CANARY ISLANDS. 113 



occupation. There is a certain stimulus in it that cannot 

 be overcome, even by the utmost persuasion. 



There are men to be met with from Grand Canary in 

 almost every part of these islands, trafficking in coarse, 

 felt hats of their own manufacture. They are purchased 

 by the lower or middle classes, who are unable to wear 

 those of a better quality. 



Commerce, Agriculture, and General Industry. In 

 general, the natives of these islands have but just advan- 

 ced beyond the earliest rudiments of maritime commerce. 

 They derive a considerable portion of their support, how- 

 ever, from their fisheries, which exist between Cape Boja- 

 dor and Cape Blanco, on the coast of Africa ; and, in- 

 deed, the natives of Palma have a natural turn for specu- 

 lation, either in trafficking to the other islands for for- 

 eign goods, or in sending small adventures of brandy, 

 silks, and almonds to Cuba and Porto Rico, where they 

 send regularly a few small vessels, the only foreign com- 

 merce that any of the natives of these islands carry on. 



Almost all the foreign commerce that these islands pos- 

 sess, is effected by Europeans, who have settled here, or 

 a few of the higher classes of the natives. Their staple 

 products of exportation are wines, brandy, barilla, archil, 

 silk, potatoes, and a few other vegetables. The principal 

 articles that they receive in return, are staves, hard-ware, 

 cutlery, dry goods, and in years of famine, they draw large 

 cargoes of provisions from America, Spain, England, and 

 the north of Germany. 



These islands, in their present state, are so far from 

 yielding a profit to the government, that they annually 

 exact large sums from it for the maintenance of their gar- 

 risons ; while, if they were in the hands of a more liberal 

 and enterprising nation, they would be of considerable 

 commercial value. 



Agriculture forms the most important branch of industry 

 among all classes of society ; but with few exceptions, all 

 the processes employed in preparing the ground, casting 

 in the seed, and gathering the harvest, are slight and 

 simple. The only plough used here, is a rude implement, 

 constructed entirely of wood, except a small iron colter, 

 which just serves to scratch and turn over the stony sur- 

 10* 



