of Ground thrice a Man's Length which is not carefully manured: I being
yet in the Air, some of the Country People spying me came running by
Troops, and seized me, would needs carry me before a Magistrate, and
seeing no other Remedy I yielded to them. But when I tried to go I
found myself so light, that one foot being on the Ground I had much
ado to set down the other, which was by reason my _Ebelus_ took all
Weight away from my Body, therefore I pretended a Desire of performing
the Necessities of Nature; which being made known to them by Signs,
for they understood not a Word of any Language I could speak, they
permitted me to go aside among a few Bushes, assuring themselves it
was impossible I should escape from them; being there, I remembred
_Pylonas_ his Directions about the Use of my Stones, and knit them up,
with a few remaining Jewels, into an Handkerchief, all except the least
and worst _Ebelus_, which I found Means to apply in such Manner to my
Body, that but the half of its Side touched my Skin; this done I drew
toward my Guardians, till coming so near that they could not cross my
Way, I shewed them a fair Pair of Heels, that I might have Time to hide
my Jewels, which I knew they would have robbed me of if not prevented.
Being thus lightened I led them such a Dance, that had they been all
upon the Backs of so many Race-Horses they could never have overtaken
me; I directed my Course to a thick Wood, wherein I entered about a
Quarter of a League, and there finding a fine Spring, which I took for
my Mark, I thrust my Jewels into a Hole made by a Mole hard by.
I then took my Victuals out of my Pocket, to which till now in
all my Voyage I had not the least Appetite, and refreshed myself
therewith, till the People who pursued overtook me, into whole Hands
I quietly surrendered myself; they led me to an inferior Officer, who
understanding that I escaped from those who first apprehended me,
caused an Inclosure of Boards to be made, wherein they put me, so that
only my Head was at Liberty, and then carried me upon the Shoulders of
sour Slaves, like some notorious Malefactor, before a Person of great
Authority, who in their Language I learnt, was called a _Mandarin_,
and resided a League off the famous City of _Pequin_. I could not
understand them, but found I was accused for something with much
Vehemence, the Substance of this Accusation it seems was, that I was
a Magician, as appeared by my being so strangely carried in the Air,
and that being a Stranger, as both my Language and Habit did declare,
I contrary to the Laws of _China_ had entered the Kingdom without a
Warrant, and probably for no good Intent. The _Mandarin_ heard them
with a great deal of Gravity, and being a Man of quick Apprehension,
and studious of Novelties, he told them he would take such Order as the
Case required, and my bold Attempt should not go unpunished: Having
dismist them, he ordered his Servants I should be kept in a remote
Pare of his vast Palace, be strictly guarded, and kindly used; this I
conjecture by my Treatment, and what followed, for my Accommodation
was much better than I could expect, I lodged well, eat well, was
well attended, and could complain of nothing but my Restraint; Thus
continued I many Months, afflicted more with the Thoughts of my
_Gansas_ than any Thing else, who I knew must be irrecoverably lost, as
indeed they were.
In this Time by my own Industry, and the Assistance of those who
accompanied me, I learnt to speak indifferently the Language of that
Province, (for almost every Province in China hath its proper Tongue)
whereat I perceived they were much pleased: At length I was permitted
to take the Air, and brought into the spacious Garden of that Palace,
a Place of extraordinary Pleasure and Delight, adorned with Herbs and
Flowers of admible Sweetness and Beauty, with almost infinite Variety
of fruits, European and others, all composed with that rare Curiosity,
as even ravished my Senses in the Contemplation of such delightful
Objects; I had not long recreated myself here, when the _Mandarin_
entered the Garden on that Side I was walking, of which having Notice
by his Servants, and that I ought to kneel to him (a usual Reverence I
found toward great Officers) I did so, and humbly intreated his savour
toward a poor Stranger, who arrived in these Parts not designedly,
but by the secret Disposal of the Heavens, he answered in a different
Language which I hear all the _Mandarins_ use, and like that of the
_Lunars_ consisting chiefly of Tunes, which was interpreted by one of
his Attendants, wishing me to be of good Comfort, since he intended
no Harm to me. Next Day I was ordered to come before him, and being
conducted into a noble Dining-room exquisitely painted, the _Mandarin_
commanding all to avoid, vouchsafed to confer with me in the vulgar
Language, enquiring into the State of my Country, the Power of my
Prince, and the Religion and Manners of the People; wherein having
satisfied him, he asked me about my Education, and what brought me
into this remote Country; I then declared to him the Adventures of my
Life, omitting what I thought convenient, and especially forbearing to
mention the Stories given me by _Irdonozur_.
The Strangeness of my Story did much amaze him, and finding in all my
Discourse nothing tending to Magick, wherein he hoped by my Means to
be intruded, he began to admire the Excellency of my Wit, applauding
me for the happiest Man that this World ever saw, and wishing me to
repose myself after my long Narration, he for that Time dismissed me.
