minds of the ignorant people. It is amazing that fo large a body of idle clergy can be maintained in fuch affluence by fo fmall a number of laborious laics; but fo it is, the poverty of the latter exactly tallies with the riches of the former; and as wealth ever implies power, the clergy have engroffed almost the whole prerogative of the island, the governor himself being little more than a cypher.

The inhabitants of Madeira always bury their catholic dead in their churches and confecrated grounds. The corpfe is dressed out with great magnificence, but feldom inclosed in a coffin; on the contrary, they mix lime with the duft, the fooner to confume it; fo different are their manners, in this particular from those of the Guanches in the neighbouring iflands. This mixture of burnt lime, and the warmth of the climate, have fo fudden an effect, that we are told a grave may be opened in the space of fifteen days, by which time the body is wholly reduced to

duft.

The bodies of heretics are forbid Chriftian burial, and regarded as the carcafles of brutes. Even the most confiderable English proteftant merchants are treated with the moft ignominious contempt, and forced to throw their dead bodies, as if they were on fhip-board, into the fea, unless they pay an extravagant price to the clergy for the liberty of breaking ground 5.

Some writers, and particularly Linfchoten, in their defcription of the Canary Islands, mention, as fomething fupernatural, a certain ifland, which they call St. Borondon, or Porondon, about a hundred leagues from Ferro, probably weft, though no writer has pretended to lay down its exact pofition. Here, it is affirmed, feveral fhips have touched by accident, and all agree in their relations of the ftate of the inhabitants and island. They affirm, that it is beautifully clothed with a great variety of wood, chiefly fruit-trees; that the vallies are in a perpetual ftate of verdure, and eternally decked with flowers, grafs, and plants, the fpontaneous productions of the earth, or with corn and pulfe, cultivated with great care by the inhabitants; that the foil is fo prolific as to raife large quantities. of corn for exportation; and that the fhips that call here h. Vide Gramay, lib. ix. Sanut. cap. 8, Davity, p. 621. Oving ton, p. 10, & feq. Atkins, p. 23, & feq. Hackl. tom. iii. p. 578. La Croix, tom. iv. par. iv. p. 509. Prevoft, tom. iii. liv. v. chap. 1.

never fail of refreshments of every kind. They morcover add, that it is peopled by Chriftians, who have a language of their own, apparently combined of a variety of modern languages; for, fay they, whoever understands the Enropean tongues, may make fhift to hold conversation with this people. It is remarkable, that no fhips, exprefsly fent upon this difcovery, were ever fortunate enough to fall in with the island of St. Borondon, though the Spaniards have made feveral attempts from the Canaries. Hence it has been called the Marvellous Ifland; and hence, indeed, we may conclude, that it exists only in imagination.

The island of Puerto Santo lies in the Atlantic ocean, Porte oppofite to Cape Cantin, in the kingdom of Morocco, Sante. and under 32 deg. 30 min. north latitude, and 5 deg. 29 min. weft longitude from London. Some writers, and particularly Ortelius, are of opinion, that this, and not Madeira, is the Carne of Ptolemy, while others affirm it, instead of one of the Canaries, to be the Ombrio, or Pluvialia, of Pliny: but most probable it is, that Puerto Santo is the island called Palma by Ptolemy, as the latitude exactly correfponds with his pofition of it, and with no other. According to La Croix, and the relations of voyages given by Ramufio, this ifland was difcovered feveral years before Madeira; and yet, what is ftrange, they make Gonzalvo Zarco the difcoverer; and Ramuflo relates the very fame circumftances of the one voyage, which Alcaforado does of the other. Other writers again affirm, that it was not known before the year 1428; and indeed it is probable, that the difcovery both of it and Madeira was ftill of later date. The Portuguese fleet fell in with this ifland by accident in a ftorm, and gave it this name on account of the protection it afforded them. It was then uninhabited; but has ever fince continued peopled by the Portuguese, and in their poffeffion. The island of Porto Santo is but small, not exceeding five leagues in compafs, according to Cadamofto; though Sanutus makes it fomewhat larger. It has good harbours, and only one bay, where fhips may ride fecurely against all winds, except the fouth-west. It is in this bay that fhips going or returning from India ftop to refit and refresh, which is all the trade the inhabitants enjoy. The ifland produces wheat and corn in great abundance; alfo cows, wild-boars, and rabbits; the latter in incredible numbers. But its moft valuable productions for export are dragon's blood, honcy, wax, and fish. All the inhaMOD. VOL. XII.

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bitants

bitants are bigotted Roman Catholics, under the spiritual jurifdiction of the bishop of Madeira, and the civil power of the governor of that ifland. In a word, the people here enjoy enough of all the conveniences of life to be extremely happy, were they not frequently molefted by the incurfions and depredations of pirates, who frequently plunder the villages, and carry off the inhabitants".

SECT. VIII.

The Azores, Terceras, or Western Inlands.

WE E fhall close this chapter with an account of the Azores, which fome geographers defcribe as belonging to Africa, others to America, and fome others, upon better grounds, to Europe. However, as they lie in the fame fea with thefe we have been juft defcribing, we think this the moft convenient part for them, especially as it is a difputed point to which of the above three quarters of the globe they belong. Robbe ranks the Azores among the African iflands; De Lifle, among the American, as being nearer that continent; and most of our English geographers, for the fame reafon, among thofe of Europe. Thefe iflands had the name of Azores, or Azoras, from feveral flights of hawks which appeared to the first difcoverers; they are alfo called Terceras, from one of them which goes by that name, and though not the largest, is yet the chief and most confiderable.

