told that that town is bigger than Laguna; that it has but one church,
but many convents: that the port is but ordinary at best and is very bad
when the north-west winds blow. These norwesters give notice of their
coming by a great sea that tumbles in on the shore for some time before
they come, and by a black sky in the north-west. Upon these signs ships
either get up their anchors, or slip their cables and put to sea, and ply
off and on till the weather is over. Sometimes they are forced to do so 2
or 3 times before they can take in their lading; which it is hard to do
here in the fairest weather: and for fresh water they send, as I have
said, to Santa Cruz. Verdona is green, strong-bodied wine, harsher and
sharper than canary. It is not so much esteemed in Europe, but is
exported to the West Indies, and will keep best in hot countries; for
which reason I touched here to take in some of it for my voyage. This
sort of wine is made chiefly on the east side of the island, and shipped
off at Santa Cruz.

Besides these wines, which are yearly vended in great plenty from the
Canary Islands (chiefly from Grand Canary, Tenerife, and Palma) here is
store of grain, as wheat, barley, and maize, which they often transport
to other places. They have also some beans and peas, and coches, a sort
of grain much like maize, sowed mostly to fatten land. They have papaws,
which I shall speak more of hereafter; apples, pears, plums, cherries,
and excellent peaches, apricots, guavas, pomegranates, citrons, oranges,
lemons, limes, pumpkins, onions the best in the world, cabbages, turnips,
potatoes, etc. They are also well stocked with horses, cows, asses,
mules, sheep, goats, hogs, conies, and plenty of deer. The Lancerota
horses are said to be the most mettlesome, fleet, and loyal horses that
are. Lastly here are many fowls, as cocks, and hens, ducks, pigeons,
partridges, etc. with plenty of fish, as mackerel, etc. All the Canary
Islands have of these commodities and provisions more or less: but as