A DESCRIPTION OF THE CANARIES a.d. 



c. 1550. 



store of sugar and fire-wood. Out of this Hand is 

 laden great quantity of wines for the West India, and 

 other countreys. The best groweth on a hill side called 

 the Ramble. 



There is in that Hand a faire city, standing three 

 leagues from the sea, nere unto a lake called Laguna, 

 wherein are two faire parish churches, there dwelleth 

 the governour who ruleth all that Hand with justice. 

 There are also aldermen for the publike weale, who buy 

 their offices of the king : the most of the whole in- 

 habitants of this city are gentlemen, merchants, and 

 husband men. 



There are other foure townes called Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz. 

 Larotava, Rialeio, and Garachico. 



In this Hand before the conquest dwelt seven kings, 

 who with all their people dwelt in caves, and were 

 clothed in goat skinnes, as the Canaria people were, and 

 used such like order of diet as they had. Their order 

 of buriall was, that when any died, he was carried naked 

 to a great cave, where he was propped up against the 

 wall standing on his feet. But if he were of any 

 authority among them, then had he a staffe in his hand, 

 and a vessell of milke standing by him. I have seene 

 caves of 300 of these corpses together, the flesh being 

 dried up, the body remained as light as parchment. 

 These people were called Guanches, naturally they spake 

 another language cleane contrary to the Canarians, and so 

 consequently every Hand spake a severall language. 



Note (gentle reader) that the Hand of Canaria, the He 

 of Tenerif, and the He of Palma appertaine to the king 

 of Spaine, unto whom they pay fifty thousand duckats 

 yeerely for custome t and other profits. All these Hands 

 joyntly are one bishopricke, which pay to the bishop 

 twelve thousand duckats yeerely. And thus I conclude 

 of the He of Tenerif, which standeth in 27 degrees and 

 a halfe, as I have before declared. 



[Gomera 

 131 



