The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Note (gentle reader) that the Iland of Canaria, the Ile of Tenerif, and the
Ile of Palma appertaine to the king of Spaine, vnto whom they pay fifty
thousand duckats yeerely for custome and other profits. All these Ilands
ioyntly are one bishopricke, which pay to the bishop twelue thousand
duckats yeerely. And thus I conclude of the Ile of Tenerif, which standeth
in 27 degrees and a halfe, as I haue before declared.
Gomera.
The Iland of Gomera standeth Westward from Tenerif in distance sixe
leagues: this is but a small Iland conteining eight leagues in length. It
is an Earledome, and the Lord thereof is called the earle of Gomera. But in
case of any controuersie the vassals may appeale to the kings superior
Iudges which reside in Canaria.
This Iland hath one proper towne called Gomera, which hath an excellent
good port or harbour for ships, where often times the Indian fleet takes
refreshing for their voyage.
There is also sufficient graine and fruit for the maintenance of
themselues.
There is one Ingenio or Sugar-house, with great plenty of wine and other
sorts of fruits, as Canaria and Tenerif hath.
This Iland yeeldeth no other commodity but onely orchell; it standeth in 27
degrees distant from the Equator toward the pole Arcticke.
The Ile of Palma.
The Ile of Palma standeth twelue leagues distant from the Ile of Gomera
Northwestward. This Iland is fruitfull of wine and sugar: it hath a proper
city called the city of Palma, where is great contraction for vines, which
are laden for the West India and other places. This city hath one faire
church, and a gouernour, and aldermen to maintaine and execute iustice. It
hath also another prety towne, called S. Andrewes. It hath also foure
Ingenios which make excellent sugar, two of the which are called Zauzes,
and the other two, Tassacort.
This Iland yeeldeth but little bread-corne; but rather is thereof prouided
from Tenerif and other places.
Their best wines grow in a soile called the Brenia, where yeerely is
gathered twelue thousand buts of wine like vnto Malmsies. This Iland
standeth round, and containeth in circuit neere fiue and twenty leagues. It
hath plenty of all sorts of fruits, as Canaria and Tenerif haue, it
standeth in twenty seuen degrees and a halfe.
The Iland of Yron, called Hierro.
This Iland standeth ten leagues distant from the Iland of Palma Westward:
it is but a little Iland, which containeth sixe leagues in circuit, and
hath but small extension. It appertaineth to the earle of Gomera. The
chiefest commodity of this Iland is goats flesh and orchell. [Sidenote: The
onely vineyard in Hierro planted by Ioh. Hill of Taunton.] There is no wine
in all that Iland, but onely one vineyard that an English man of Taunton in
the West countrey planted among rocks, his name was Iohn Hill.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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