t ioy, commanding his trumpets to be
sounded, and many shots of the ordinance to be discharged. Hee sailed
foure daies with a prosperous wind: and suddenly it calmed: the calmes
continued eight daies with swelling seas, in such wise, that wee made no
way. The 15th day after his departure from S. Lucar, hee came to Gomera,
one of the Canaries, on Easter day in the morning. The Earle of that
Island was apparrelled all in white, cloke, ierkin, hose, shooes, and
cappe, so that hee seemed a Lord of the Gypses. He receiued the Gouernour
with much ioy: hee was well lodged, and all the rest had their lodgings
gratis, and gat great store of victuals for their monie, as bread, wine
and flesh: and they tooke what was needfull for their ships: and the
Sunday following, eight daies after their arriuall, they departed from the
Isle of Gomera. The Earle gaue to Donna Isabella the Adelantados wife a
bastard daughter that hee had to bee her waiting maid. They arriued at the
Antilles, in the Isle of Cuba, at the port of the City of Sant Iago vpon
Whitsunday. Assone as they came thither, a Gentleman of the Citie sent to
the sea side a very faire roan horse and well furnished for the Gouernour,
and a mule for Donna Isabella: and all the horsemen and footemen that were
in the towne came to receiue him at the sea side. The Gouernour was well
lodged, visited, and serued of all the inhabitants of that Citie, and all
his companie had their lodgings freely: those which desired to goe into
the countrie, were diuided by foure and foure, and sixe and sixe in the
farmes or granges, according to the abilitie of the owners of the farmes,
and were furnished by them with all things necessarie.
Chap. V. Of the inhabitants which are in the Citie of S. Iago, and in the
other townes of the Island: and of the qualitie of the soile, and fruites
that it yeeldeth.
The Citie of S. Iago hath fourescore houses which are great and well
contriued. The most part haue their walls made of bords, and are couered
with thatch; it hath some houses builded with lime and stone, and couered
with tiles. (M603) It hath great Orchards and many trees in them,
differing from those of Spaine: there be figgetrees which beare figges as
big as ones fist, yellow within, and of small taste; and other trees which
beare a fruit which they call Ananes, in making and bignes like to a small
Pineapple: it is a fruite very sweete in taste: the shel being taken away,
the kernel is like
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