1

The Azores, Terceras, or Western Isles, are seven in ' number; namely, St. Michael, St. Maria, Tercera, Gratiofa, St. George, Pico, and Fayal, befides thofe of Flores and Corvo, which are now included among them, as they are under the fame government, and but feventy leagues diftant to the weftward. Formerly they were called the Flemish Iflands, because they were fuppofed to have been difcovered by a Flemish merchant, a native of Bruges, who, in his voyage to Lisbon, anno 1445, or as others think, in 1449, was driven fo far to the weft by a ftorm, as to fall in with the Azores, which he found uninhabited. Upon his arrival at Lifbon, he gave fuch hints, in relating his adventure, as were fufficient to engage that then enterprifing court in a farther difcovery, which fucceeded to

a Davity, tom. v. p. 621. La Croix, p. 707. etiam auct. fupra citat. ibid.

their wish. Antonio Gonzalo, in his Hiftory of the Dif coverers of the World, fays, that the great Don Henry, prince of Portugal, thought this fo confiderable an acquifition to the former difcoveries he had made, that he went in perfon to take poffeflion of the Azores, in 1449. Davity affirms, that the Flemish merchants, on the part of their countryman, fent a colony thither, which fettled in Fayal, where their defcendants continue to this day. In proof of this affertion, it is urged, that a river in this island is called by the Portuguese, Rio or Ribera dos Flamingos. All the others are undoubtedly inhabited by the Portuguese, under a governor of that nation, refiding at Angra, the capital of Tercera, and indeed of all the Azores. In spirituals, they are under the jurisdiction of the bishop of the Azores, whose capital refidence is at Punta Deglada, in the island of St. Michael.

In the year 1457, the inhabitants had a grant from Alphonfo V. exempting their trade from all duties to any of the ports of Spain and Portugal; and feveral other immunities and privileges were granted to this favourite colony. They lie between the 36th and 40th deg. of north latitude, and between the 23d and 32d deg. of west longitude, about three hundred leagues to the weftward of Portugal, nearly the fame diftance to the eastward of Newfoundland, and not much exceeding it to the northweft of the island of Madeira, or the African fide of the Streights of Gibraltar.. Ortelius has given a map of them from Texeira, the king of Spain's geographer, acquainting us at the same time, that, as foon as the fhips bound from Europe to America touch here, they are immediately freed from all the vermin that before infefted them; no fpecies of noxious or poifonous animals being able to live above a few hours in the Azores.

Befides the Azores, including Flores and Corvo, there are several smaller islands to the north-weft, which merit no particular defcription; one only excepted, which Kircher affirms, emerged all of a fudden out of the fea, at a place where fishermen ufed to found a hundred and twenty feet water. At first this ifland appeared in form of a group of rocks, filling up a fpace of five or fix acres of ground; but afterwards enlarged to as many miles in extent. This event was preceded by horrible earthquakes for near eight days; after which a violent fire broke out through the furface of the fea, flaming up to the clouds, and vomiting out prodigious quantities of fand, earth, ftones, and minerals, appearing at a diftance like large

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fleeces

St.Michael.

fleeces of wool, and falling down again to the furface of the water, upon which they fwam in a concrete form. This was followed by the emerfion of the rocks we have mentioned, and by fome others of greater height, which were broke in pieces by another fhock of an earthquake, and then united into one folid mafs, with the fcum fwimming on the top of the water. Such is the account of Kircher, which we will not attempt to defend, though that might poffibly be done by well attefted fimilar inftances; particularly of an island in the Archipelago, mentioned by Santorino, and fome other writers of unqueftioned veracity.

Their

The Terceras, or Azores Islands, are discovered a great way at fea, thirty leagues, fays Frezier, by a high mountain called the pico, or peak, of the Azores, of a conical form, like the peak of Teneriffe. All writers allow, that the Azores enjoy a clear ferene fky, and wholfome pleafant climate; and that they are fertile in corn, wine, fruits, and quadrupeds, both wild and tame. greatest inconvenience is their being subject, like the Canaries, to violent earthquakes, as well as to the fury of the furrounding waves, which frequently do an incredible deal of mischief to the inhabitants, by overflowing the low grounds, and fweeping off whole fields of grain and folds of cattle, breaking down their fences and overturning their houses.

The firft ifland in order is St. Michael, or, as the Portuguese call it, San Miguel, it being the moft eaftern and largeft, computed above twenty leagues in length. St. Michael has feveral confiderable towns and villages, extremely populous, and driving a large commerce in corn, wine, and cattle; but the harbours are bad and dangerous for fhipping. It ftands about eight leagues foutheaft of Tercera, and abounds with arable and pafture ground; though these advantages are more than compenfated by the conftant terror in which the inhabitants live, every moment expecting earthquakes and volcanos that will fwallow them up. This is a misfortune to which St. Michael is more liable, and oftener expofed, than any other of the Azores iflands. Kircher gives an account of a dreadful earthquake which happened here on the 26th of June, 1638, that continued for eight days, without intermiflion, and fo terribly fhook the ifland, especially the canton of Vargen, that the people abandoned their houfes in the utmolt terror and perturbation, living all

the