WESTERN HINDOOSTAN, 147 



iflands, and in the Madeira, by the Portuguefe, This happened 

 about the year 1506. hi the fame year, Ferdinand the Ga- 

 thohc ordered the cane to be carried from the Canaries to 

 St. Domingo. From thofe iflands the art of making fugar 

 was introduced into the iflands of Hifpaniola, and in about 

 the year 1623 into the Brazils-, the reed itfelf growing 

 fpontaneoully in both thofe countries. Till that time fugar 

 was a molt expenfive luxury, and ufed only, as Mr. Anderfon 

 obferves, in feafts, and phyfical neceffities. 



I SHALL here anticipate the account of the ftate of fugar in Into Spain. 

 Spain, where in Europe it firft became ftationary, borrowing it 

 from the ninth volume of my Outlines of the Globe. It was, 

 till of late years, cultivated to great advantage in the king- 

 dom of Granada, and great quantities of fugar made in the 

 ingenios, or mills. In the year 1723, in the city of Mefril, were 

 eight hundred families : Their principal commerce was in 

 fugars and fyrups, made in four fugar works, from the planta- 

 tions of canes, %vhich reached from the fouth fide down to the 

 fea fide ; but thefe and the other fugar works are greatly 

 decayed, by reafon of the exceffive duties. This, with the 

 increafed demand for fugar, on the prevaling ufe of chocolate 

 in the kingdom, which requires double the quantity of that 

 article, has occafioned a drain of a million of dollars out of the 

 country, in payment for fugar, preferves, and other confec- 

 tionaries. This is very extraordinary, confidering that Spain 

 is poffeifed of fome of the fineft fugar iflands, befides the j^ower 

 of manufadurjng it within its home dominions*. 



I NOW digrefs feveral leagues to the wefl, to the Laccadive Lacca,divb 



_ , . 1 . , Isles. 



ifles, a confiderable group, the centre of which is nearly op- 



* Uztariz, ii. ch. 94. 



U 2 polite 



