2 SOMK HIRDS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS 



stitutc the o^roup known as the Canary Islands. Five 

 of these, Grand Canary, Tenerife, Palma, Gomera and 

 Hierro, to name them in the order of their respective 

 sizes, form what is usually called the western group, 

 the eastern group being represented by Fuerteventura 

 and Lanzarote. All these islands are of volcanic origin, 

 those of the western group being for the most part fertile 

 and cultivated, in strong contrast to Fuerteventura and 

 Lanzarote, which are barren in the extreme. 



My journeyings took me to three of these islands. 

 Grand Canary, Tenerife, and Fuerteventura, and of 

 those three I propose to deal in these pages with the 

 two latter only. In treating of Fuerteventura first, it 

 must not be imagined for a moment that that desert- 

 like island can claim precedence in any way over 

 Tenerife, indeed the contrary is the case, for the in- 

 habitants of Tenerife regard the individual who would 

 choose of his own free will to leave their beautiful and 

 justly celebrated island for the barren shores of Fuer- 

 teventura, as one who must be, to put it as gently as 

 possible, a little " touched." So far from showing this 

 however, they evince a well-bred interest in his plans, 

 relegating the surprise which they must feel at his 

 actions into the dim recesses of themselves, where it 

 keeps company with a supreme pity. 



Years ago Fuerteventura was owned almost entirely 

 by the members of one family, and a deputy Governor 

 was chosen out of this family, whose title was Co7'Ouel. 

 or Colonel, of Fuerteventura ; that title has, however, 

 long since been done away with, and the island is now 

 governed, under the Crown of Spain, as any other of 

 the Canary group. 



