157 



* 



-and was translated into English and published by George Ghis 

 in 1764 ^London). Its title is " The History of the Discovery 

 and Conquest of the Canary Islands : with an enquiry into the 

 Origin of the Ancient Inhabitants." Glas, who had himself 

 travelled much in the (ana lies, but had not visited llierro, 

 writes thus about the island and its water supply: — " This 

 , island produce^ better grass, herbs, and Howers than any of the 



other islands, so that bees thrive and multiply here extremely, 

 and make excellent honey. The wine of Hierro is poor, weak, and 

 bad, insomuch that the natives are obliged to distil the greatest 

 part of it into brandy. There are only three fountains of water 

 in the whole island, (me of them is called Acof, which, in t he 

 language of the ancient inhabitants, signifies river; a name, 

 however, which does not seem to to have been given to it on 

 account of its yielding much water, for in that respect it hardly 

 deserves the name of a fountain. More to the northward is 

 another, called Hapio; and in the middle of the island is a 

 spring, yielding a stream about the thickness of a man's finger. 

 This last was discovered in the vear 1565, and is called the 

 > Fountain of Anton Hernandez. On account of the scarcity of 



water, the sheep, goats, and swine here do not drink in the 

 summer, but are taught to dig up the roots of fern, and chew 

 them to quench their thirst. The great cattle are watered at 

 those fountains, and at a place where water distils from the 

 leaves of a tree. Many writers have made mention of this 

 famous tree ; some in such a manner as to make it appear miracu- 

 lous; others again deny the existence of any such tree, among 

 whom is Father Feyjoo, a modern Spanish author, in his 

 Theatro Critico. But he, and those who agree with him in this 

 matter, are as much mistaken as they who would make it appear 

 to be miraculous. This is the onlv island of all the Canaries 

 which I have not been in ; but I have sailed with natives of 

 ' llierro, who, when questioned about the existence of this tree, 



answered in the affirmative." 



Glas then goes on to give an account of the Ifain-tree from the 

 Spanish manuscript, as follows: — " The district in which this 

 tree stands is called Tigulahe, near to which, and in the cliff or 

 steep rocky ascent that surrounds the whole island, is a narrow 

 gutter or gully, which commences at the sea, and continues to 

 the summit of the cliff, where it joins or coincides with a valley, 

 which is terminated on the steep front of a rock. On the top 

 of this rock grows a tree, called, in the language of the ancient 

 inhabitants, Garsei, i.e.. Sacred or Holy Tree, which for many 

 years has been preserved sound, entire, and fresh. Its leaves 

 constantly distil such a quantity of water as is sufficient to 

 furnish drink to every living creature in Hierro; Nature having 

 provided this remedy for the drought of the island. It is situate 



* George Glas (17*25-1 765), a native of Dundee, made several voyages to 

 the West Coast of Africa and the Canary Islands. On some paltry excuse he 

 was imprisoned in Tenerife in 1764 for nearly a year, and on being released 

 took passage for England on board the English barque Sandwich. He 



killed during a mutiny on board the ship off the coast of Ireland. (See 

 Diet. National Biography). 



+ This is probably a misprint for Garoe. 



