"CHAP. I.
"Of the reason of his Majesty's commanding these friars to proceed to the kingdom of China; of their embarkation and arrival at the Canary Islands.
"Our sovereign, King Philip, having been informed of the matters relating to the great kingdom of China by certain friars of the order of the blessed Doctor, S. Augustine, who came to his court; and having seen the two accounts which they brought him from thence, of the entry of the Augustine and Franciscan fathers (as may be seen more largely in those accounts), and the letters of his governors of the Philippine Islands, and of the provincials of the Orders, in which they begged him, as has already been said in the first account, to send his embassy to the sovereign of that great kingdom, with friars and ministers for the conversion of the natives of the islands already discovered, and of the many others which were being discovered every day; and that, by the king of China giving opportunity for the preaching of the Gospel, they might be enabled easily to succour and assist the Augustine fathers, who were the first who entered those islands; his Majesty having sent forty friars of the said order of Augustine, and many others of the order of the blessed S. Francis: and moreover, the embassy (which they had begged of him with so much earnestness), in order that there might be no want of ministers, in the year eighty, he determined to send forty barefooted friars of the province of S. Joseph, whose commissary was Miguel de Talavera, with instructions and orders to proceed to New Spain, thence to the Philippine Islands, and thence to the great kingdom of China, in case there should be an opportunity of introducing the Holy Gospel. According to the order of his Majesty, there were to have been fifty of these friars; but from the prevalence of the plague of universal catarrh in Spain, not more than thirty-four could be assembled. These then were despatched and set forward by the order of the royal council of the Indies, and of Monsignor Sega, the Apostolic Nuncio. And arriving at Seville without the requisite licence to depart for the Indies, his Majesty's commercial officers, who were about to despatch the fleet, would not allow them to embark for want of the document; they had been told at Madrid that it would be sent without fail. On account of this carelessness they found themselves in a most unpleasant position; for the fleet was departing, setting its sails, and leaving the bar of S. Lucar, and they could not go in it for want of the licence; nor could they return to their convents, because in Castile, whence they had come, they refused to admit any one from Seville, which was infested by the plague. The ships having got beyond the bar, there arose a sudden storm, in which one of the largest vessels of the fleet was lost, and another had its main-yard broken. The commander of the fleet, seeing that the damage could not be remedied in a short time, sailed in three days, leaving the ship which had its yard broken to refit, with orders to follow immediately. During this time, his Majesty's licence for the passage of the friars arrived at Seville, with an order to the officers that, at all events, they were to be furnished and despatched with the greatest possible celerity. This order arrived at 10 o'clock at night; and the friars were immediately informed that they were to embark in the said ship, which was ready to sail, having procured another yard. They appointed the day, immediately following which was Sunday, at three o'clock in the morning, and twenty-eight friars embarked, all preachers. God granted them such favourable weather that they overtook, at the Canary islands, the fleet which had sailed from S. Lucar some days before them. This course was always southwest; and, although the distance is two hundred and thirty leagues from S. Lucar to the islands, they reached them in seven days. These islands are in nearly twenty-eight degrees latitude, and are seven in number, all well provided with the necessaries of life: there is much corn and wine, and various kinds of pulse, with abundance of sugar, sheep, fowls, and camels, and all at much less prices than in Spain. They are all inhabited by Spaniards, who live comfortably. In one of them is a bishop, with prebendaries, a cathedral church, and convents of friars. In short, there is but little difference between these islands and Spain."
A Commentarie of the New World.
Saint Lucas de Barrameda, and the citie of Cadiz, from whence ordinarily goeth foorth all such fleetes and shippes that go vnto the occident, or West Indias, are distant the one from the other onely fiue leagues, and in thirtie seuen degrees of altitude; from whence vnto the ilandes called Canarias. the Canarias is two hundred and thirtie leagues, and alwayes doo rut to the southwest, and is ordinarily sailed in eight or ten dayes. The seas are rough, which causeth great waues; for which cause it is called the gulfe of the Jeguas.
