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 giant lizard Its population trend has actually been increasing since 2001. Apparent La Gomera giant lizards are listed in reports on La Gomera up to the 19th century, but not thereafter. The species was originally described from subfossil remains in 1985, presumably having gone extinct by then. Spanish biologists led by Juan Carlos Rando rediscovered this species in 1999. The biologists found only six living individuals. The current population of the La Gomera giant lizard consists of (2004) 90 individuals remaining in the wild, and a captive stock of about 44 animals. This species is now only known from two separate inaccessible