The history of the discovery and conquest of the Canary Islands / translated from a Spanish manuscript [by J. de Abreu de Galindo] lately found in the island of Palma. With an enquiry into the origin of the ancient inhabitants. To which is added, a description of the Canary Islands, including the modern history of the inhabitants, and an account of their manners, customs, trade, &c by George Glas.

Abreu de Galindo, Juan de, active 1632.

Date:: 1764

Credit: The history of the discovery and conquest of the Canary Islands / translated from a Spanish manuscript [by J. de Abreu de Galindo] lately found in the island of Palma. With an enquiry into the origin of the ancient inhabitants. To which is added, a description of the Canary Islands, including the modern history of the inhabitants, and an account of their manners, customs, trade, &c by George Glas. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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Aes Pec Pou Jige Ne os] ppagbs XY N defcribing the manners and cuftoms of the natives of thefe iflands, I forgot to mention, that the gentry are generally poor: and therefore not being able otherwife to provide for their younger. fons, educate many of them for the church. Not a few young Jadies take the veil and fhut themfelves up in nunneries for life, becaufe they cannot find hufbands fuitable to their rank, and do not choofe to depend on their elder brothers, or other relations, | for fubfiftence, or becaufe they have met with difappointments in love : a few, being flattered and puffed up by the Nuns and Clergy, with a conceit of their own fandtity, are prevailed on to take the | vows and quit the world; but the greater part of them have time afterwards to repent at leifure, and find that a miftrefs of a fami- ly has it as much in her power to exercife every Chriftian virtue, as a woman fhut up in a nunnery. : AxBourT two years and a half ago, a monaftery of Nuns, in the villa of Orotava, took fire in the morning while it was dark, and was burnt fo fuddenly that the Nuns had but juft time to fave their lives: it is the cuftom of many people in that country, when the weather is hot, to fleep without fhirts or fhifts; therefore fome of the poor Nuns, ‘not having time to caft any thing about them, made their efcape ftark naked, when fome of the crowd, who were affembled on that occafion, took off their cloaks and threw them upon them. Several fellows went into the cells of the convent, and, in fight of all the crowd, fat down compofedly, and crammed themfelves with the conferves and fweetmeats belonging to the nunnery, notwithftanding the Vicar called aloud I and

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