igoo-i.] Spanish Documents Relative to the Canary Islands. 31 



in the islands French, Portuguese, Irish, and natives of many different 

 provinces of Spain, as well as Jews of various origins, and Indians or 

 emigrants from the islands who have returned after many years spent 

 in all parts of America, it will be understood how many foreign words 

 have naturalized themselves in the country. 



" However, the difficulties of the problem do not cease here, since it 

 is complicated by the thousands of negro slaves and captive Moriscos, 

 who, in some islands more, in others fewer, have dwelt in all since the 

 time of the first conqueror, Juan Bethencourt, until our day. It is not 

 too rash to assert that, at certain periods, the half of the population of 

 Lanzerote and Fuerteventura was Arab and Morisco. As the clergy 

 and the inquisitors went about, always on the lookout for the filtration 

 of heresy through the chinks of toleration, they employed every kind of 

 means to put an end to it. In the parochial archives of Betancuria 

 (island of Fuerteventura) there may be read in the book of visitation, 

 drawn up for the delegation by the licentiate Aceituno in 1660 — ' that 

 the Moriscos generally speak the Morisco language, and teach their 

 children to speak it, and not to speak our language ; for which reason it 

 has been commanded and is commanded that, from this time forward, 

 no Morisco shall speak the said language nor teach it to his children, 

 under the penalty of 300 maravedis for each offence.' In the 

 instructions of the bishop Zimenez in 1666 (according to the same 

 archives) it is ordained that, ' from this time forward, the said Arabic 

 language shall not be spoken, neither Traigan nor Alquiceles nor 

 Tagolines ; that the Moriscos, male and female, and other persons, shall 

 not sing Morisco songs in the Arabic language, such being a scandalous 

 thing and full of suspicion.' The same took place in the island of 

 Lanzerote. In the archives of the Puebla of Teguise, referring to 1665, 

 appears this decision, ' that, being informed that the Moriscos of this 

 island commonly make use of the Algarabian tongue of the Moors, and 

 teach their children to speak it, the evil be not permitted to continue.' 



" Until far on in the eighteenth century, down to the reign of 

 Charles III., the freebooters of the islands sustained intimate relations 

 with those of the neighbouring coast (of Africa), visiting each other, 

 inter-marrying, and maintaining amicable and family connections. It 

 is an undoubted truth that the pirates of the nearest coast of the main- 

 land, which is removed by but half a dozen hours of navigation from the 

 islands, had as many Canarians of tiie isles as Moriscos in the mutual 

 cabalgadas and razzias which they made. Some years ago I went 

 through these regions, accompanied by certain friends, to examine the 

 scene where were summoned the dwellers in one of the various forts or 



