CANARY ISLANDS. 101 



lower classes have many provincial terms which would be 

 perfectly unintelligible to an inhabitant of Spain. 



Domestic Accommodations. Most of the domestic ac- 

 commodations throughout these islands, are simple, and 

 often limited to the lowest degree of barbarism. There 

 are few buildings in any part of the province that exceed 

 two stories in height, and the greater number of dwellings 

 are las casus terreras, or those having a ground floor only. 

 The better classes of houses are built on the same plan as 

 those in other Spanish provinces, having many large win- 

 dows, but often are only partially glazed. The walls are 

 constructed of rough stone, laid in mortar or mud. and are 

 generally plastered or whitewashed with their corners 

 painted in black and white squares, which, although pain- 

 ful to the eyes from the great reflection of the sun, give 

 a very neat appearance to the outside. It is remarked that 

 a visible improvement in domestic cleanliness has taken 

 place in the larger towns within these few years past, 

 yet there is room for much more. 



Among the poorer classes of the peasantry, their houses 

 are often built of irregular stones, carelessly laid together 

 without the use of mortar, formmg a circular wall, which 

 they cover with rafters and tiles, or straw ; and have no 

 other floor than the bare earth. These habitations very 

 often serve for the whole family and all the domestic 

 stock, including men, women, children, pigs, poultry, 

 goats, cats, dogs, etc., the latter animal being an indis- 

 pensable member of almost every family in the province. 

 Great numbers of the more wretched people dwell in 

 caves, formed by nature in the rocks, and have no articles 

 for convenience, except a {ew stones for seats and a bed of 

 ferns. 



Mode of Living. The manner of living among the 

 natives who possess a certain degree of wealth, is very uni- 

 form. About an hour after rising in the morning, they 

 breakfast, not making a meal of it as with us ; but each 

 member of the family takes a cup of chocolate with a 

 small quantity of toast or a sweet biscuit in his own 

 apartment, or takes it in his hand and eats it when 

 sauntering about the house. Two o'clock is generally 

 the dinner hour, thoucrh in retired places, many yet keep 

 9* 



