So6 Phe Voyages and Obfervatkns of J.-A. de Mandelfloe, Book I, 
#as fo terribly fhaken by an Earthquake, on the 16th 
of June 1628, that at fome fma'll Diftance from the Shore, 
the Sea opened in a Place where was 150 Fathom Water, 
and thence thruft forth a fmall Ifie of a League and an 
half in Length, at lead 60 Fathom above the Water. 
Thefe two Illands have alfo certain hot Springs, whence, 
and at fome Diftance from them, arife fulphurous Vaoours. 
About three Leagues from Angra , is a Spring which turns 
Wood to Stone, as is evidently to be feen by a certain 
Tree, the Root whereof, as far as it hath been under Wa- 
ter, is abfolutely petrified, whereas the Trunk, and all 
the reft, are not the leaft changed. The Me of Pico has 
a peculiar fort of Wood as hard as Iron, red as Scarlet, 
in which, when cut, appear certain Veins like the water- 
ing of a Camblet, of which are made very fine Cabinets, 
which are highly efteemed in Portugal. Cedar is fo com- 
mon among them, that they do not only ufe it for their 
ordinary houfhold Stuffs, but alfo for Fuel j nay, they 
make whole Waggons and Boats of it. They have fcarce 
any Commodities except Provifions, which they fell to 
the Ships that touch here to take in Refrefhments, as they 
are going to the Eafi-Indies. 
ft he Ifie of St. Michael is about 20 Leagues long, ly- 
ing 28 Leagues S. E. from that of Percera. Its capital 
City is called Punta Delgada , its Soil very fruitful, pro- 
ducing more Wheat than they are able to confume. The 
worft is, that they have no fafe Road for Ships to ride in. 
The Ifie of St. Mary being not above twelve Leagues in 
Compafs, lies twelve Leagues South from that of St. Mi- 
chael ; its Products are Provifions, and Potters Earth. The 
Ifie of Gratiofa lies feven or eight Leagues N. E. from that 
of Percera , its Compafs being not above five or fix Leagues. 
It has got its Name from its Pleafantnefs, and vaft Plenty 
of all forts of Fruits. The Ifie of St. George , which is 
twelve Leagues long and broad, lies eight or nine Leagues 
to the N. W. from that of Percera. It is well flocked with 
Provifions, though it be full of Mountains, which furnifii 
them with vaft Store of Cedar, which they fell to thofe of 
Percera , where it is made into Joiners and Cabinet-makers 
Works, and tranfported thence to other Places. 
The Ifie of Fayal being at leaft feventeen or eighteen 
Leagues in Circumference, lies feven Leagues to the S. W. 
off of that of St. George , being the belt of all the Azores 
next to thofe of Percera and St. Michael . Its capital City 
is called Villa-Deft a, inhabited chiefly by the Pofterity of 
the Flemmings we had Occafion to mention before. They 
fend hence abundance, of Provifions, but efpecially Fifii to 
the other Iflands. The Ifie of Pico has its Name from the 
high Peak or Mountain within it called Pico , fuppofed to 
be as high as the Peak of the great Canary Jjland , of which 
I fhali hereafter fpeak. It lies enclofed betwixt the Ifies of 
Fayal , whence it is diftant three Leagues to the S. E. of St. 
George and Percera , from the firft of which it lies four 
Leagues to the S. W. and from the latter twelve Leagues 
to the W. S. W. Their Lands are accounted more fer- 
tile here than thofe of any of the other Ifies. 
The Me of Flores , as we told you, we got Sight of the 
29th of November , being feventy Leagues to the Weft of 
Percera . Flores is twenty Leagues in Circumference, and 
the Ifie of Corvo is no more than two Leagues Diftance to 
the North : They are both under the Portugueze •, but their 
Diftance from the Azores Tnews them not to be of their 
Number. As the Azores lie very convenient for the Re- 
frefhment of the Portugueze Ships bound to the Fajt-Indies 
and Brafil , they are very careful of their Prefervation ; 
whence it is they will allow no Foreigners to view the Coaft 
of the Ifie of Percera , for fear they fliould, by its Weak- 
nefs, b6 invited to land and fettle there. The Air is very 
dear and wholefome, but withal very fharp, fo that it cor- 
rodes Iron, and con fumes Stones in a few Years, which is 
the Reafon they ufe Flint Stones in their Buildings, which 
having lain for a confiderable Time under VY ater near the 
Sea-Side, are better qualified than other Stones to refill 
the Sharpnefs of the Air. 
