ecessors
kings of France, aduertised the king how able I was to doe him seruice in
this voyage, which was the cause that he made me chiefe Captaine ouer
these 3 shippes, and charged me to depart with diligence to performe his
commandenent, which for mine owne part I would not gainesay, but rather
thinking my selfe happy to haue bene chosen out among such an infinite
number of others, which in my iudgement were very well able to haue
quitted themselues in this charge, I embarked my selfe at New Hauen the 22
of Aprill 1564, and sayled so, that we fell neere vnto the coast of
England: and then I turned towards the South, to sayle directly to the
fortunate Islands, at this present called the Canaries, one of which
called the Isle Saluage (because as I thinke it is altogether without
inhabitants) was the first that our ships passed. Sayling therefore on
forward, we landed the next day in the Isle of Teneriffa, otherwise called
the Pike, because that in the middest thereof there is an exceeding high
mountaine, neere as high as that of Etna, which riseth vp like a pike,
into the top whereof no man can go vp but from the middest of May vntill
the middest of August, by reason of the ouer great colde which is there
all the yere; which is a wonderfull strange thing, considering that it is
not past 27 degrees and an half distant from the Equator. We saw it all
couered ouer with snow, although it were then but the fift of May. The
inhabitants in this Isle being heretofore pursued but by Spaniards,
retired themselues into this mountaine, where for a space they made warre
with them, and would not submit themselues to their obedience, neither by
foule nor faire meanes, they disdained so much the losse of their Island.
For those which went thither on the Spaniards behalfe, left their carkases
there, so that not so much as one of them returned home to bring newes.
Notwithstanding in the ende, the inhabitants not able to liue in that
place according to their nature, or for want of such things as were
necessary for the commoditie of their liuelyhood, did all die there. After
I had furnished my selfe with some fresh water, very good and excellent,
which sprang out of a rocke at the foote of this mountaine, I continued my
course toward the West, wherein the windes fauoured me so well, that 15
dayes after our ships arriued safe and sound at the Antilles: and going on
land at the Isle of Martinino, one of the first of them, the next day we
arriu