SPANISH INTERPRETER. MANNERS.
The gentleman who had acted as interpreter for us was also there, but I could gain very little further information from him. He told me that they had just heard George the Eighth, the King of England, was dead (William the Fourth had just died) and his knowledge of the other European countries was much upon the same scale. I found that gambling was here carried on to an extent which was really deplorable.
July 21.
I started at half-past five for the botanic gardens, diligently inspected them, and afterwards made a set of magnetic observations; this occupied a large portion of the morning. I however still had time to geologise for about three hours, and then rode back to Santa Cruz, where I did not arrive till late at night.
STATISTICS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS. TABLES.
July 22.
In the morning I renewed my magnetic observations and, having dined at the table d'hote, I passed the afternoon in calling upon several persons, and collecting such information regarding the group of islands as I could pick up. Two statistical tables then given to me I have here inserted.
The first shows the extent of the seven larger islands and the average number of inhabitants in each. On these numbers I think dependence may be placed, as they nearly agree, in the total, with that given by Tarrente in the Geografia Universal (1828) who makes it 196,517, being about 12,000 above the number given by Humboldt for the gross population at the end of the last century.
The second table gives the quantity of the most important products raised annually in each island.