But before we leave the African Coaft, it will not be 
afeiis to- fay fomething of the Canary Iflands which lie upon 
the Coalt oppofite to Gibraltar:. The Vfholfomnefs of the 
Air, and the fertility of the Soil, procured them the Name 
•i the Infula Fortunate among the Ancients, though one 
of them is alfo called Canaria , by Pliny, Solmrn, and Pic-. 
l°my , which contradicts the Opinion of thofe who affirm., 
that thole who difcovered them in the Year 1342, gave 
th»_m the Name of C anomies from the many Canes found 
there. They are feven in Number,' viz. Lanzorotta For* 
tuventura , the great Canary, Peneriffa , Corner a, and Palma , 
extending from Eaft to Weft, in a manner in a direct Line' 
Lewis Count Clermont having in 1348, got a Grant from, 
the Pope of thefe Iflands, let out a Fleet to endeavour the 
Conqueft of them, which was perfeMl accordingly under 
the Protection of the King of Arragon , but the fame beinc 
afterwards relinquilhed by I). Lewis de la Cerda , the Bifcay - 
ans and Andalufians having lent out fome VeiTeJs, furprized 
the Ifie of Lanzarotta , whence they brought back fo much 
Wealth, that the King of Caflile then refoived upon the 
Conqueft of thefe Iflands, which, doubtlefs, he would have 
effected, had not the more preffing Wars he was engaged 
in with his Neighbours, diverted him from that Purpofo. 
^ Not many Years after, a French Gentleman, named 
John de Bethancourt , having obtained a Commiffion from 
Henry III. then King of Spain , to conquer thefe Iflands, 
under the Condition that he and his Pofterity fhould ac- 
knowledge the Sovereignty of the Crown of Caflile , he 
was fo fortunate as to make himfelf foon Mafter of the live 
Jeffer Iflands, but could not bring the two great ones under 
Subjection. However, the King of Caflile , as Sovereign, 
having fent thither a Bilhop, this occafioned fuch a Differ- 
ence between him and Bethancourt* s Nephew, who had fuc- 
ceeded his Uncle, that the King of Caflile was forced to 
fend thither one Pedro Barba , who having forced the 
Frenchmen thence, gave the Illands, as a Dowry, with his 
Daughter, to one Per era, who afluming the Name of Kino 1 
of the Canaries , left no Stone unturned to make himfelf 
Mafter of them all by the Conqueft of the remaining Iflands ; 
but finding his Endeavours to prove fruitlefs, he fold four 
of thefe Illands to Ferdinand, furnamed the Catholick King 
of Arragon , referving to himfelf only that of Gomara , with 
the Quality of an Earl. King Ferdinand had the good For- 
tune to reduce the two great Iflands alfo, which ever lince, 
as well as the reft, have remained under the Spanifh Jurif- 
diCtion. 
The great Canary Ifie is computed to contain above nine 
thoufand Inhabitants, being alfo theRefidenee of the Bilhop, 
Inquifitor, and Great Council, which manage the publick 
Affairs of all the other Ifies. Befides that excellent Wine 
fo well known and efteemed in Europe , it produces Wheat, 
Barley, Honey, Wax, and Sugar-Canes, and the Plenty 
they have of Cattle, makes them trade much in Leather 
with the Spaniards , Fngliflo, Dutch, and Hamburghers ; the 
firft in their Voyages to the Weft-Indies , take- molt of their 
frelh Provifions in here. The Ifie of Penerffis famous for 
its Mountain called FI Pico, being accounted the higheft in 
the World, fo that it may be difcovered above fixty Leagues 
at Sea ; and on the Top a Man may fee all the other 
Canary Iflands , though fome of them are fifty Leagues di- 
ftant from this ; but it requires three Days Time to get up, 
which mult be either in July, or Auguft, it being covered 
with Snow all the reft of the Year, though there falls 
none in any of thofe Iflands. 
The Me of Fierro claims the next Place to that of Pene- 
riff, among the Canary Iflands ; it has got its Name from the 
Drought of the Ground, which feeing without Water, feems 
to be of Iron : For, except a few Springs near the Sea- 
fhore, this, whole Ifland is without a Rivulet, Brook, Well, 
or Spring, againft which Default provident Nature has 
bleffed this Ifland with a certain Tree, which has no Re- 
femblance to any other I ever faw, either m Europe or the In- 
dies. , and Hands in the very Centre of the Ifie. Its Leaves 
are very long, but narrow, and never ceafe to be green, 
neither in Winter or Summer. Betwixt the Branches hang 
Clouds, which are never difpelled, but are conftantly difi 
folved in a liquid Subftance, which hanging to the Leaves, 
fall from thence as clear as Water into the Citterns that 
are made under the Tree on purpofe to receive it, and that 
in fuch great Quantities, that they are never empty, but 
provide fufficient Quantities to fupply both Men and Beafts. 
It is the Opinion of the Inhabitants, and thofe that have 
frequently failed in thefe Parts, that a hundred Leagues 
Weft of the Canaries there has been feen a certain Ifland 
called 
