A DESCRIPTION OF THE CANARIES a.d. 



c. 1550. 



caves in the rocks, in great amity and brotherly love. 

 They spake all one language : their chiefe feeding was 

 gelt dogges, goates, and goates milke, their bread was 

 made of barley meale and goates milke, called Gofia, 

 which they use at this day, and thereof I have eaten 

 divers times, for it is accounted exceeding holesome. 



Touching the originall of these people some holde 

 opinion, that the Romans which dwelt in Africa exiled 

 them thither, aswell men as women, their tongues 

 being cut out of their heads, for blasphemy against the 

 Romane gods. But howsoever it were, their language 

 was speciall, and not mixed with Romane speech 

 or Arabian. 



This Hand is now the principallest of all the rest, 

 not in fertility, but by reason it is the seat of justice 

 and government of all the residue. This Hand hath a 

 speciall Governour for the Hand onely, yet notwithstand- 

 ing there are three Judges called Auditours, who are 

 superiour Judges, and all in one joyntly proceed as the 

 Lord Chanceller of any realme. 



To this city from all the other Hands come all such 

 by appeale, as have sustained any wrong, and these good 

 Judges do remedy the same. The city is called Civitas Civitas Pal- 

 Palmarum, it hath a beautifull Cathedrall church, with marum - 

 all dignities thereunto pertaining. For the publike 

 weale of the Hand there are sundry Aldermen of great 

 authority, who have a councell house by themselves. 

 The city is not onely beautifull, but the citizens curious 

 and gallant in apparell. And after any raine or foule 

 weather a man may goe cleane in Velvet slippers, because 

 the ground is sandy, the aire very temperate, without 

 extreame heat or colde. 



They reape wheat in February, and againe in May, 

 which is excellent good, and maketh bread as white as 

 snow. This Hand hath in it other three townes, the one 

 called Telde, the second Galder, and the third Guia. It 

 hath also twelve sugar houses called Ingenios, in which 

 they make great quantity of good sugar. 



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