CANARY ISLES, a group of islands in the Atlantic Ocean, which are supposed to be the same with the Insulx Beats, or Fortunate Isles, of the ancients. They lie about 150 miles west from the coast of Africa, be tween 271 and 30 degrees N. Lat. and arc seven in num ---Cer, viz. Lancerota, Forte Ventura, Grand Canary, Te neriffe, Gomcra, therm or Ferro, and Palma, besides the small islands of Allegranza, Santa Clara, Graciosa, Roca, and Lobos.
These islands, though particularly described by Ptole my and the Elder Pliny, and though their situation was accurately pointed out by Strabo, remained unknown in Europe after the decline of the Roman empire until near the middle of the 14th century ; and the first account which we have of the Canaries, is from the grant of Pope Clement VI. who bestowed them upon Don Louis de la Ccrda, with the title of king, upon condition that he should cause the gospel to be preached to the natives. This grant, however, was IICVCT acted upon, owing to the death of Don Louis ; and nothing farther was done to wards the reduction of these islands till the beginning of the following century. During this interval, the island of Lanecrota had been several limes visited and plundered by private adventurers, who, in one of these expedi tions, carried off a large booty of goat-skins, tallow, and sheep, with about 170 of the inhabitants, among whom were the king and queen of the island. In 14 k, a tket was equipped at the private expellee of John de Betan cour, a Norman baron, and Gadifer de la Sala, an inhabi tam of Rochelle, for the sob purpose of visiting the I 'or tunate Isles. When they landed at Lancerota, the na• tires, dreading that they were come with the same hos tile intentions as their former visitors, retired into the country ; but obsen ing that the French remained ill the same situation for days without attempting molest them, they took c ourage, and even ventured with in the camp, where they were so kindly treated by the chiefs of the expedition, that, laying aside all appre hensions, they chea•fully assisted the French in erecting a fort, which was built at the port of Rubicon. Pleased with the ready obedience and quiet demeanour of the inhabitants, John de Betancour determined to pass over to the neighbouring island ; but here he met with a dif ferent reception from what he had experienced at Lam cerota. The inhabitants were much stronger. and of a more warlike disposition ; and gathering in great num bers, compelled him to re-embark. Finding that it would be impossible to accomplish the conquest of these islands with such a handful of men, he set sail for Spain, in or der to procure fresh supplies ; and to render more ur questionable his right of conquest, he obtained a grant of the Canaries from Don Hem y III. then King of Castile. During his absence, the friendly intercourse between the French and the inhabitants of Lancerota had been broken by the cruel and licentious behaviour of the garrison which he had left behind ; and such was the consequence of the rupture, that the Europeans shut up in the fort were reduced by famine to such an extremity, that they must soon either have surrendered or perished, had they not been relieved from their perilous situation by the arrival of their commander, who soon restored tranquilli ty to the island, and established anew a good under standing with the natives, who were left in the full en joyment of their houses, cattle, and liberty. A church was built at Rubicon, named the Invocation of St tiar cial ; and Guadarfia, the King of Lancerota, with many of his subjects, were converted to the Romish faith, and received the ordinance of baptism.
Betancour so won upon the affections of these islan ders, by his kindness and attention, that they looked upon him as a father rather than as a conqueror, and he found in them some of his most faithful followers. By the same courteous behaviour he gained the confidence and friendship of the inhabitants of Forte Ventura, who also embraced the religion of their conquerors ; but in his attack upon Grand Canary, he was received with such open hostility, and opposed with such determined courage, that he was compelled to retire with consider able loss. His attempt upon Palma was equally unsuc cessful. These failures, however, were compensated by the friendly and joyful reception which lie experien ced from the inhabitants of Gomera and Ferro, who, without the least opposition, but rather with chearful ness, gently sumbitted to his government. Perceiving that with his slender means it would be impossible to extend his authority, in their present state of watchful hostility, over the other islands, he again embarked for Spain in 1408, to solicit assistance from the Ring of Castile, by whom he had formerly been so liberally sup ported. But wishing, before his departure, to settle the government of those which had already submitted, he made a partition of the lands among his followers, reserv ing to himself a fifth part of the produce, and appointed his nephew, Mason de Betaneour, governor of the islands in his absence. Death, however, prevented his return ; and with him fled for a time the prosperity and tran quillity of the Canaries. His successors had neither his abilities nor dispositions. All their measures were marked with severity, deception, or injustice ; and the only enterprises undertaken against the unconquered islands were merely for the purpose of making prisoners, which were sent to Spain and sold for slaves. By his arbitrary conduct, Mason de Betancour became daily more unpopular among the natives ; and he found him self at last so unpleasantly situated, that he disposed of all his possessions in the Canaries to the Count of Niebla, in 1418, and retiring to Madeira, he infamously sold them over again to the Infant of Portugal in exchange for some lands in that island, which transaction was af terwards productive of considerable contention between the courts of Portugal and Castile. Repeated attempts
