177' THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 105 



considerably more. Hogs, sheep, goats, and poultry, 

 are likewise to be bought at the same moderate rate: 

 and fruits are in great plenty. At this time we had 

 grapes, figs, pears, mulberries, plantains, and musk- 

 melons. There is a variety of other fruits produced 

 here, though not in season at this time. Their 

 pumpkins, onions, and potatoes, are exceedingly 

 good of their kind, and keep better at sea than any 

 I ever before met with. 



The Indian corn, which is also their produce, cost 

 me about three shillings and sixpence a bushel ; and 

 the fruits and roots were, in general, very cheap. 

 They have not any plentiful supply of fish from the 

 adjoining sea ; but a very considerable fishery is 

 carried on by their vessels upon the coast of Barbary ; 

 and the produce of it sells at a reasonable price. Upon 

 the whole, I found Teneriffe to be a more eligible 

 place than Madeira for ships bound on long voyages 

 to touch at ; though the wine of the latter, according 

 to my taste, is as much superior to that of the former, 

 as strong beer is to small. To compensate for this, 

 the difference of prices is considerable ; for the best 

 Teneriffe wine was now sold for twelve pounds a 

 pipe ; whereas a pipe of the best Madeira would have 

 cost considerably more than double that sum.* 



The Chevalier de Borda, commander of the French 

 frigate now lying in Santa Cruz road, was employed, 

 in conjunction with Mr. Varila, a Spanish gentleman, 

 in making astronomical observations for ascertaining 

 the going of two time-keepers which they had on 

 board their ship. For this purpose, they had a tent 



* Formerly, there was made at Teneriffe a great quantity of 

 Canary sack, which the French call Fin de Malvesie ; and we, cor- 

 ruptly after them, name Malmsey (from Malvesia, a town in the 

 Morea, famous for such luscious wine). In the last century, and 

 still later, much of this was imported into England ; but little wine 

 is now made there, but of the sort described by Captain Cook. Not 

 more than fifty pipes of the rich Canary was annually made in 

 Glas's time ; and he says, they now gather the grapes when green, 

 and make a dry hard wine of them, fit for hot climates, p. 262. 



