try, are likewise to be bought at the same
moderate rate; and fruits are in great plenty. At this time we had
grapes, figs, pears, mulberries, plantains, and musk-melons. There is a
variety of other fruits produced here, though not in season at this
time. Their pumpkins, onions, and potatoes, are exceedingly good of
their kind; and keep better at sea than any I ever before met with.

The Indian corn, which is also their produce, cost me about three
shillings and sixpence a bushel; and the fruits and roots were, in
general, very cheap. They have not any plentiful supply of fish from the
adjoining sea; but a very considerable fishery is carried on by their
vessels upon the coast of Barbary: and the produce of it sells at a
reasonable price. Upon the whole, I found Teneriffe to be a more
eligible place than Madeira, for ships bound on long voyages to touch
at; though the wine of the latter, according to my taste, is as much
superior to that of the former, as strong beer is to small. To
compensate for this, the difference of prices is considerable; for the
best Teneriffe wine was now sold for twelve pounds a pipe; whereas a
pipe of the best Madeira would have cost considerably more than double
that sum.[70]

[Footnote 70: Formerly, there was made at Teneriffe a great quantity of
Canary sack, which the French call _Vin de Malvesie_; and we, corruptly
after them, name Malmsey (from Malvesia, a town in the Morea, famous for
such luscious wine). In the last century, and still later, much of this
was imported into England; but little wine is now made there, but of the
sort described by Captain Cook. Not more than fifty pipes of the rich
Canary were annually made in Glas's time; and he says, they now gather
the grapes when green, and make a dry hard wine of them, fit for hot
climates, p. 262.--D.]

The Chevalier De Borda, commander of the French frigate now lying in
Santa Cruz road, was employed, in conjunction with Mr Varila, a Spanish
gentleman, in making astronomical observations for ascertaining the
going of two time-keepers which they had on board their ship. For this
purpose, they had a tent pitched on the pier head, where they made their
observations, and compared their watches, every day at noon, with the
clock on shore, by signals. These signals the chevalier very obligingly
communicated to us; so that we could compare our watch at the same time.
But our stay was too short, to profit much by his kindness.

The three