CANARY ISLANDS. Ill 



jacket, which has a kind of hood attached to it, that they 

 throw over their heads whenever occasion may require it. 



From the mildness of the climate of these islands, the 

 children of the lower classes are permitted to go almost or 

 completely naked until they are six, eight, or even ten years 

 of age. They are seldom seen with any other clothing than 

 a coarse linen or muslin camisa, and often they are seen 

 in an entire state of nudity. 



Employments. The principal occupations of the natives 

 of these islands, independent of a necessary supply of mer- 

 chants, husbandmen, mechanics, shopkeepers, and fisher- 

 men, are as follows : — 



Many of the peasantry of the Valley of Orotava of both 

 sexes, lead a miserable life in gathering the branches of 

 trees on the mountains and burning them into charcoal, 

 which they afterwards convey on their heads, or on mules, 

 to the larger towns, and sell it for a very trifling sum. 

 They generally go to market provided with a hoe and 

 sieve, with which, after disposing of their fuel, they collect 

 and sift such part of the dung-hills in town as may be use- 

 ful to carry back into the country for manure. They 

 appreciate this article so highly, that I have known a man 

 to work nearly half of a day in order to get his hat full. 



Many of the men in various parts of the province are 

 employed as herdsmen. They have the charge of a large 

 flock of goats or sheep, with which they constantly keep, 

 day and night. The goats, in many instances, are driven 

 into town early every morning for the purpose of supplying 

 the inhabitants with milk. 



In Orotava, Santa Cruz, and most other large towns, 

 there are men and boys employed in conveying people and 

 luggage from one place to another on horse-back, or on 

 mules or camels. They generally travel on foot them- 

 selves over the worst of roads, barefooted, and often with 

 a heavy burden on their backs or heads. 



On Teneriife, there is another class of men, called los 

 nieveroSf who^are employed in summer in conveying snow 

 and ice from the higher regions of the Peak to the larger 

 towns, for sale. 



The wives and daughters of the sea-faring men of Port 

 Orotava obtain their daily subsistence by leaving that 