were now made tor the reduction of Grand Canary, but all without effect. The Canarians wanted neither con duct nor courage. They defended themselves with such resolution, that the conquest was in a manner deemed impracticable: and the only advantage that was gained by the Europeans, after nearly 60 years of almost inces sant hostilities, was the building of the fort of Gando, and even this was obtained by intrigue more than by force. The difficulty of this conquest had excited the attention of the court of Spain, who viewing the unconquered islands with rather a covetous eye, and wishing to add them to the Spanish crown, pretended that the present governor Diego de Herrera was unable to subdue them by his own power, and consequently that he should cede them to their Catholic Majesties, in order that their reduction might be speedily completed, and the na tives brought to the Christian faith. This cession was made in the year 1476, when Diego de Herrera re ceived in lieu of his right five millions of maravedis, (about 30001.) The honour of Spain was now staked in the enter prize ; and an armament, consisting of 900 foot, and 30 horse, under the command of Don Juan Rejon, was dis patched for the reduction of Grand Canary. This ex pedition was well equipped, and provided with every necessary, and accompanied by Don Juan Bermudas, dean of Rubicon, a person well versed in the affairs of the Canary Isles. The troops were landed, without opposition, on the 22d of June 1477, and their tents were pitched in a commodious plain, where now stands the city of Palmas. To secure themselves from any sudden attack of the natives, they immediately proceed ed to build a castle, and to throw up a fortification around their camp. The Canarians, among whom considerable differences had existed, respecting the usurpation of some of their chiefs, seeing the determination of the Spaniards to settle in the island, laid aside all private animosities, and, uniting their forces, advanced to the expulsion of the enemy. They encountered the Spa niards with the fury of men whose liberty and religion were at stake ; and displayed, in every attack, the most heroic and obstinate resistance. For three hours the battle continued without any apparent advantage on either side ; but the Canarians were unable to withstand the fire-arms oh the Spaniards, and were compelled to retreat, which they did in good order, with the loss of 300 men killed, and their bravest chief Adargoma, who was wounded and taken prisoner. After this battle, which was called the battle 01 Cl uiniguada, the natives, iu 50111C plea sure terrified by the sight of the horses, which had ap peared for the first time in the island, did not attempt to engage the Spaniards again on level ground, but retiring to the mountainous parts of the country, contented them selves with continually harassing the enemy, in their marches, and foraging excursions. This species of war fare continued for nearly six years, during which time the Spaniards had received frequent reinforcements. The Canarians were determined to persist rather than sub mit. In many of their conflicts they had come off victorious ; and their courage had been roused, and their hatred inflamed, by the bad faith of the enemy, who had trepanned about 200 of their subjected countrymen out of the island, under pretence of sending them to the reduction of Teneriffe, and carried them to fight against the Moors in Barbary, where they all perished. Jealousies and contentions had also existed among the Spanish officers, and before the object of the expedition was accomplished, three different governors had been sent out to Grand Canary. Their progress, however, though slow, promised them a successful conclusion ; the greatest part of the island was in their possession ; and the natives were reduced to their last strong hold. Six hundred Canarian warriors, with about a thousand women and children, had assembled at the mountain of Ansite, a place deemed impregnable, with the resolu tion of losing their liberty only with their lives. But by the persuasion of one of their converted chiefs, who had been taken prisoner, and had embraced the Christian faith, they were induced to lay aside all thoughts of resis tance, and to submit to the Spaniards, upon condition of their being protected in the possession of their liberties and effects, and that especial regard should be paid to the rank and dignity of their nobles. This event hap pened on the 29th of April 1483, which day is now annually held as a great festival throughout the island of Grand Canary, where the standard which was then in the Spanish camp, and which is deposited in the church of St Anna, is carried in solemn procession. On the 20th of February 1487, this island was incorporated into the crown of Castile, with the title of kingdom, and declared free from certain duties. In the same year it was erected into a bishopric by Pope Innocent VIII. ; and its patronage was given to the king of Spain, and his successors for ever. In 1499, a body of laws and charters was sent over to Grand Canary for the govern ment of its inhabitants ; and, in 1515, the Emperor Charles V. bestowed on Palmas, the capital of the island, the title of noble and royal city of Palmas.