160 



J J 



in all the seven islands another tree of that nature, nor in the 

 whole of Spain, nor is there living man who has seen another 

 anywhere else; and for that reason it appears to be a mystery 

 of God who wished to supply water in such a manner as a con- 

 solation to the people who should have been thrown into that 

 island where there never were wells or springs. 5 ' 



In regard to the identity of the Garoe or Til, Dr. G. V. Perez 

 writes to the Director: " I feel positive that the tree in question 

 was Oreodaphne foetens, Nees, chiefly because of the fruit, which 

 is so like that of the Oak, with which the first Spanish settlers 

 were familiar, different species of Oak being common in Spain. 

 Among the different species of Lauraceae peculiar to the 

 Atlantic flora and common in our evergreen forests, the one 

 which has largest leaves, and where water appears to me to be 

 more abundantly condensed is the tree in question. 



Dr. Perez further writes that " Viera y Clavijo, the historian 

 of the Canary Islands, in repeating the description from Father 

 Juan de Abreu Galindo, recognised that the Garoe only owed 

 its distilatory virtues to its frondosity, to its advantageous posi- 

 tion and to the mountain mists that formed about it daily and 

 that there was nothing supernatural in it; and the explanation 

 oi Father Abreu Galindo, Avho saw it, measured it and observed 

 the tree himself, is enough to explain everything without appeal- 

 ing to the miraculous. " 



Although the Bimbaches of Hierro were friendly to the 

 Spanish invaders led by Jean de Bethencourt at the beginning 

 of the 15th century, it is clear that they did not wish them to 

 remain long on the island. This may be gathered from the 

 following story relating to the rain-tree published by Claude 

 Duret in his Histoire Admirable (1605); Chapter xv., accom- 

 panied by a picture (here reproduced at Fig. A), is devoted 



*i 



- 





i 





Fig. A.— The Canary Kain Tree: from Duret, Histoire Admirable (1605) 







te an account of the H 

 heading: " D'un certain 



port-eaux 



