CANARY ISLANDS. 125 



sleeves short, and reaching no further than their elbows. 

 They wore high, goat-skin caps, and short breeches which 

 left the knee bare, and socks or short stockings that reached 

 little higher than the ankles. They wore the same kind 

 of shoes as the natives of Lanzarote, and dressed their hair 

 and beards in the same manner. 



In this island there lived two women, one named Tibiatin, 

 and the other Tamonante, who were mother and daughter. 

 The business of one was to settle and compose differences 

 that might arise among the chiefs of the island, and that of 

 the other to regulate the ceremonies. The natives believed 

 them to have been sent from heaven to instruct them, to 

 foretell future events, and to cause them to live in peace 

 and unanimity with each other. It was by the assistance 

 of these two women that Bethencourt made an easy con- 

 quest of this island. When he arrived there, it was divided 

 into two portions, each of which was governed by its own 

 king, and separated by a wall of loose stones, crossing the 

 island from shore to shore. 



The natives of Gomera were of a lively disposition, of a 

 middle stature, very active and dexterous in attacking and 

 defending, and excellent slingers of stones and darts. It 

 was a common amusement with the young people to cast 

 small stones and darts at each other, to avoid which, they 

 seldom moved their feet, but only waved their bodies ; and 

 they used to catch in their hands the stones and arrows as 

 they flew. In their combats, they made use of slings, bows, 

 lances, and darts made of hard wood. They had several 

 men among them renowned for valor, and others who were 

 famous for their songs. 



The costume of the men of Gomera was a sort of cloak 

 made of goat-skins which extended below their knees. 

 The women wore a petticoat, and a head-dress which hung 

 down to their shoulders, made of goat-skins, dyed and 

 painted red and blue in a curious manner. Their shoes 

 were made of hog-skins. 



When Bethencourt arrived there, the island was divided 

 into four parts, each division governed by a chief or king. 

 These chiefs often had quarrels among themselves concern- 

 11* 



