ra,
'the best,' he says, 'in all the Canaries, the town and castle standing
on the very breach of the sea, but the billows do so tumble and overfall
that it is impossible to land upon any part of the strand but by
swimming, saving in a cove under steep rocks, where they can pass
towards the town but one after the other.' Here, as at Lanzarote, they
were taken for Algerines, and the guns on the rocks began to fire at
them. Raleigh, however, immediately sent a messenger on shore to explain
that they were not come to sack their town and burn their churches, as
the Dutch had done in 1599, but that they were in great need of water.
They presently came to an agreement that the islanders should quit their
trenches round the landing-place, and that Raleigh should promise on the
faith of a Christian not to land more than thirty unarmed sailors, to
fill their casks at springs within pistol-shot of the wash of the sea,
none of these sailors being permitted to enter any house or garden.
Raleigh, therefore, sent six of his seamen, and turned his ships
broadside to the town, ready to batter it with culverin if he saw one
sign of treachery.

It turned out that when the Governor of Gomera knew who his visitors
were, he was as pleased as possible to see them. His wife's mother had
been a Stafford, and when Raleigh knew that, he sent his countrywoman a
present of six embroidered handkerchiefs and six pairs of gloves, with a
very handsome message. To this the lady rejoined that she regretted that
her barren island contained nothing worth Raleigh's acceptance, yet
sent him 'four very great loaves of sugar,' with baskets of lemons,
oranges, pomegranates, figs, and most delicate grapes. During the three
days that they rode off Gomera, the Governor and his English lady wrote
daily to Sir Walter. In return for the fruit, deeming himself much in
her debt, he sent on shore a very courteous letter, and with it two
ounces of ambergriece, an ounce of the essence of amber, a great glass
of fine rose-water, an excellent picture of Mary Magdalen, and a
cut-work ruff. Here he expected courtesies to stay, but the lady must
positively have the last word, and as the English ships were starting
her servants came on board with yet a letter, accompanying a basket of
delicate white manchett bread, more clusters of fruits, and twenty-four
fat hens. Meanwhile, in the friendliest way, the sailors had been going
to and fro, and had drawn 240 pipes of water. So co