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 Gomera Airport sites anywhere on La Gomera, although even this site required extensive embankments at both ends of the runway. Aviation in the island of La Gomera started in the 1950s, when a private airfield was constructed. Its name was "El Revolcadero" and it was situated in Tecina. This airfield had a runway (09-27), an hangar and a small stand which was used as control tower. The airfield was for the owner's private use and for emergencies and fumigation works. In the year 1962, the island had a lot of sanitary assistance problems, so studies to build an airport in the island