A Brief Description of the Whole World, Part 30
Of the Islands in the Atlantick Sea.
THere be many Islands which he Westward from Africa, and from Europe: as those which are called the Gorgades, that lye in the sameThe Ilands of Gorgades climate with Guinea, which are four in number, not inhabited by men▪ but they are full of Goats. Peter Martyr in his first Decade, the sixth Book, saith that the Admirall Colonus, in the year of Christ 1498 sailing to Hispaniola with eight ships, came to the Isle of Madera, The Isle Madera.from whence sending directly the rest of his ships to the East Indies, he in one ship with decks and two Carayels, sailed to the Equinoctiall betweene which and the Isle Madera, in the middest way lye 13. Islands of the Portugalls, in old time called Hesperides, now Cabonerde, Hesperides.two daies sailing distant from the inner parts of Ethiope: one whereof is called Bonavista. NorthwardBonavista. from thence, in the same climate with the South part of Morocco, lye those which are called Canari…, or the fortunate Islands, which are sevenCanary Ilands. in number, being most fruitful, and very pleasant, and therefore called by that name, Fortunate Insulae, This is famous in them, that it hath pleased all Cosmographers to make their Meridian to be their first point where they do begin to reckon the computation of their Longitude; and unto them, after three hundred and threescore Degrees to return again.
From these Islands it is, that thoseFrom hence she best Canary Sacks. strong and pleasant Sacks, which are called Canary Wings are brought; and from thence are fetched those that they call Canary Birds. These Islands are under the Crowne of Spaine: The heat of the Countrey is very great and therefore fitter for concoction; but besides that, the sayle of it self is accommodated thereunto, and by reason of them, both these Islands do bring forth a Grape, which is sweeter in taste then any other Grape, and hath that property with it, that the Wine which is made thereof, doth not …ume into the head, like other Sack, but doth help the stomacke, and exercise the force of it there. The slips of their Vines have been brought into Spaine, and some other places of Europe, but they have not sorted to the same purpose as they do in their native Countrey...
There do grow also in these IslesFrom hence great store of Sugarcanes. good store of Sugar-canes, which yeeldeth plentifully that kinde of commodite unto Spaine, either for Marmelets (wherein they much delight) or for other uses.
Peter Martyr in the beginning of his Decades which he hath written de Orbe novo; doth particularly touch the names, and some other things of these Islands.
On the backside of Africa also, just under the Equinoctial; is the Isle▪ of Saint Thomas, inhabited by theThe Isle of St. Thomas. Portugals; which Island was taken in the later time of Queen Elizabeth by the Dutch: it is reported that in the midst of this Iland is an Hill; and over that a continual cloud; where with the whole Island is watered, (such a like thing as this is reportedThe Isle of Cloves. of the Isle of Cloves:) The aire of this Island is unwholsome, and there is hardly seen any Portugal or stranger that comes to dwell there, which lives till he be above forty years of age.
More Northward from Africke▪ lye those Islands which are called Azores Insulae, being six or sevenThe Ilands of Azores. in number; of which Tercera is one of the chief: of whom, the rest by some are called Tercera's, which are farre inferiour in fruitfulnesse unto the Canaries. These were first under the Crown of Portugal, and one of them was the last which was kept out from the King of Spaine, by the Prior Don Antonio, who afterward called himself King of Portugal, but the Spaniard at last took this Terrera from him, and doth possesse all these Islands, together with the rest of the Dominion, which did belong to the Portugall.
He who list to see the unadvisedNote the unadvisedness of Don Antonio. proceedings of Don Antonio, both in parting with Lisbon, and the rest of Portugall, as also in losing these Islands which last of all held out for him, let him read Conestagio of the union of Portugall to the Crown of Castile. But these Azores have in times past yeelded much Oade, which thereupon in England was called Island Oade; but now they are the place where the Spaniards do commonly touch▪ and take in fresh water, both going and comming to and from America, finding that to passe directly without turning on either hand towards America is very hard, by reason of the strong current of the water from the gulph of Mexico, and so forward to the East: and therefore they are enforced either to go lower to the South, and so to water in some part of Guinea, or thereabout, or else to keep up as high as these Islands.