The History of the Royal Society of London/Chapter 14
A
RELATION
OF THE
PICO TENERIFFE,
RECEIV'D FROM
"HAving furnished our selves with a Guide, Servants, and Horses to carry our Wine and Provisions, we set out from Oratava, a Port Town in the Island of Teneriffe, situated on the North of it, two Miles distant from the main Sea. We travelled from twelve at Night till eight in the Morning, by which Time we got to the Top of the first Mountain towards the Pico de Terroira; here, under a very great and conspicuous Pine-Tree, we brake our Fast, dined and refresh'd our selves till two in the Afternoon; then we proceeded thro' much sandy Way, over many lofty Mountains, but naked and bare, and not cover'd with any Pine-Trees, as our first Night's Passage was. This exposed us to excessive Heat, till we arrived at the Foot of the Pico; where we found many huge Stones, which seem'd to have been fallen down from some upper Part.
"About six a Clock this Evening, we began to ascend up the Pico, but being now a Mile advanced, and the Way no more passable for our Horses, we quitted and left them with our Servants: In this Mile's Ascent some of our Company grew very faint and sick, disorder'd by Fluxes, Vomitings, and aguish Distempers, our Horses Hair standing upright like Bristles; but calling for some of our Wine, which was carried in small Barrels on a Horse, we found it so wonderfully cold, that we could not drink it till we had kindled a Fire to warm it, altho' yet the Temper of the Air was very calm and moderate. But when the Sun was set it began to blow with that Violence, and grew so cold, that taking up our Lodging under certain great Stones in the Rocks, we were constrained to keep great Fires before the Mouths of them all Night.
"About four in the Morning we began to mount again, and being come about a Mile up, one of the Company fail'd, and was able to proceed no farther. Here began the black Rocks. The rest of us pursued our Journey till we came to the Sugar-loaf, where we began to travel again in a white Sand, being fore-shod with Shoes whose single Soles are made a Finger broader than the upper Leather, to encounter this difficult and unstable Passage; being ascended as far as the black Rocks, which are all flat, and lie like a Pavement, we climbed within a Mile of the Top of the Pico, and at last we gained the Summit, where we found no such Smoak as appeared a little below, but a continual breathing of a hot and sulphurous Vapour, which made our Faces extremely sore.
"In this Passage we found no considerable alteration of Air, and very little Wind; but being at the top, it was so impetuous, that we had much ado to stand against it, whilst we drank the King's Health, and fir'd each of us a Piece. Here we also brake Fast, but found our Strong-water had quite lost its Force, and was become almost insipid, whilst our Wine was rather more spirituous and brisk than it was before.
"The Top on which we stood, being not above a Yard broad, is the Brink of a Pit called the Caldera, which we judged to be about a Musket-shot over, and near fourscore Yards deep, in Shape like a Cone, within hollow like a Kettle or Cauldron, and all over cover'd with small loose Stones mixt with Sulphur and Sand; from amongst which issue diverse Spiracles of Smoak and Heat, when stirred with any thing puffs and makes a noise, and so offensive, that we were almost stifled with the sudden Emanation of Vapours upon the removing of one of these Stones, which are so hot as they are not easily to be handled. We descended not above four or five Yards into the Caldera, in regard of its sliding from our Feet and the Difficulty. But some have adventured to the Bottom. Other observable Materials we discover'd none, besides a clear sort of Sulphur, which looks like Salt upon the Stones.
"From this famous Pico, we could ken the Grand Canaria, fourteen Leagues distant, Palma eighteen, and Gomera seven Leagues, which Interval of Sea seem'd to us not much larger than the River of Thames about London: We discerned also the Herro, being distant above twenty Leagues, and so to the utmost Limits of the Sea much farther.
"So soon as the Sun appeared, the Shadow of the Pico seemed to cover, not only the whole Island, and the Grand Canaries, but the Sea to the very Horizon, where the Top of the Sugar-loaf or Pico visibly appeared to turn up and cast its Shade into the Air itself, at which we were much surprized: But the Sun was not far ascended, when the Clouds began to rise so fast, as intercepted our Prospect both of the Sea, and the whole Island, excepting only the Tops of the subjacent Mountains, which seem'd to pierce them through: whether these Clouds do ever surmount the Pico we cannot say, but to such as are far beneath, they sometimes seem to hang above it, or rather wrap themselves about it, as constantly when the North-west Wind blows; this they call the Cappe, and is a certain Prognostick of ensuing Storms.
"One of our Company, who made this Journey again two Years after, arriving at the Top of the Pico before Day, and creeping under a great Stone to shroud himself from the cold Air (after a little Space) found himself all wet, and perceived it to come from a perpetual trickling of Water from the Rocks above him. Many excellent and very exuberant Springs we found issuing from the Tops of most of the other Mountains, gushing out in great Spouts, almost as far as the huge Pine-Tree which we mentioned.
