370 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



THE islands comprehended un- 

 der the appellation of Canary 

 are situated about the 28th degree 

 of north latitude. The most con- 

 siderable is Teneriffe, and next to 

 it in extent is the great Canary. 

 The rainy season sets in about the 

 end of November, and continues 

 with intervals, until the month of 

 March. This period corresponds 

 to winter, though it never snows, 

 except on the mountains, especially 

 the Peak. During the summer 

 months, not a drop of rain falls 

 near the coast, where the sky is 

 then invariably clear, and the heat 

 most intense. Yet at Laguna, a 

 village seated on the brow of the 

 mountain, and only a league distant 

 from Santa Cruz, they have fre- 

 quent fogs and rain. The clouds 

 melt and dissolve away as they ap- 

 proach the sea. There are no rivers 

 in Teneriffe, but only mountain tor- 

 rents, called in Spanish 6r/rra«co5; 

 which, in winter, sweep away much 

 useful soil. The traces of volcanic 

 fire every where strike the eye 

 The neighbourhood of Santa Cruz 

 consists of savage mountains piled 

 together, and bearing herbs only 

 fit for goats to browse, with many 

 of the prickly euphorbia. Higher 

 up the country, the soil is richer, 

 better cultivated, and abundantly 

 productive. ' It is a sort of clay 

 resting on calcined rock, which in 

 every district occurs at a certain 

 depth. 



Little attention is paid in these 

 islands to the important article of 

 manure. Marie and sea-weed are 

 totally neglected, and animal dung 

 is only laid on the adjoining fields 

 of maize or potatoes ; to which it 

 is carried directly from the stables. 



For the food of man, they grow 

 wheat, very little rye, much bar- 

 ley and maize, potatoes, French 

 beans, and ticks, called garban.ios. 

 As provender for cattle, they raise 

 a few lupines, pease, lentils, beans, 

 and a small quantity of oats. Flax, 

 aniseed, and coriander, are almost 

 the only productions cultivated for 

 the arts. Archil and sumach grow 

 spontaneously. The archil, which j 

 is esteemed of superior quality, is ' 

 gathered by the peasants on the 

 naked rocks. Kali, termed in Spa- 

 nish vidricra,* grows along the 

 sea-shore, and might afford as good 

 soda as that of Alicant. The na- 

 tives use only the seeds, which are 

 separated from the plant by wash- 

 ing, and, being slightly roasted, are 

 ground, to make a sort of gofio. 

 The cotton shrub and the sugar 

 cane also thrive in the Canaries, 

 yet are much neglected. Wheat 

 and barley have been cultivated in 

 Teneriffe from the remotest times; 

 but rye, maize, ticks, and potatoes, 

 have been introduced more recent- 

 ly, and in succession. Only ^0 or 

 40 years have passed since potatoes 

 were first planted there, though at 

 present they constitute almost the 

 chief food of the inhabitants. With . 

 respect to the rotation of crops, and | 

 the change of seed, the people 

 shew extreme ignorance or neglect. 

 Some attention is directed to irri- 

 gation, so necessary in hot climates. 

 Wheat and barley are sown in 

 November and December, and 

 usually reaped in April and May. 

 The corn is carelessly raked to- 

 gether, and carried home in sacks, 

 on the backs of asses, mules, or 

 camels. It is then trodden out by 

 cattle, and the grain is separated 



From vUru7n, glass ; being used in that manufacture. 



