CANARY ISLANDS. 127 



reached down to the middle of their legs. In sewing these 

 skins together, they used small thongs for thread, and 

 small, pointed bones for needles. They went bare-headed, 

 with their long hair done up into a number of plaits. Their 

 shoes were made of the raw skins of sheep, goats, or hogs. 



The natives adored two deities, one of them male, and 

 the other female. The male was named Eraoranzan, and 

 was worshipped by the men ; and the female was named 

 Moneyba, and worshipped by the women. They had no 

 representations of these deities, nor did they sacrifice to 

 them, but only prayed in the time of necessities. The 

 natives feigned that when their gods were inclined to do 

 them good, they came to the island and stationed them- 

 selves on two great rocks, named Ventayca, which are sit- 

 uated in a place called by the Spaniards, Los Antillos de 

 los Antiguos. On these rocks, the deities received their 

 petitions, and afterwards returned to heaven. When a 

 long continuance of dry weather occurred, and they were 

 reduced to great necessity, and their prayers were not an- 

 swered, they assembled together at Ventayca with their 

 cattle and there held a fast for three days and as many 

 nights, weeping and lamenting, and their flocks bleating 

 for the want of food. If all this did not produce rain, they 

 sent a man whom they considered as a saint, to a cave 

 called Atecheita, where he invoked the gods to send a me- 

 diator, upon which, as tradition gives it, an animal like a 

 pig would appear to him, called Aranjaiho, or mediator. 

 Then the saint would put the animal under his cloak and 

 carry it to the natives who were assembled at Ventayca, 

 and they formed themselves and their flocks into a proces- 

 sion, and continued to walk round the rocks lamentino- and 

 wailing. 



They all lived under one king, consequently they never 

 had occasion to go to war. They had no rules in their 

 marriages, except that a man should not marry his mother, 

 daughter, or sister, and could not marry but one wife. 

 They were all on an equality, except the kinof, who received 

 no stipulated tribute, but every, one made him presents 

 according to his wealth or pleasure ; and the only distinc- 

 tion among them was in their substance, which consisted 

 in flocks. It was customary for a man when he chose a 



