of a large stone which, in the days of Anaxagoras the astronomer,
is supposed to have fallen from the sun in a district
of Thrace, near the river .¿Egos; which stone, he tells us,
was shewn- in his own time. To this passage the very ingenious
author of Hudibras has thus humourously alluded:
“ For Anaxagoras, long agone,
“ Saw hills, as well as you, i’ th1, moon,
“ And held the sun was but a piece
“ Of red hot iron, as big as Greece j
“ Believ’d the heavens were made of stone,
Because the sun had voided one.”
But this meteor, I perceive, like an ignis fafuus, has led
me astray from my subject, which, not being sufficiently interesting
to resume, I shall here conclude, and proceed without
further delay on our voyage.
C H A P . II.
T H E IS L A N D O'F T E N E R I F F E .
Conduct of thé Captain of a French Frigate— Bay of Santa Cruz, its Defences
and Defects— Attacks of Blake and Nelson— Appearance of the Island, and
Town of Santa Cruz— City of Laguna— Vegetable Productions— City and
Sea-Port Town of Oratava— Tenerffe Wine— Journey up the Peak— Caverns
for burying the Dead— The Guanches or Aborigines of Teneriffe—
Condition of the present Inhabitants— The Clergy— Royal Monopolies—
Improvement of which the Island is capable— Climate— Remarkable Instance
of Longevity— Description of the Fortunate Islands by Homer and Plutarch.
T h e passage from Madeira to the Canary Islands is, in
most cases, as smooth and pleasant as that between England
and Madeira is boisterous and disagreeable'; and, in the
present instance, we made the run in less than four days ;
having discovered, on the third of our departure, the pointed
summit of the celebrated peak of Teneriffe, though at the
distance of about sixty miles; an object which, indeed, in
clear weather, is visible nearly as many leagues.
The Spaniards in their foreign settlements are not accustomed,
and indeed generally refuse, to return the salutes of
ships belonging to other nations ; but whether their declining
the compliment of mutual civility ma,y be ascribed to the
haughty and reserved temper of the government, to an afe
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