CANARY ISLES. 



3.37 



wards the reduction of these islands till tlic beginning 

 of the following century. During this interval, the 

 i.sland of Lancerota had been several times visited and 

 plundered by private adventurers, who, in one of 

 these expeditions, carried off a large booty of goat- 

 skins, tallow, and sheep, with about 170 of the in- 

 habitants, among whom were the king and queen of 

 the island. In 1 MX), a fleet was equipped at the pri- 

 vate expence of John de Betancour, a Norman ba- 

 ron, and Gadifer de la Sala, an inhabitant of Ro- 

 rhrlle, for the sole purpose of visiting the Fortunate 

 . When they landed at Lancerota, the natives, 

 dreading that they were come with the same hostile 

 intentions as their former visitors, retired into the 

 country ; but observing that the French remained in 

 the same situation for several days without attempt- 

 ing to molest them, they took courage, and even 

 ventured within the camp, where they were so kind- 

 ly treated by the chiefs of the expedition, that, laying 

 aside all apprehensions, they chearfully assisted the 

 French in erecting a fort, which was built at the 

 port of Rubicon. Pleased with the ready obedience 

 and quiet demeanour of the inhabitants, John de Be- 

 tancour determined to pass over to the neighbouring 

 island ; but here he met with a different reception 

 from what he had experienced at Lancerota. The 

 inhabitants were much stronger, and of a more war- 

 like disposition ; and gathering in great numbers, 

 compelled him to re-embark. Finding that it would 

 he impossible to accomplish the conquest of these 

 islands with such a handful of men, he set sail for 

 Spain, in order to procure fresh supplies ; and to 

 render more unquestionable his right of conquest, 

 he obtained a grant of the Canaries from Don Henry- 

 Ill, then King of Castile. During his absence, the 

 friendly intercourse between the French and the in- 

 habitants of .Lancerota had been broken by the cruel 

 and licentious behaviour of the garrison which he had 

 Iff t behind ; and such was the consequence of the 

 rupture, that the Europeans shut up in the fort were 

 reduced by famine to such an extremity, that they 

 must soon either have surrendered or perished, had 

 they not been relieved from their perilous situation 

 by the arrival of their commander, who soon restored 

 tranquillity to the island, and established anew a good 

 understanding with the natives, who were left in the 

 full enjoyment of their houses, cattle, and liberty. 

 A church was built at Rubicon, named the Invoca- 

 tion of St Marcial ; and Guadarfia, the King of 

 Lancerota, with many of his subjects, were convert- 

 ed to the Romish faith, and received the ordinance 

 of baptism. 



Betancour so won upon the affections of these is- 

 landers, by his kindness and attention, that they 

 looked upon him as a father rather than as a conque- 

 ror, and he found in them some of his most faithful 

 followers. By the same courteous behaviour he gain- 

 ed the confidence and fricndhhip of the inhabitants of 

 Fortf Ventura, who also embraced the religion of their 

 conquerors; but in his attack upon Grand Canary, 

 he was received with such open hostility, and oppo- 

 sed with such determined courage, that he was com- 

 pelled to retire with considerable loss. His attempt 

 upon Palma was equally unsuccessful. These fai- 

 lures, however, were compensated by the friendly 



and joyful reception which he experienced from the 

 inhabitants of Gomera and Ferro, who, without the 

 opposition, but rather with cheerfulness, gently 

 submitted to his government. Perceiving that with 

 his slender means it would be impossible to extend hit 

 authority, in their present state of watchful hostility, 

 over the other islands, he again embarked for Spam 

 in 14-08, to solicit assistance from the King of Castile, 

 by whom he had formerly been so liberally support* 

 ed. But wishing, before his departure, to settle the 

 government of those which had already submitted, 

 he made a partition of the lands among his followers, 

 reserving to himself a fifth part of the produce, and 

 appointed his nephew, Mason de Betancour, gover- 

 nor of the islands in his absence. Death, however, 

 prevented his return ; and with him fled for a time 

 the prosperity and tranquillity of the Canaries. His 

 successors hud neither his abilities nor dispositions. Ail 

 their measures were marked with severity, deception, or 

 injustice; and the only enterprises undertaken against 

 the unconquered islands were merely for the purpose of 

 making prisoners, which were sent to Spain and sold 

 for slaves. By his arbitrary conduct, Mason de Be- 

 tancour became daily more unpopular among the na- 

 tives ; and he found himself at last so unpleasantly 

 situated, that he disposed of all his possessions in the 

 Canaries to the Count of Niebla, in 14-18, and re- 

 tiring to Madeira, he infamously sold them over again 

 to the Infant of Portugal in exchange for some lands 

 in that island, which transaction was afterwards pro- 

 ductive of considerable contention between the courts 

 of Portugal and Castile. Repeated attempts were now 

 made for the reduction of Grand Canary, but all with- 

 out effect. The Canarians wanted neither conduct 

 nor courage. They defended themselves with such 

 resolution, that the conquest was in a manner deemed 

 impracticable : and the only advantage that was gain- 

 ed by the Europeans after nearly GO years of almost 

 incessant hostilities, was the building of the fort of 

 Gando, and even this was obtained by intrigue more 

 than by force. The difficulty of this conquest had 

 excited the attention of the court of Spain, who 

 viewing the unconquered islands with rather a cove- 

 tous eye, and wishing to add them to the Spanish 

 crown, pretended that the present governor Diego 

 de Herrera was unable to subdue them by his own 

 power, and consequently that he should cede them 

 to their Catholic Majesties, in order that their reduc- 

 tion might be speedily completed, and the natives 

 brought to the Christian faith. This cession was 

 made in the year 1476, when Diego de Herrera re- 

 ceived in lieu of his right five millions of maravedis, 

 (about 30001.) 



The honour of Spain was now staked in the enter- 

 prize; and an armament, consisting of 900 foot, and 

 30 horse, under the command of Don Juan Rejon, 

 was dispatched for the reduction of Grand Canary. 

 This expedition was well equipped, and provided 

 with every necessary, and accompanied by Don Juan 

 Bermudas, dean of Rubicon, a person well versed in 

 the affairs of the Canary Isles. The troops were 

 landed, without opposition, on the22d of June 1477, 

 and their tents were pitched in a commodious plain, 

 where now stands the city of Palmas. To secure 

 themselves from any sudden attack of the natives, 



l.u -. 



