This would, however, imply a much larger emigration, probably double the last number, to account for the many Spaniards lost by the perils of the sea or in the depths of the wilderness.

It is known, for example, that whereas the Spanish population of Venezuela was reckoned at 200 households at least 2000 Spaniards had gone to settle there.

An emigration of 300,000 before 1574, or say 400,000 for the whole century, would have left a considerable gap at home.

Add to this the industrial decline by which {458} Altamira reckons that the cities of the center and north, which suffered most, lost from one-half to one-third of their total population, and it is evident that a very considerable shrinkage took place.

The census of 1594 reported a population of 8,200,000.
[Sidenote: Portugal] The same tendency to depopulation was noticed to a much greater degree by contemporary observers of Portugal.