6. S. HELENS, & 7. The Isles of ASCENTION.
6. AS destitute of Inhabitants as the Isle of Mauritius, is that of S. HELEN, on the West side of the Cape of Good Hope, & in the 16 Degree of Southernly Latitude; no other Iland interposing
Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.
About this Item
- Title
- Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.
- Author
- Heylyn, Peter, 1600-1662.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for Henry Seile ...,
- 1652.
- Rights/Permissions
-
To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Geography -- Early works to 1800.
- World history -- Early works to 1800.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A43514.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A43514.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 16, 2025.
Pages
Page 86
betwixt Madagascar and it, except those of Don Alvarez, and of Tristram de Acugna, neer the Cape it self; but of so little note as not worth the naming. The Iland very high and hilly, and moun∣ting from the Sea with so steep an ascent, that the Mariners have amongst them a merry saying, that A man may choose whether he will break his heart going up, or his neck coming down.
It was thus called because discovered by the Portugals on S. Helens day: not then inhabited nor since, the King of Spain suffering none to dwell there, because it had been made an unlawful receptacle for uncustomed Goods, whereby he lost exceedingly both in power and profit. Stored by the Portu∣gals at the first Discovery with Goats, Hogs, Hens, and other Creatures: as also with Figs, Limons, Orenges, and the like Fruits, which there thrive exceedingly: and grow all the year long. Intended by them for a Stage in their going and coming to and from the Indies: in which they might refresh them∣selves, and bestow their sick, whence they are taken off by the next years Fleet. Used for the same purpose by the English and Hollanders, who so domineer about the Iland, that the Portugals dare not Anchor neer it, or own their property, if they see any shipping in the Rode. No buildings in it but the ruins of a little Chappel, destroyed by the Hollanders: and some fragment of a little Village be∣gun by some Portugal Mariners, but demolished by the King of Spain.
7. Northwest from hence is the Isle of Ascension, so called because discovered on Ascension day: but not inhabited, nor any use at all made of for ought I can finde. Of the same bigness with S. He∣lens, 30 miles in compass, and about 700 English miles distant from it.