“These islands form a province of Spain, and are represented in the Cortes of the mother country. Mail-vessels ply between the different islands, and there is frequent communication by steamer with Spain and England. The people are Spaniards, a little darker of complexion than those you meet in Spain. The islands are generally very fertile, and the productions of both the torrid and the temperate zone are raised here. The vine has been an important item, and forty thousand pipes of wine were the average manufacture until 1853, when the grape disease destroyed the vines; but, like Madeira, these islands are rapidly recovering from this disaster. “The Canaries are believed to have been known to the ancients, and to have been mentioned by Pliny the Elder, and others, as the Fortunate Islands. The ruins of some stone temples in Gomera indicate that they were known to the Carthaginians. Like the Madeiras, they were discovered in modern days by a vessel driven off its course by heavy weather, in 1334. They were conquered--and the original inhabitants fought well for their country--by Jean de Bethencourt, a Norman baron in the service of Spain, in 1402. They were claimed by the Portuguese, and the natives were troublesome for a long period; but Spain eventually obtained full possession.” The professor finished his remarks, after he had spoken for some time about the manners and customs of the aborigines of the islands, as indicated by the implements and ruins found in them; and then the students of the Tritonia and Josephine returned to their vessels. CHAPTER XIX. WALKS AND TALKS ABOUT THE CANARY ISLANDS. As soon as the lecture of Mr. Mapps was ended, all hands were allowed to go on shore. The elegant barge of the Marian had gone directly from the American Prince to the landing-place, having on board Don Roderigue and his daughter. The boat was pulled by four seamen with a coxswain in the stern, all attired in holiday uniforms; and the barge was fitted up as gayly as a festive gondola in the Grand Canal of Venice, for the young lady and her father. “Here we are!” exclaimed Lieut. Scott, as he stepped on the shore with Capt. Wainwright. “I had an idea we should hear immense flocks of canary-birds whistling in the island, and be in canary-seed up to our knees.” “Of course you did not expect to see canary-birds in the streets of a city, unless you saw them in cages,” added the captain. “Didn’t the professor just tell you these birds came from the island of Alegranza?” “I supposed he only said that to get off that jawbreaker. I couldn’t tell the names of more than two of these islands after he had given them all.” “That was because you had not looked them up beforehand. Most of them are given on the chart of the North Atlantic.” “I am not so much of a bookworm as some of the fellows.” “Here comes Dr. Winstock,” continued Wainwright, as the captain’s barge of the Prince came up to the landing.