The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-07-29
THE sPOILS OF WAR.
cANARIEs AND cARoLlNEs
MAY BE OURS.

A Glance 1t tho History Of These
Valuable Spanish Possessions - The
Former Known to History ESQ n. O.
Latter Known Since 1888.
The Canary Islands lie six hundred
miles southwest of Cadiz and almost in
direct line between that port and the
cape Verde Islands. They are situat-
cd between the parallels of q degrees
minutes and 20 degrees 3 minutes
north latitude and the meridians of 10
degrees 8 minutes and 10 degrees 2
minutes west longitude. The nearest
island to Africa is only sixty miles
distant from its western coast. There
are seven large islands in the archipe-
lago, and several unimportant and un-
inhabited islets, the total being 1886
square miles. They are roughly divis-
fble into two groups. The western
group comprises the islands Of Tenerife,
Palma, Gomera and Hero. Through
the island of Hero, or Ferro, as 1t is
sometimes called, passes the meridian
which Is taken as the dividing line be-
tween the eastern and western hemi-
spheres. The eastern group embraces
Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerte-
ventura. The largest island Of the
group is Tenerife, from which rises the
famous Pico de Teyde, or Peak Ten
erife, to height of 1920 feet above
the level Of the sea. This island is
about fifty miles long and has an aver
age width of about twenty-eight miles.
Gomera is the smallest of the seven,
being but seventeen miles in length and
of about the same width. The islands
are all Of volcanic formation and have
high rocky coasts.
The history of these interesting is
lands can be traced back but few CEN
turtles. Legend and tradition, however,
will lead us into the realm of antiquity.
The islands have frequently been called
and were formerly known as the "For-
tunate Islands," or the isle of the
Blest." Before their existence was
even suspected, there were islands of
imagination described by the ancient
poets 50 like the Canary islands, that
when these were really discovered, the
fanciful descriptions of the Elysian
fields by Homer, and the fortunate
Isles" of Hesiod and Pindar were found
to apply to them. Homer's description
OF the abode Of happy departed spirits
resembled so nearly these islands that
when found they were at once called
the Fortunate Islands," There is rea-
son to suppose that the Phoenicians
and Romans knew of them. The ear
Hest mention that we have of them as
actually existing is in the treatise, de
Mirabilis," about $50 B. G. This and
an account by Diodorus are no doubt
from the historian Timaeus, his au-
thority being the Greek navigator Py-
theas and the tales of the Punic and
other sailors. Status Sebosus, about
40 B. c., is the first who gives names to
five islands, which can be identified
from their description as being the
Canary Islands Of today. From this
period for thirteen centuries, all knowl-
edge Of the islands was lost and the
Garden Of Hesperides became once
more fable. They were really exist
ing islands buried in oblivion. The
Portuguese claim to have been their
discoveries. Many tales are told of
their re-dfscovery prior to the fifteenth
century, but nothing definite or of i'm
portance seems to have been done until
14O0. In that year Norman noble
man, Jean de Bethencourt, organized
Frenchmen in search Of adventure, and
left Rochelle to conquer the Canaries.
France seems to have given her coun-
trymen no assistance, money, men and
supplies being obtained from Spain.
Bethencourt received a grant of the
islands from Henry III. of CASTLE and
by the year 1404 he was in possession
of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gomera
and Hero. Bethencourt returned to
France in 1408 and died there shortly
afterward. His nephew, Maciot de
Bethencourt, was left as governor of
the islands, but he proved a bad ruler.
Queen Catharine sent one Barba to
control him. Maciot coded the islands
to Barba, went to Madeira and sold
them over again to Prince Henry of
Portugal. The islands were then pass
ed back and forth several times be-
tween the two countries,xeaeh altern.
ately claiming them as her possessions.
It was not until 1919 that the dispute
was finally settled and they became
Spanish possessions. Tenefife. Gran
Canaria. and Palma, however; still re-:
manned to be conquered and the tale
of that unequal struggle is one of
brutality and horror. The Guanches
rallied repeatedly around their native
kings, but, unlike the Spaniards, they
had no-recoiirse to re-enforcements, and
their numbers were constantly dimin-
ished by pestNence as we'll as war. In
1444 Diego de Herrera became lord of
the islands ind from that time till.their
.Anal subsection. over fifty years later,
their history: is most painful one Of
meanness. tFeachery, cruelty and Blood
shed on the partAot the, Spaniards
against an innocent honorable aid