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
Demographics of the Cayman Islands more even division of African and European ancestry. Those of mixed race make up 40% of the population, with blacks and whites following at 20% each. The remaining 20% belong to various immigrant ethnic groups. According to CIA factbook of 2013, Caymanian people of mixed-race of mixed black African and white European ancestry are the plurality ethnic group in the Cayman Islands, accounting for 40% of the country's population, with white 20%, black 20%, and expatriates of various ethnic groups 20%. The official language of the Cayman Islands is English. Islanders' accents retain elements passed down from English, Scottish, and