Throughout the 18th century, news related to the Canary Islands and other nearby areas appeared in the British press from time to time. We have a wonderful online source, the British Newspaper Archive (British Press Archive) which provides fascinating information about events that happened hundreds of years ago and from which we are extracting the news that we collect in this series, which will end when next summer we are going to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the Gesta of July 25.
On September 4, 1787, the Chester Courant communicated the following news that appeared in the Madrid Gazette (1). (The truth is that I don’t know what to make of this story. Was someone deceiving the governor and his collaborators in Tenerife? Was the governor deceiving the Court of Madrid? – something highly unlikely, unless the governor was crazy- Was someone in the Madrid press misleading British readers by sending a false report? Or… did aliens really land on Tenerife? Translation of a Letter from His Excellency the Governor of the Island of Tenerife, to His Majesty’s Principal Secretary Catholic.
June 20, 1787
I consider it an inexcusable duty to dispatch a courier ship with the following momentous information, which not only pertains to the glory and extent of His Majesty’s dominions, but is also likely to become a matter of wonder and admiration throughout the globe. terrestrial; and it should reassure me that official information, of such important consequences for the scientific world, is certified by the Bishop of La Laguna and all the priests and abbots of our Holy Church residing on this Island, which will sufficiently attest to its authenticity, not only before His Sacred Majesty and all his faithful subjects, but also before the rest of Humanity interested in such an unexpected and extraordinary event.
On the 15th day of the current month, around ten o’clock in the morning, (when the sky appeared remarkably clear and calm) the gazes of all the inhabitants of the island were concentrated on a prodigious and great balloon that floated in space and perceptibly descended! , in a slow and smooth trajectory, towards the Pico de Tenerife! Some of the spectators saw, or thought they had discovered, a twinkling glow surrounding the phenomenon and, with the force of their imaginations and the aid of binoculars, clearly distinguished a fiery tail, leading many to conclude that it must be a wandering star. , or a ball of fire, or some eccentric comet, diverted from its original path by a disturbance in the planetary system, and traveling through our atmosphere. All was terror and consternation, and the churches called the faithful to prayer. Meanwhile, others, with more scientific reasoning, claimed to have discovered a flying vehicle or car behind him; then the classically trained people, remembering pagan mythology, concluded that it was some divinity who, once again, descended to visit our mortal abodes. But the convents and monasteries continued to offer their prayers and pious aspirations, waiting and imploring the intervention of their Holy Protectors.
But, before the imagination could dwell any longer on these various chimeras, the object appeared much nearer. And, with the help of a large reflecting telescope of our Observatory, we saw that it was an immense Golden Globe, from which hung a splendid gallery, very elegantly painted! And that in it were two figures, apparently human, waving some flags.
Since the machine was now pointed directly at the center of the Island, and seemed to be hovering, as if searching for a safe landing place, all the owners of mules and horses immediately mounted and rode with feverish impatience towards the base of the mountain, near the city of La Laguna, followed by a crowd on foot. I had the good fortune to be at the head of this crowd when the aerial navigators, after dropping anchors, began a vertical descent, about ten miles from Santa Cruz, near the base of the great Mountain. Then we took the ropes and, pulling them gently, we lowered the balloon and the car to the ground.
Later, with incomparable amazement, we watched as two fantastic and extraordinary figures jumped from the flying machine and, placing palm and olive branches at our feet, addressed us in a language that was totally unknown to us; her appearance, clothing, and manners (to be described later) had never before been seen in any country or nation on earth, and indeed, after what I shall tell later, her Majesty will not be surprised at my statement.
- Original in English: Alastair F. Robertso
- Translation: Emilio Abad Ripoll.
- Members of the Tertulia Amigos del 25 de Julio
