Canary Islands La Gomera taking 1000 captives to be sold as slaves. Another noteworthy attack occurred in 1797, when Santa Cruz de Tenerife was attacked by a British fleet under Horatio Nelson on 25 July. The British were repulsed, losing almost 400 men. It was during this battle that Nelson lost his right arm. The sugar-based economy of the islands faced stiff competition from Spain's American colonies. Low prices in the sugar market in the 19th century caused severe recessions on the islands. A new cash crop, cochineal ("cochinilla"), came into cultivation during this time, saving the islands' economy. During this time
La Palma (Parliament of the Canary Islands constituency) La Palma (Parliament of the Canary Islands constituency) La Palma is one of the seven constituencies () represented in the Parliament of the Canary Islands, the regional legislature of the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands. The constituency currently elects 8 deputies. Its boundaries correspond to those of the island of La Palma. The electoral system uses the D'Hondt method and a closed-list proportional representation, with a minimum threshold of 30 percent in the constituency or 6 percent regionally. The constituency was created as per the Statute of Autonomy of the Canary Islands of 1982 and was first contested in