ays here comfortably and under a
watchful inspector who attends them in the same manner as the governess
does the girls. They are all visited every day by the governor, and a
clergyman attends them every evening. By this humane institution a number
of people are rendered useful and industrious in a country where the
poor, from the indulgence of the climate, are too apt to prefer a life of
inactivity, though attended with wretchedness, to obtaining the comforts
of life by industry and labour.

The number of inhabitants in the island I was informed were estimated at
between eighty and one hundred thousand. Their annual export of wine is
twenty thousand pipes and of brandy half that quantity. Vessels are
frequently here from St. Eustatia, and from thence a great quantity of
Tenerife wine is carried to the different parts of the West Indies, under
the name of Madeira.

Tenerife is considered of more value than all the other Canaries: the
inhabitants however, in scarce seasons, receive supplies from the Grand
Canary; but their vineyards here are said to be greatly superior. Their
produce of corn, though exceedingly good, is not sufficient for their
consumption; and owing to this the Americans have an advantageous trade
here for their flour and grain, and take wine in return.

The town of Santa Cruz is about half a mile in extent each way, built in
a regular manner, and the houses in general large and airy, but the
streets are very ill paved. I am told that they are subject to few
diseases; but if any epidemic distemper breaks out it is attended with
the most fatal consequences, particularly the smallpox, the bad effects
of which they now endeavour to counteract by inoculation. For this reason
they are very circumspect in admitting ships to have communication with
the shore without bills of health.

A sloop from London, called the Chance, William Meridith, master, bound
to Barbados, out nineteen days from the Downs, came into the road the day
before we sailed. She had suffered much by the bad weather but, having
brought no bill of health, the governor would not allow any person to
come on shore unless I could vouch for them that no epidemic disease
raged in England at the time they sailed, which I was able to do, it
being nearly at the same time that I left the land; and by that means
they had the governor's permission to receive the supplies they wanted
without being obliged to perform quarantine.

Thursday 10.

Havin