181 



of the cane at Teneriffe, and the Great Canary. 

 This is now found only in the island of Palma, 

 near Argual and Tazacorte*, where it yields 

 scarcely one thousand quintals of sugar a year. 

 The sugarcane of the Canaries, which Aguilon 

 transported to St. Domingo, was there cultivated 

 extensively as early as 1518, or in the six or 

 seven following years, under the auspices of the 

 monks of St. Jerome-}-. Negroes were em- 

 ployed in this cultivation from it's commence- 

 ment ; and in 1519 representations were already 

 made to government, as in our own time, " that 

 the West India islands would be ruined and 

 remain desert, if slaves were not conveyed thi- 

 ther annually from the coast of Guinea" 



For some years past the culture and fabrica- 

 tion of sugar has been much improved in Terra 

 Firma; and, as the process of refining is not 

 permitted by the laws at Jamaica, they reckon 

 on the fraudulent exportation of refined sugar to 

 the English colonies. But the consumption of 

 the provinces of Venezuela, either in papelon, or 

 in raw sugar employed for the fabrication of 

 chocolate and sweet-meats ( dulces ), is so enor- 

 mous, that the exportation has been hitherto 



* Notice sur la Culture du Sucre dans les Isles Canar\ 

 Mr. Leopold von Buch. (MS.) 



t Herrera, Dec. ii, b. 3, c. 14. Compare my Essai Pc 

 sur la Nouv. Espagne, torn. 2, p. 425. 



i Dec. ii, b. 3. Herera, c. 3. 