"Having stay'd some time upon the Top, we all descended by the sandy Way till we came to the Foot of the Sugar-loaf, which being steep, even to almost a Perpendicular, we soon passed. And here we met a Cave of about ten Yards deep, and fifteen broad, being in Shape like an Oven or Cupola, having a Hole at the Top which is near eight Yards over; by this we descended by a Rope, which our Servants held at the Top, whilst the other end being fastned about our Middles, we swing ourselves, till being over a Bank of Snow, we slide down, and light upon it. We were forced to swing thus in the Descent, because in the middle of the Bottom of this Cave, opposite to the Overture at the Top, is a round Pit of Water, resembling a Well, the Surface whereof is about a Yard lower than the Snow, but as wide as the Mouth at Top, and is about six Fathom deep. We suppose this Water not a Spring, but dissolv'd Snow blown in, or Water trickling through the Rocks.
"About the Sides of the Grot, for some height, there is Ice and Icicles hanging down to the Snow. But being quickly weary of this excessive cold Place, and drawn up again, we continued our Descent from the Mountains by the same Passages we went up the Day before, and so about five in the Evening arrived at Oratava, from whence we we set forth, our Faces so red and sore, that to cool them, we were forced to wash and bath them in Whites of Eggs, &c.
The whole Height of the Pico in perpendicular is vulgarly esteem'd to be two Miles and a half. No Trees, Herbs, or Shrubs in all the Passage but Pines, and amongst the whiter Sands a kind of Broom, being a bushy Plant; and at the side where we lay all Night, a kind of Cordon, which hath Stems of eight Foot high, the Trunk near half a Foot thick, every Stem growing in four Squares, and emerging from the Ground like Tuffets of Rushes; upon the Edges of these Stems grow very small red Buttons or Berries, which being Squeezed produced a poisonous Milk, which lighting upon any Part of a Horse, or other Beast, fetches off the Hair from the Skin immediately; of the dead Part of this we made our Fires all Night. This Plant is also universally spread over the Island, and is perhaps a Kind of Euphorbium.
"Of the Island Teneriffe itself, this Account was given by a judicious and inquisitive Man, who liv'd twenty Years in it as a Physician and Merchant. His Opinion is, that the whole Island being a Ground mightily impregnated with Brimstone, did in former Times take Fire, and blow up all or near upon all at the same Time, and that many Mountains of huge Stones calcin'd and burnt, which appear every where about the Island, especially in the Southwest Parts of it, were rais'd and heav'd up out of the Bowels of the Earth, at the Time of that general Conflagration; and that the greatest Quantity of this Sulphur lying about the Center of the Island, raised up the Pico to that Height at which it is now seen. And he says that anyone upon the Place that shall carefully note the Situation and Manner of these calcin'd Rocks how they lye, will easily be of that Mind: For he says, that they lye for three or four Miles almost round the Bottom of the Pico, and in such Order one above the other almost to the very Sugar Loaf (as 'tis called) as if the whole Ground swelling and rising up together by the Ascension of the Brimstone, the Torrents and Rivers of it did with a sudden Eruption rowl and tumble them down from the rest of the Rocks, especially (as was said before) to the South-west: For on that side, from the very top of the Pico most to the Sea-shoar, lye huge Heaps of these burnt Rocks, one under another. And there remain to this time the very Tracts of the Rivers of Brimstone, as they ran over all this Quarter of the Island, which hath so wasted the Ground beyond Recovery, that nothing can be made to grow there but Broom: But on the North side of the Pico, few or none of these Stones appear. And he concluded hence, that the Volcanio discharg'd itself chiefly to the South-west. He adds farther, that Mines of several Metals were broken and blown up at the same time. These calcin'd Rocks resembling some of them Iron-Oar, some Silver, and others Copper. Particularly at a certain Place in these South-west Parts called the Azuleios, being very high Mountains, where never any English Man but himself (that ever he heard of) was. There are vast Quantities of a loose blewish Earth intermixt with blue Stones, which have on them yellow Rust as that of Copper and Vitriol: And likewise many little Springs of vitriolate Waters, where he supposes was a Copper Mine. And he was told by a Bell- founder of Oratava, that out of two Horse Loads of this Earth, he got as much Gold as made two large Rings. And a Portugueze told him, who had been in the West-Indies, that his Opinion was, there were as good Mines of Gold and Silver there as the best in the Indies. There are likewise hereabout nitrous Waters and Stones covered with a deep Saffron-colour'd Rust, and tasting of Iron. And farther he mentions a Friend of his, who out of two Lumps of Earth or Oar, brought from the top of this side the Mountain, made two Silver-spoons. All this he confirms from the late Instance of the Palme Island eighteen Leagues from Tenariffa, where a Volcanio was fired about twelve Years since; the Violence whereof made an Earthquake in this Island so great, that he and others ran out of their Honses, fearing they would have fallen upon their Heads. They heard the Noise of the Torrents of flaming Brimstone like Thunder, and saw the Fire as plain by Night, for about six Weeks together, as a Candle in the Room: And so much of the Sand and Ashes, brought from thence by the Wind with Clouds, fell on his Hat, as fill'd a Sand Box for his Inkhorn.
