Among Other Kinds Of Vines, Don Henry Sent
Thither _Malvasia_ Plants, Procured From The Island Of Candia, Which Have
Succeeded Well.
The soil has turned out so favourable for the vine, that
in general there are more grapes than leaves, and the bundles are very
large, even from two to four spans long.
They have likewise the black
_Pergola_ grape, without stones, in great perfection; and so well is the
climate adapted to this culture, that they begin their vintage about
Easter, or at least by the octave after.
We sailed from Madeira, following a southerly course, and arrived at the
Canary islands, which are at the distance of about 320 miles from Madeira.
There are seven of these islands in all, four of which have been settled
by the Christians, Lancerotta, Fuerteventura, Gomera, and Ferro; over
which Herrera[10], a Spanish gentleman, is lord. Large quantities of an
herb called _Oricello_ or Orchel[11], are annually sent from these
islands to Cadiz and Seville, which is used in dying, and is sent from
these places to all parts of Europe. Great quantities of excellent goat
skins are exported from these islands, which likewise produce abundance
of tallow, and good cheese. The original inhabitants of the four islands
that are subject to the Christians, are _Canarians_[12], who speak
various languages or dialects, not well understood between the different
tribes. These people have only open villages, without any fortifications;
except on the mountains, which are exceedingly high, and there they have
a kind of rude walls or redoubts, to flee to in case of need. The passes
of these mountains are so difficult of access, that a few resolute men
might defend them against an army. The other three islands of this group,
Grand Canaria, Teneriffe, and Palma, which are larger and better peopled
than the other four, are still unsubdued and possessed by the aboriginal
idolaters. Grand Canaria has between eight and nine thousand souls, and
Teneriffe, which is the largest of all these islands, is said to contain
fourteen or fifteen thousand, and is divided into nine separate lordships.
Palma, however, has very few inhabitants, yet it appears to be a very
beautiful island. Every lordship seems to have its own mode of religious
worship; as in Teneriffe, there were no less than nine different kinds of
idolatry; some worshipping the sun, others the moon, and so forth. They
practise polygamy, and the lords have the jus primae noctis, which is
considered as conferring great honour. On the accession of any new lord,
it is customary for some persons to offer themselves to die as a
sacrifice to his honour. On this occasion, the lord holds a great
festival on his accession day; when all who are willing to give this
cruel proof of their attachment, are attended to the summit of a high
cliff in a certain valley, where, after some peculiar ceremonies, and
certain words muttered over them, the victims precipitate themselves from
the cliff, and are dashed to pieces.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 165 of 427
Words from 85914 to 86417
of 224388
