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Canary Islands

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Apr 11, 1912

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 89, No. 15.

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Canary Islands

By B. B. Aldrich

B. B. ALDRICH
BROTHER and Sister T. M. French arrived here February 22. Their visit was a blessing in many ways, and we enjoyed having them with us.
There is some beautiful scenery here. In the far distance are several large mountain peaks, with the snow-capped cone of Pico de Teyde (12,192 feet) towering in the sky, and near at hand every conceivable shade of green in the luxurious products of this garden of the islands.
A succession of shades and contrasts is presented to the eye of the admiring beholder from a near-by mountaintop. At our feet lies the ancient capital of the Canaries, La Laguna, with churches four and five centuries old, and old Spanish tile-roofed houses and narrow streets.
The climate grows more and more delightful as the rains become less frequent, and as the sun gradually approaches the northern limit. I found very little sickness. The climatic conditions for maintaining health are of the best.
From Spain I received about three hundred Spanish tracts, also some Spanish papers. I sold all of them in about three weeks, in La Laguna, Santa Cruz, and the country near by. I found one great man reading the King James Version of the Bible in Spanish. He wanted to learn. I shall visit him again and try to interest him further in Bible study. Some whom I have since seen distributing the tracts seem to be interested, and I am hoping they may study further.
The people in the country nearly all are illiterate. A large percentage of the population can neither read nor write.
Our landlord appears to be a very intelligent Cuban, and we earnestly hope that he may become sufficiently interested to study the Bible systematically with us. He is very kind to us. We pray that as we mingle with these people we may influence them for the truth.
I think the sale of health literature will be the best means to start the work here. The power of the priests is very strong; the people are ignorant and superstitious, and it is a great problem to know how to reach them with God's great truth for to-day. But he has promised to give us wisdom for the work. Remember us and the work here in prayer, that the Lord may enable us to lead some honest-hearted ones into the light.
La Laguna, Teneriffe.