FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 23 



On the other Portuguese Possessions, which offer, 

 as well as the other parts of West Africa, extensive 

 fields for the development of economic botany, there 

 will be found remarks as regards the different products 

 in the market. 



In addition to the Canary Islands, the other 

 Spanish Possessions on this coast appear as Fernando 

 Po, Annabon, Elobey, Corisco, San Juan, &c., with an 

 area of 850 square miles, and a given population of 

 36,000, exclusive of that of the first-mentioned group, 

 represented by 279,806 (about). 



I observe further that Spain also claims the West 

 Coast of Africa between Capes Bojador and Blanco, 

 the district of Ifin, near Cape Nun, opposite the 

 Canary Islands, the islands of Elobey on the West 

 Coast of Africa, and the country on the banks of the 

 rivers Muni and Naya." — ' Statesman's Year Book, 

 1886.' 



The Canaries should, properly speaking, be out of 

 this Book, for they do not lie within the Tropics. 

 Yet I call attention to them in view of the fact that 

 nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the Canary and Cape 

 Verde Islands, represented by 280,000 and 99,000 

 (approximate), live upon fish with toasted corn or 

 flour, " Gofio," a considerable proportion of which, as 

 Indian corn, comes from Europe and Asia, whereas it 

 might be supplied from West Africa, a nearer and 

 cheaper field. 



By the growth now of sugar-cane and tobacco are 



