The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-08-19

HuoJectlOn 10 the spanish crown. be
tween 1883 and 1900 the Spaniards. after
hard fighting, completed the conquest
Of the islands. which have remained
part Of their dominion since.
The principal Hands Of the Canary
group are seven In number: They are:
Lawzarota, Furteventura. Gran Cana
ria CGrand Canary, Tenerife. Gomera.
Palma and Hero. Besides these there
are four islets. and some exposed
rocks. All of these islands, about 1000
miles. lie within two degrees of
latitude and five degree OF longitude.
the northernmost. the Lawzarota, lying
near the 30th parallel. north. They are
mountainous, containing many external
volcanoes. the loftiest Of these being the
famous peak OF Tenerife. over 1900 feet
high. Ouch of the country is covered
with calcined rock, pumice stone and
volcanic ashes, but the remainder is very
fertile and productive.
In some places two crops OF corn ana
n crop OF potatoes can be raised on
the same ground I'm one year. Inc ell
mate Is dry. equable and salubrious. In
the low lands IL Is hot, resembling the
climate of Egypt. On the banks OF Ten
erife the snow remains for nearly half
the year. From April to October, when
the northerly winds blows. a stratum of
sea cloud about 1000 feet In thickness
hangs owe the Islands, at a height OF
3, 500 feet above the sea. In winter the
levante sometimes blows from the Afri-
can mainland, a dry. hot wind, which at
times brings with II swarms of locusts.
The rainy season is about the same as
that in Southern Europe.
The primitive inhabitants of the ISL
ands, the Guanches. were a race prob
ably of the same stock with the Ber-
bers. and perhaps others of the dark
skinned races which have peopled
Northern Africa. They embalmed their
dead, and in warfare used flint and
stone weapons, and wooden spears hard
ened by fire. They were fond of liberty
and fought bravely against the Spanish
invaders. They ceased more thai two
centuries ago to exist as a distinct peo-
pie, becomingly completely amalga-
mated with the conquerlng race. The
present inhabitants. slightly darker than
the people of Spain. are Of medium
height, well formed and quick of intelli-
gence. They talk the Spanish language.
They are temperate in drinking, but are
gamblers, lazy, faithless and supersti-
tious.
There is a population of about 100000
people in the Canary stands. The
two largest cities are Las Palmas. on
Grand Canary island. and Santa Cruz,
the capital of the whole Canaries group
and of Tenerlfe. and the most enterpris-
ing city of all the Atlantic islands. Po-
l~itically the Canaries form a part of
Andalusia in Spain. The governor gen.
eral resides at Santa Cruz, but the ac-
tual administration Of affairs is per-
formed by two lieutenant governors,
living respectively at Las Palmas and
Santa Cruz. There is a deputy COVER
nor and a military commander on each
of the smaller Islands. The military
force ordinarily relied on TO guard the
islands is a Spanish battalion of resu-
lars. numbering about 1000 men, and SIX
regiments Of militia enrolled or contain
ing 5000 men. At the outbreak of the
present var the fortihcations at the Ca
naries were obsolete, and the guns
mounted upon them were a~ntiquated. IL
II not probable that any Strengthening
Of the defenses has been done since to
an extent to prevent the speedy capture
~ the islands by Commodore Watson's
squadron.
BEYOND their strategic values as a
naval base. the Canaries have a com
mercial value of their own. The vine
wards from which the celebrated
Canary wine was produced, failed early
i'm the present century. owing to some
disease: but in recent years they have
been, in a measure, restored. In 1879
the cochineal insect was introduced
into the Canaries. from Mexico, to-
gether with the Nopal cactus, on which
IL feeds. The experiment proved so
successful that I'm 1876. SO years later,
the value Of the cochinal produced
amounted to over half a million Brit
ish pounds sterling yearly. Enough
grain and potatoes are raised in the
islands to supply the needs of the in
habitants. The exports are wine, sugar,
honey, orchilla Ga plant valuabl as a
dye). and cochineal. There are fish
cries off the African coast, in which
many of the islanders are engaged:
they supply the island with fish (mostly
bream) and furnish an article of COM
merce.
There is considerable trading among
the islands i'm small native vessels n
boats. or the 300 vessels that come
yearly to the Canaries. representing
foreign trade, 200 go to Santa Cruz.
This is the Canary port undoubtedly,
that best meets the requirements of a
naval station. Protected by a mole its
harbor would afford safe anchorage for
all our war fleets. and for all COM
merce that might center there, and 1t
can be easily defended. It was here
that Lord Nelson. attacking the city
I'm 1897. was repulsed with great loss
by the guns of Fort st. Miguel. Ii
was in this fight that the great admiral
lost his arm. Santa Cruz. built upon "A
small plain. Is a town of low. fiat
rooted houses. 1t Is supplied with eN-
cellent water from the River Mercedes.
rising among pine and laurel forests in