Fortunadas. These ilands, which in ancient time were called Fortunadas, are at this day called by the Spaniards the Canarias, which is derived of canes, or dogs; for that there was in them at such time as the Spaniardes did discouer them, great quantitie of dogges, very bigge, fierce, and braue. The names of the Canarias. There are of them seuen ilands, which are called Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Palma, Gomera, Yerro, Lancarote, and Forte Ventura; and are in altitude twentie-eight degrees, lacking very little, and haue in them many particular thinges, of which I will declare some of them in briefe.
In the Iland of Tenerife, at the farther part thereof, towards the northwest, there is a mountain called El Pico de Tereyra, which, unto the iudgement of them who haue seene it, is the highest in all the worlde, and is plainely seene before you come to it three score leagues: so that a ship going from Spaine vnto those ilandes, doth discouer that mountaine first. None can ascende or go vp that mountaine but in the moneths of July and August, for that all other moneths of the yeare there is very much snow on Much snow. it, although in all those ilandes it doth neuer snowe, and to mount the height thereof is three daies worke; on the top of the same there is a round and plaine place, and being thereon at such time as it is faire weather, and the seas calme and in quiet, you may see all the seuen ilands, and euerie one of them will seeme but a small thing in respect; yet some of them are distant from that more than fiftie leagues, and it hath as much more in compasse as that. In the two monethes aforesaid, they do gather in the toppe thereof all the brimstone that is brought from that iland Great quantitie of brimstone. vnto Spaine, which is much in quantitie. This mountaine belongeth to the Duke of Maqueda, by particular gift of the king.
In one of these seuen ilands aforesaid, called the Hierco,[46] there is a continuall woonder, which in my iudgement is one of the greatest in all the worlde, and worthie to be knowen amongest all men, whereby they may exalt the mightie providence of God, and giue him thankes for the same. This iland being the greatest amongest the seuen, is a countrie very asper and vnfruitfull, and so drie that there is no water to be found in all the iland, but on the sea side, and that in fewe places, but very farre distant from the inhabitance of the ilande. But there naturall necessitie is remedied by the diuine prouidence of heaven (as aforesaide), and by a strange meanes, which is, there is a great and The dropping from a tree doth serve the whole iland with water. mightie tree (vnknowen, and the like hath not beene seene in any part of the whole world), whose leaues are narrowe and long, and are continually greene like iuie, vpon the which tree is seene continually a small cloud, which neuer augmenteth nor diminisheth, with the occasion that the leaues continually, without ceasing, doth distill drops of water, very cleere and fine, which doth fall into certaine sesternes, which the inhabitantes of the townes haue made for the conseruation thereof, to remedie their necessities, and to sustaine thereby not onely themselues, but also their cattell and beastes, and is sufficient for them all: yet doo they not knowe the originall and beginning of this continuall and strange miracle.[47]
[46] Misspelt for Hierro, the Spanish form for Ferro.
[47] The following is a translation of what Leopold von Buch says of this tree in his "Description Physique des Isles Canaries, traduite de l'Allemand, par C. Boulanger." Par., 1836, 8vo., fo. 122.
"There was formerly in the Island of Ferro a gigantic til (Laurus Fœtens), whose pulpy leaves extended their thick foliage to a great distance. Every day, two or three hours after sunrise, the leaves of this tree began to condense the water, which falling from leaf to leaf, like drops of rain, collected together at the foot of the tree, in a very pure stream. The inhabitants of the island, being altogether destitute of spring water, used to go towards midday to draw this water, and return to their homes in the evening with their pitchers full. The tree being regarded as sacred passed for a wonder of the world: a keeper appointed by the inhabitants had it in charge to collect the water in cisterns, and presided at its distribution among all those who came to draw. This remarkable tree was still existing in 1689, and was situated to the east, above the little town of Valverde. Father Galindo, who saw it, has given its description in detail. It survived long after that period; but its leaves were diminished, and it lost its beneficent properties. Necessity compelled the inhabitants to find some other means of supplying themselves with water, and the tree was forgotten. Meanwhile, travellers going to the new continent of America, never forget (whatever may be the number or variety of objects that strike their imagination in those countries) to speak of the tree of the Isle of Ferro. It has therefore preserved a great reputation in Europe."