When King Juba II returned to Mauritania, he sent an expedition to the
Fortunate Isles. A fragment of the narratives of this expedition still
survives in the works of Pliny. They are described as lying southwest,
six hundred and twenty-five miles from Purpurariæ. To reach them from
this place, they first sailed two hundred and fifty miles westward and
then three hundred and seventy-five miles eastward. Pliny says: "The
first is called Ombrios, and contains no traces of buildings. There is
in it a pool in the midst of mountains, and trees like ferules, from
which water may be pressed, which is bitter from the black kinds, but
from the light kinds pleasant to drink. The second is called Junonia,
and contains a small temple built entirely of stone. Near it is another
smaller island having the same name. Then comes Capraria, which is full
of large lizards. Within sight of these is Nivaria, so called from the
snow and fogs with which it is always covered. Not far from Nivaria is
Canaria, so called on account of the great number of large dogs therein,
two of which were brought to King Juba. There were traces of buildings
in these islands. All the islands abound in apples, and in birds of
every kind, and in palms covered with dates, and in the pine nut. There
is also plenty of fish. The papyrus grows there, and the silurus fish is
found in the rivers."[8] The author of _Prince Henry the Navigator_,[9]
says that in Ombrios, we recognize the Pluvialia of Sebosus. Convallis
of Sebosus, in Pliny, becomes Nivaria, the Peak of Teneriffe, which
lifts itself up to the majestic height of nine thousand feet, its
snow-capped pinnacle seeming to pierce the sky. Planaria is displaced by
Canaria, which term first applied to the great central island, now gives
the name to the whole group. Ombrios or Pluvialia, evidently means the
island of Palma, which had "a pool in the midst of mountains," now
represented by the crater of an extinct volcano. This the sailors of
King Juba evidently saw. Major says: "The distance of this island
[Palma] from Fuerteventura, agrees with that of the two hundred and
fifty miles indicated by Juba's navigators as existing between Ombrios
and the Purpurariæ. It has already been seen that the latter agree with
Lancerote and Fuerteventura, in respect of their distance from the
continent and from each other, as described by Plutarch. That the
Purpurariæ are not, as M. Bory de St. Vincent supposed, the Madeira
group, is not only shown by the want of inhabitants in the latter, but
by the orchil, which supplies the purple dye, being derived from and
sought for especially from the Canaries, and not from the Madeira group,
although it is to be found there. Junonia," he continues, "the nearest
to Ombrios, will be Gomera. It may be presumed that the temple found
therein, was, like the island, dedicated to Juno. Capraria, which
implies the island of goats, agrees correctly with the island of
Ferro, ... for these animals were found there in large numbers when the
island was invaded by Jean de Bethencourt, in 1402. But a yet more
striking proof of the identity of this island with Capraria, is the
account of the great number of lizards found therein. Bethencourt's
chaplains, describing their visit to the islands, in 1402, state: 'There
are lizards in it as big as cats, but they are harmless, although very
hideous to look at.'"[10]
We see, then, that the navigators of Juba visited the Canaries[11] at an
early period, as Strabo testifies was the case with the Phenicians, who
doubtless built the temple in the island of Junonia. And, for aught we
know, early navigators may have passed over to the Western continent and
laid the foundation of those strange nations whose monuments still
remain. Both Phenician and Tyrian voyages to the Western Continent, have
been warmly advocated; while Lord Kingsborough published his magnificent
volumes on the Mexican Antiquities, to show that the Jews settled this
continent at an early day.[12] And if it is true that all the tribes of
the earth sprang from one central Asiatic family, it is more than likely
that the original inhabitants of the American continent crossed the
Atlantic, instead of piercing the frozen regions of the north, and
coming in by the way of Behring Straits. From the Canaries to the coast
of Florida, it is a short voyage, and the bold sailors of the
Mediterranean, after touching at the Canaries, need only spread their
sails before the steady-breathing monsoon, to find themselves wafted
safely to the western shore.