76 C A N A R Y I S L A N D S . 



and its productions, that it will be difficult for me to give 

 even a general description of it. Every variety of soil and 

 surface may be found within its narrow limits; sands as 

 barren and as dreary as those of the deserts of Africa, 

 rocks as precipitous and as magnificent as those of the 

 Alpine regions, and fields and vineyards as fertile and as 

 luxuriant as those of the most favored regions of the earth. 

 Within the space of about sixty miles, every object of this 

 multum ill parvo must, of necessity, be in small portions, 

 except the Peak, the mighty dome that crowns the edifice 

 of the whole. Its staple commodities are whines, wheat, 

 maize, barley, rye, pulse, potatoes, barilla, and archil. 

 Its chief towns are Santa Cruz, Laguna, and Orotava 

 which comprises two parishes, situated about two miles 

 apart, one called by the natives El Puerto de la Orotava 

 or Puerto de la Cruz, and the other La Villa de la Oro- 

 tava ; the former contains 3,956 inhabitants, and the latter 

 7,800. 



Grand Canary, is perhaps, more favored by nature, 

 than any of these islands. It possesses a very productive 

 soil, and an abundanceof springs of excellent water, which 

 are made to irrigate the land to great advantage. Its 

 staple products are the same as those of Teneriffe, except 

 barilla. Its produce of grain is proportionably large, and 

 is not subject to the same contingencies as that of the other 

 islands, which merely depends on an abundant fall of rain 

 at the proper season, to insure a plentiful crop. From the 

 same cause, the fruit of this island is generally better than 

 that of the others. Within these few years past, the culture 

 of the olive has been zealously attended to, so that there 

 is made, already, a considerable quantity of oil. The 

 making of wine with the view of exportation, is also of a 

 k\v years' standing ; though not equal to that of Teneriffe, 

 it is of a very fair quality. 



Tiie division of these islands in 1826 into two bishop- 

 rics, instead of being as formerly, all dependant on the 

 see of Canary, is a great diminution of the wealth and 

 influence of this island. Of the three ports of the prov- 

 ince allowed to carry on a foreign import trade, that of 

 Las Palmas, the chief town of this island, is one ; and 



