136 CANARY ISLANDS. 



ined that drinking cold water immediately after eating 

 warm food, injured their teeth. Both sexes anointed their 

 bodies with tallow. Their common diseases were fluxes 

 and pleurisies. When they were troubled with acute pains 

 they drew blood from the part affected with lancets made 

 of obsidian, as they had no metals, and all their sharp in- 

 struments were made of the same kind of substance. 



The costume of the Guanches consisted of cloaks made 

 of goat-skins, dressed and softened with butter. Those of 

 the women were longer than those of the men, and reach- 

 ed down to their feet. They wore, beneath their cloaks, 

 petticoats made of the same kind of materials. 



The Guanches acknowledged but one God, whom they 

 believed existed above, and sustained both heaven and 

 earth. They believed that he created them of earth and 

 water, and that he made, at first, as many men as women, 

 giving them flocks and herds, and everything necessary for 

 their subsistence ; but afterwards he thought them to be 

 too few, and created more, whom he would not give any- 

 thing, but bid them serve the other people whom he had 

 made. They had not idols, nor did they worship the 

 sun or moon, stars or stones ; neither had they rites nor 

 ceremonies. When they were in great distress, occasion- 

 ed by the want of rain or dews, they assembled in certain 

 places set apart for that purpose, with their children and 

 flocks, where they sat in a circle on the ground, weeping 

 and making a mournful cry, and at the same time, their 

 flocks were bleating for the want of food. They washed 

 their children at birth all over with water, which was' per- 

 formed by women who lived in separate caves, and declared 

 themselves virgins. They taught their children precepts 

 similar to the scriptural commandments, which they strictly 

 obeyed ; if not, they were severely punished. 



A few years before the conquest of Teneriffe, the whole 

 island was governed by a prince named Betzenuria. He 

 had nine sons, who, upon his death, divided the govern- 

 ment equally amongst themselves ; consequently, the island 

 contained nine kingdoms. Eight of the kings did homage 

 to Tmobat, the elder brother, who was the most powerful, 

 and possessed the richest and most fertile part of the island, 

 being that tract which stretches between San Juan de la 



