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
Garajonay Express ferry called Benchi Express (IMO 9059171) to operate this route until 2012. Since its collapse, its two rivals, Fred Olsen Express and a conventional ship operator Naviera Armas have considerably upped their fares on the La Gomera-Los Cristianos services. Garajonay Express Garajonay Express was a ferry company in the Canary Islands which ceased operating in November 2008. The firm was named after the National park "Garajonay" on the island of La Gomera. See article: Garajonay National Park. The ferry firm previously connected Los Cristianos in Tenerife with San Sebastian, Playa Santiago, and Valle Gran Rey in La Gomera. Garajonay Express