After which the _Mandarin_ took so much Delight in me, that no Day
passed wherein he did not fend for me: At length he advised me to
cloath myself in the Habit of that Country, which I willingly did,
and gave me not only the Liberty of his House, but took me also with
him when he went to _Pequin_, whereby I had Opportunity to learn the
Disposition of the People, and the Policy of the Country, neither did
I by my Attendance on him, gain only the Knowledge of these Things,
but the Possibility likewise of being restored to my native Soil, and
to those dear Pledges which I value above the World, even my Wife and
Children: for by often frequenting _Pequin_, I at length heard of some
fathers of the Society of _Jesus_, who were become famous for their
extraordinary savour with the King, to whom they had presented some
_European_, as Clocks, Watches, Dials, and the like, which by them were
counted exquisite Curiosities. To these by the _Mandarin_'s Leave I
repaired, and was welcomed by them, they much wondering to see a Lay
_Spaniard_ there, whither they had with so much Difficulty obtained
Leave to arrive. There did I relate to father _Pontoja_ and others of
the Society the forementioned Adventures, by whose Directions I put
them in Writing, and sent this Story of my fortunes to _Macoa_, from
thence to be conveyed to _Spain_, as a forerunner of my Return; and
the _Mandarin_ being indulgent to me, I came often to the Fathers,
with whom I consulted about many Secrets, and with them also laid the
Foundation of my Return, the blessed Hour whereof I do with Patience
expect, that by enriching my Country with the Knowledge of these hidden
Mysteries, I may at last reap the Glory of my fortunate Misfortunes.
_A Journey of several_ English _Merchants from_ Oratava _in_ Teneriff,
_one of the Canary Islands on the Coast of_ Africa, _to the top of the
Pike in that Island, with the Observations they made there_.
Mention being made in the preceding Story of the _Pike_ of _Teneriff_,
it may be some Diversion to insert the following little Journey
performed by divers _Englishmen_ a few Years since to the Top, who
published the following Account thereof.
The _Pike_ of _Teneriff_ is thought not to have its Equal in the World
for Height, its Top being so much above the Clouds, that in clear
Weather it may be seen sixty _Dutch_ Leagues at Sea.
It cannot be ascended but in _July_ and _August_, lying all the other
Months covered with Snow, though upon this and the near adjacent
Islands none is to be seen: It requires three Days travel to come
to the top: The Merchants and other worthy Persons who undertook
this Journey proceed thus. Having furnished ourselves with a Guide,
Servants, and Horses to carry our Wine and Provision, we set forth
from _Oratava_, a Port Town in the Island of _Teneriff_, situate on
the North Side, two Mile distant from the main Sea, and travelled from
twelve at Night till eight in the Morning, by which Time we got to the
Top of the first Mountain toward the _Pico de Terraira_; there under a
very large and conspicuous Pine Tree we took our Breakfast, dined, and
refresht ourselves till two in the Afternoon. Then we passed through
many sandy Ways, over many lofty Mountains, but naked and bare, and not
covered with Pine Trees as our first Night's Passage was; this exposed
us to excessive Heat, till we arrived to the Foot of the _Pico_, where
we found divers huge Stones, which seemed to have fallen from some
upper Part: About six in the Evening we began to ascend up the _Pico_,
but were scarce advanced a Mile, when the Way being no more passable
for Horses, we left them with our Servants. In the Ascent of one Mile,
some of our Company grew very saint and sick, disordered by fluxes,
Vomitings, and agueish Distempers, our Horses Hair standing up like
Bristles, and calling for some of our Wine carried in small Barrels on
an Horse, we found it so wonderfully cold, that we could not drink it
till we had made a fire to warm it, notwithstanding the Air was very
calm and moderate, but when the Sun was set, it began to blow with such
Violence, and grew so cold, that taking up our Lodging among the hollow
Rocks, we were necessitated to keep fires in the Mouths of them all
Night.
