289 



The enumerations of 1678, 1745, and 1768, 

 have been published by Vieyra. The estima- 

 tion of 1790 is by Mr. Ledru. The total po- 

 pulation, according to Lord Macartney, was 

 196,500 ; of which there were 100,000 at Tene- 

 riffe, 40,000 at Canary, and 30,000 at Palma. 

 The surfaces have been calculated for the first 

 time, and very accurately, by Mr. Oltmanns*, 

 from the chart of Borda and Varela. The 

 vintage of TenerifFe yields from 20 to 24,000 

 pipes, 5000 of which are malmsey. The annual 

 exportation of wine is from 8 to 9000 pipes. 

 The amount of the harvest in the whole of the 

 Archipelago in wheat is 45,000 fanegas, of a 

 hundred pounds each. In ordinary years this 

 crop is sufficient for the consumption of the in- 

 habitants, who otherwise live on maize, potatoes, 

 and French beans, frisoles. The cultivation of 

 the sugar-cane and cotton is of little importance ; 

 the principal objects of commerce are wine, 

 brandy, archil, and soda. The gross amount of 

 the revenue, including the tax on tobacco, is 

 240,000 piastres. 



* Extent of the surface of the Canaries more accurately 

 expressed in geographic leagues of 15 to a degree : Tene- 

 rifFe, 41 1 ; Fortaventnra, 35 J ; Canary, 33 J ; Palma, 15| ; 

 Lanzerota, 14| ; or, including the small neighbouring islands, 

 15| ; Comera, 8; and Ferro, 3| : total 153|. It is asto- 

 nishing, that Mr. Hassel, in his excellent work on the statis- 

 tics of Europe, gives the Canaries a population of 420,000 in- 

 habitants, and an extent of 358 square German miles. (Stat, 

 Umriss. Heft. 1. 17.) 



VOL. I. U 