In some Part of this Island there grows a crooked Shrub which they call Legnan, which they bring for England as a sweet Wood: There are likewise Apricots, Peaches, &c. in Standard, which bear twice a Year, Pear-trees also which are as pregnant: Almonds of a tender Shell; Palms, Plantains, Oranges and Limons, especially the Pregnadas which have small ones in their Bellies, from whence they are so denominated. Also they have Sugar-Canes, and a little Cotton. Colloquintida &c. The Roses blow at Christmas. There are good Carnations, and very large; but Tulips will not grow or thrive there: Sampier cloaths the Rocks in Abundance, and a kind of Clover the Ground. Another Grass growing near the Sea, which is of a broader Leaf, so luscious and rank, as it will kill a Horse that eats of it, but no other Cattle, Eighty Ears of Wheat have been found to spring from one Root, but it grows not very high. The Corn of this is transparent and bright like to the purest yellow Amber, and one Bushel hath produc'd one hundred and thirty in a seasonable Year.
"The Canary Birds (which they bring to us in England) breed in the Barancos or Gills, which the Water hath fretted away in the Mountains, being Places very cold. There are also Quails, Partridges, larger than ours and exceeding beautiful, great Wood-pigeons, Turtles at Spring, Crows, and sometimes from the Coast of Barbary appears the Falcon. Bees are carried into the Mountains, where they prosper exceedingly.
"They have wild Goats on the Mountains, which climb to the very top of the Pico sometimes: Also Hogs and Multitudes of Conies.
"Of Fish they have the Cherna, a very large and excellent Fish, better tasted than any we have in England; the Mero, Dolphin, Shark, Lobsters without the great Claws, Muscles, Periwinkles, and the Clacas, which is absolutely the very bed Shell-fish in the World; they grow in the Rocks five or fix under one great Shell, through the top Holes whereof they peep out with their Nebs, from whence (the Shells being broken a little more open with a Stone) they draw them forth. There is likewise another Fish like an Eel, which hath six or seven Tails of a Span in Length united to one Head and Body, which is also as short. Besides these, they have Turtles and Cabridos which are better than our Trouts.
"The Island is full of Springs of pure Water tasting like Milk. And in Lalaguna (where the Water is not altogether so limpid and clear (they percolate it through a kind of spungy Stone cut in Form of a Bason.
"The Vines which afford those excellent Wines, grow all about the Island within a Mile of the Sea, such as are planted farther up are nothing efteem'd, neither will they thrive in any of the other Islands.
"For the Guanchios or antient Inhabitants he gives this full Account.
"September the third, about twelve Years since, he took his Journey from Guimar (a Town inhabited for the most Part by such as derive themselves from the old Guanchios) in the Company of some of them, to view their Caves and the Bodies buried in them. This was a Favour they seldom or never permit to any (having in great Veneration the Bodies of their Ancestors, and likewise being most extremely against any Molestation of the Dead) but he had done several eleemosynary Cures amongst them (for they are generally very poor, yet the poorest thinks himself too good to marry with the best Spaniard) which indeared him to them exceedingly; otherwise it is Death for any Stranger to visit these Caves or Bodies.
"These Bodies are sowed up in Goat-skins with Thongs of the same, with very great Curiosity, particularly in the incomparable Exactness and Evenness of the Seams, and the Skins are made very loose and fit to the Body. Most of these Bodies are intire, the Eyes closed, Hair on the Head, Ears, Nofe, Teeth, Lips, Beard, all perfect, only discoloured and a little shrivel'd, likewise the Pudenda of both Sexes; He saw about three or four hundred in several Caves, some of them are standing, others lie on Beds of Wood, so hardned by an Art they had (which the Spaniards call Curar, to cure a piece of Wood) as no Iron can pierce or hurt it. He says, that one Day being hunting a Ferret (which is much in use there) having a Bell about his Neck, ran after a Coney into a Hole, where they lost the Sound of the Bell; the Owner being afraid he should lose his Ferret, seeking about the Rock and Shrubs, found the Mouth of a Cave, and entring in, was so affrighted, that he cried out. It was at the Sight of one of these Bodies, very tall and large, lying with his Head on a great Stone, his Feet supported with a little Wall of Stone, the Body resting on a Bed of Wood (as before was mention'd.) The Fellow being now a little out of his Fright entred in, and cut off a great Piece of the Skin that lay on the Breast of this Body, which, the Doctor says, was more flexible and pliant than ever he felt any Kids-leather Glove, yet so far from being rotten, that the Man used it for his Flail many Years after.
