292 



naries, than in both Castiles, in Estramadma, 

 and in Scotland. The whole archipelago exhi- 

 bits a mountainous country, the extent of which 

 is a seventh less than the surface of the island of 

 Corsica : it supplies, however, the same number 

 of inhabitants. 



Though the islands of Lanzerota and Fortaven- 

 tura, which are the least populous, export corn, 

 while TenerifFe does not produce two thirds of 

 it's consumption, we must not conclude, that in 

 this last island the number of inhabitants can- 

 not increase for want of subsistence. The Ca- 

 nary islands are still remote from feeling the 

 evils , that arise from too considerable a popula- 

 tion, and of which Mr. Malth us has unfolded 

 the causes with so much precision and know- 

 ledge. The misery of the people has consider- 

 ably diminished, since the cultivation of pota- 

 toes* has been introduced, and since they have 

 begun to sow more maize, than wheat and 

 barley. 



The inhabitants of the Canaries exhibit traits 

 characteristic of a people, who are at the same 

 time mountaineers and islanders. In order to 

 estimate them truly, it is not enough to behold 

 them in their own country, where powerful ob- 

 stacles prevent the display of industry ; we must 

 study them in the plains of the province of Ca- 



* Tessier and Desautoy, on the Agriculture of the Cana- 

 ries. Mem. de CInst, t. i, p. 250 et 27S>. 



