write of these Canaria Ilands, as time hath taught me in many yeres.


The Iland of Canaria.

The Iland of Canaria is almost equal in length and bredth, containing 12
leagues in length, touching the which as principall and the residue, the
Spanyards holde opinion, that they discouered the same in their nauigation
toward America, but the Portugals say, that their nation first found the
sayd Ilands in their nauigation toward Aethiopia and the East Indies.

[Sidenote: English men at the first conquest of the Canaries.] But truth it
is that the Spanyards first conquered these Ilands, with diuers English
gentlemen in their company, whose posterity this present day inioyeth them.
Some write that this Iland was named Canaria by meane of the number of dogs
which there were found: as for example, Andrew Theuet sayth, that one Iuba
carried two dogs from thence: but that opinion could I neuer learne by any
of the naturall people of the countrey, although I haue talked with many in
my time and with many of their children. For trueth it is, that there were
dogs, but such as are in all the Northwest lands, and some part of the West
India, which serued the people in stead of sheepe for victual. But of some
of the conquerors of those Ilands I haue heard say that the reason why they
were called the Canaria Islands is, because there grow generally in them
all fouresquare canes in great multitude together, which being touched will
cast out a liquor as white as milke, which liquor is ranke poison, and at
the first entry into these Ilands some of the discouerers were therewith
poisoned: for many yeeres after that conquest the inhabitants began to
plant both wine and sugar, so that Canaria was not so called by sugar
canes.