"These Bodies are very light, as if made up of Straw, and in some broken Limbs he observ'd the Nerves and Tendons, and also some Strings of the Veins and Arteries very distinctly.
"His great Care was to enquire of these People what they had amongst them of Tradition concerning the Embalming and Preservation of these Bodies: from some of the eldest of them (above a hundred and ten Years of Age) he received this Account, That they had of old one particular Tribe of Men that had this Arr amongst themselves only, and kept it as a thing sacred, and not to be communicated to the Vulgar: These mixt not with the rest of the Inhabitants, nor married out of their own Tribe, and were also their Priests and Ministers of Religion: That upon the Conquest of the Spaniards they were most of them destroy'd, and the Att lost with them, only they held some Traditions yet of a few Ingredients, that were made use of in this Business. They took Butter of Goats Milk some said Hogs Grease was mingled with it) which they kept in the Skins for this purpose; in this they boiled certain Herbs; first a sort of wild Lavender, which grows there in great Quantities on the Rocks: Secondly, an Herb called Lara, of a very gummy and glutinous Consistence, which now grows there under the Tops of the Mountains only: Thirdly, a kind of Cyclamen or Sow-bread: Fourthly, wild Sage, growing plentifully in this Island: These with others bruised and boiled in the Butter, rendered it a perfect Balsam. This prepared, they first unbowelled the Corps (and in the poorer sort, to save Charges, they took out the Brain behind, and these poor were also sew'd up in Skins with the Hair on, whereas the richer sort were, as was said before, put up in Skins so finely and exactly dressed, as they remain most rearly pliant and gentle to this Day.) After the Body was thus ordered, they had in Readiness a Lixivium made of the Bark of Pine-trees, with which they washt the Body, drying it in the Sun in Summer, and in Stoves in Winter, this repeating very often. Afterward they began their Unction with the Balsam, both without and within, drying it again as before. This they continued till the Balsam had penetrated into the whole Habit, and the Muscles in asl parts appeared through the contracted Skin, and the Body became exceeding light: Then they sew'd them up in the Goat-skins, as was mention'd already. He was told by these antient People, that they have above twenty Caves of their Kings and great Persons, with their whole Families, yet unknown to any but themselves, and which they will never discover. Lastly, he says, that Bodies are found in the Caves of the Grand Canaria in Sacks, and quite consumed, not as these in Teneriffa. Thus far of the Bodies and embalming.
"Anciently when they had no Knowledge of Iron, they made their Lances of Wood hardned as before, some of which the Doctor hath seen. He hath also seen Earthen-pots so hard, that they cannot be broken; of these some are found in the Caves and old Bavances, and used by the poorer People that find them, to boil Meat in. Likewise they had Curor Stone itself, that is to say, a Kind of Slate called now Tobona, which they first formed to an Edge or Point as they had Occasion to use it, either as Knives or Lancets to let Blood withal.
"Their Food is Barley roasted, and then ground with little Mills, which they made of Stone, and mixt with Milk and Honey: This they still feed on, and carry it on their Backs in Goat-skins.
"To this Day they drink no Wine, nor care for Flesh. They are generally very lean, tall, active and full of Courage.
"He himself hath seen them leap from Rock to Rock, from a very prodigious Height, till they came to the Bottom, sometimes making ten Fathom deep at one leap.
"The manner is thus:
"First they teretate their Lance (which is about " the Bigness of a half Pike) that is, they poise it in their Hand, then they aim the Point of it at any Piece of a Rock, upon which they intend to light (sometimes not half a Foot broad.) At their going off they clap their Feet close to the Lance, and so carry their Bodies in the Air. The Point of the Lance first comes to the Place, which breaks the Force of their Fall; then they slide gently down by the Staff, and pitch with their Feet upon the very place they first designed, and from Rock to Rock till they come to the Bottom. Their Novices sometimes break their Necks in learning.
"He added several Stories to this Effect of their great Activity in leaping down Rocks and Cliffs. And how twenty eight of them made an Escape from the Battlements of an extraordinary high Castle in the Island, when the Governor thought he had made sure of them.
"He told also (and the same was seriously confirm'd by a Spaniard) and another Canary Merchant then in the Company.) That they whistle so loud as to be heard five Miles off: And that to be in the same Room with them when they whistle, were enough to indanger breaking the Tympanum of the Ear, and added; that he (being in Company of one that whistled his loudest) could not hear perfectly for fifteen Days after, the Noise was so great.
"He affirms also, That they throw Stones with a Force almost as great as that of a Bullet, and now use Stones in all their Fights as they did anciently.