About four in the Morning we began to mount again, and being come
another Mile up, one of our Company failed and was able to proceed
no further: Here began the _black Rocks_; the rest of us pursued our
Journey till we came to the _Sugar Loaf_, where we began to travel
again in a white Sand, being fitted with Shoes, whose single Soles
are made a finger broader than the upper Leathers, to encounter this
difficult Passage: Having ascended as far the _black Rocks_, which lay
all flat like a plain floor, we climbed within a Mile of the very Top
of the _Pico_, and at last we attained the _Summit_, where we found no
such Smoak as appeared a little below, but a continual Perspiration
of a hot and sulphureous Vapour that made our faces extremely sore;
all this way we found no considerable Alteration of the Air, and very
little Wind, but on the Top it was so impetuous, that we had much ado
to stand against it whilst we drank K. _Charles_ II. Health, and fired
each of us a Gun. Here also we took our Dinner, but found that our
strong Waters had lost their Virtue, and were almost insipid, while our
Wine was more brisk and spirituous than before: The Top on which we
stood being not above a Yard broad, is the Brink of a Pit called the
_Caldera_, which we judged to be a Musket Shot over, and near fourscore
Yards deep, in form of a Cone, hollow within like a Kettle, and covered
over with small loose Stones mixed with Sulphur and Sand, from among
which issued divers Spiracles of Smoak and Heat, which being stirred
with any Thing puffs and makes a Noise, and is so offensive, that we
were even suffocated with the sudden rising of Vapors, upon removing
one of these Stones, which were so hot as not easily to be handled; we
descended not above sour or five Yards into the _Caldera_ or Caldron,
because of the Slipperiness under foot, and the Difficulty; but some
have adventured to the Bottom: Other Matters observable we discovered
none, besides a clear sort of _Sulphur_ which lay like Salt upon the
Stones: from this renowned _Pico_ we could see the _Grand Canaries_
fourteen Leagues, distant, _Palma_ eighteen, and _Gomera_ seven, which
Interval of Sea seemed not much wider than the _Thames_ about _London_;
we discerned also the _Herro_, being distant about twenty Leagues, and
so to the utmost Limits of the Sea much farther: As soon as the Sun
appeared, the Shadow of the _Pico_ seemed to cover not only the whole
Island and the _Grand Canaries_, but the Sea to the very Horizon, where
the Top of the _Sugar-Loaf_ or _Pico_ visibly appeared to turn up, and
cast its Shade into the Air itself, at which we were much surprized.
But the Sun was not far ascended when the Clouds began to rise so fast,
as intercepted our Prospect both of the Sea and the whole Island,
except the Tops only of the subjacent Mountains, which seemed to pierce
them through; whether these Clouds do ever surmount the _Pico_ we
cannot say, but to such as are far below they seem sometimes to hang
above it, or rather wrap themselves about it, constantly when the West
Winds blow; this they call the Cap, and is an infallible Prognostick
of ensuing Storms: One of our Company who made this Journey again two
Years after, arriving at the Top of the _Pico_ before Day, and creeping
under a great Stone to shroud himself from the cold Air, after a little
Space found himself all wet, and perceived it to come from a perpetual
trickling of the Water from the Rocks above him: Many excellent and
exuberant Springs we found issuing from the Tops of most of the other
Mountains, gushing out in great Spouts, almost as far as the huge Pine
Tree we mentioned before; having stayed a while at the Top, we all
descended the sandy Way till we came to the foot of the _Sugar-Loaf_
which being steep even almost to a Perpendicular we soon parted, and
here we met with a Cave about ten Yards deep and fifteen broad, being
in Shape like an Oven or _Cupola_, having a Hole at the Top near eight
Yards over; this we descended by a Rope that our Servants held fast on
the Top, while with the other End being fastened about our Middles we
swung ourselves, till being over a Bank of Snow we slid down, lighting
upon it; we were forced to swing thus in the Descent, because in the
Midst of the Bottom of this Cave opposite to the Overture at the Top,
is a round Pit of Water like a Well, the surface whereof is about a
Yard lower, but as wide as the Mouth at Top, and about six fathom deep;
we supposed this Water was not a Spring, but dissolved Snow blown in,
or Water trickling through the Rocks; about the Sides of the Grott for
some Height there is Ice and Isicles hanging down to the Snow.
But being quickly weary of this excessive cold Place, and drawn up
again, we continued our Descent from the Mountains by the fame Passage
we went up the Day before, and so about five in the Evening arrived at
_Oratava_, from whence we set forth; our Faces were so red and sore
that to cool them we were forced to wash and bathe them in whites of
Eggs: The whole Height of the _Pico_ in Perpendicular is vulgarly
esteemed to be two Miles and an half. No Trees, Herbs nor Shrubs did
we find in all the Passage, but Pines, and among the whiter Sands a
kind of Broom being a bushy Plant: It is the Opinion of some ingenious
Persons who have lived twenty Years upon the Place, that the whole
Island being a Soil mightily impregnated with Brimstone, did in former
Times take Fire, and blow up all or near all at the same Time; and
that many Mountains of huge Stones calcined and burnt, which appear
all over this Island, especially in the South-West Part of it, were
cast up and raised out of the Bowels of the Earth at the Time of that
general Conflagration; and that the greatest Quantity of this _Sulphur_
lying about the Center of the Island raised up the Pico to that Height
at which it now is seen; which appears by the Situation of those Rocks
that lye three or four Miles round the Bottom of the _Pico_, and in
such Order one above another almost to the _Sugar-Loaf_, as it is
called, as if the whole ground swelling and rising up together by the
Ascension of the Brimstone, the Torrents and Rivers of it did with a
sudden Eruption roul and tumble them down from the rest of the Rocks;
especially to the South-West, where from the Top of the _Pico_ to the
Sea coast lie huge Heaps of these burnt Rocks one under another, and
there still remain the very Tracks of the Brimstone Rivers as they
ran over this Quarter, of the Island which Hath so wasted the Ground,
beyond Recovery, that nothing can be made to grow there but Broom.
* * * * *
BOOKS _Printed and Sold by_ John Lever, _Bookseller, Stationer, and
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