96 : The Atlantic 



Phoenician coins were discovered about one hundred years ago on the 

 island of Madeira. These coins were said to have been examined by 

 archaeologists and to have been identified as the coins of the fourth 

 century b.c. Unfortunately, the circumstances surrounding the discov- 

 ery were not beyond question and the coins themselves were carried 

 away before they could be given judicious study. It is possible, how- 

 ever, that Phoenician sailors got at least as far as the island of Ma- 

 deira. Sertorius, 80 b.c, was a Roman who was an exile in "Gades" 

 (Cadiz) in Spain. He reports that a group of sailors brought home 

 a ship and told of having been to the "Fortunate Isles" which He 

 in the Western Ocean. They described two islands which were said 

 to He 10,000 stades, or about 1,000 miles, from the African coast. 

 They said that the islands were protected from winds from the north 

 and the east, but received winds from the west and the south. From 

 these directions, the winds were gentle and brought plenty of rain 

 so that the grounds of the islands were fertile. This description could 

 apply to Madeira, there being two chief islands in the Madeira group. 

 But the distance which Sertorius reports would be quite wrong for 

 the Madeira group though it would be right for the Azores. 



The first authentic record of European occupation of the Canaries 

 was made by Juba, 25 b.c. to 25 a.d., who lived and ruled in North 

 Africa, and is therefore referred to as a Numidian. He was the sec- 

 ond person of this name; his father, after he was defeated by the 

 Romans in 46 b.c, committed suicide. The son was taken to Rome 

 by Julius Caesar where he acquired an education. Octavius, that is 

 Augustus Caesar, allowed Juba to resume the rule of his father's king- 

 dom, and later Juba was made king of Morocco. Juba married Cleo- 

 patra Selene, the daughter of Cleopatra and Antony. 



Juba promoted an expedition to the Canary Islands and, based on 

 the findings of this expedition, supplied a good description of the 

 islands of the group. This included a description of the characteristic 

 trees of the island, of the active volcano on Teneriflfe, called by the 

 Portuguese Pico de Tyede, and of the "banner cloud" which condenses 

 on the leeward side of that peak. The islands were described as being 

 inhabited by dogs, and this is thought to have accounted for the name 

 which is still attached to this group. Goats and lizards were also 

 found. Signs of human habitation were reported, but no human be- 

 ings were seen. Is it possible that they were there, and retreated before 

 the invaders.'' We do not know, but it is certain that when the Portu- 

 guese rediscovered the Canary Islands they were inhabited by a sav- 

 age, primitive and very interesting tribe known as the Guanches. 



