138 CANARY ISLANDS. 



the lesser stones, according to their seniority ; and in this 

 manner they heard and decided causes. When any one 

 was sentenced to corporeal punishment, he was laid flat 

 on the ground, and the king delivered his staff or sceptre to 

 some person, commanding him to give the offender such 

 number of blows as the crime merited, and then to be 

 taken from his presence. For murder, the king took away 

 the criminal's flocks and effects, giving them to the rela- 

 tions of the deceased, and banished the murderer from his 

 district, but always took him under his protection, so that 

 the friends and relations of the deceased might not injure 

 him. They never punished any person by death, saying 

 that it belonged to God alone to take away that life wliich 

 he had given. They had a law among them, that when a 

 man, by chance, met a woman alone on the road, or in a 

 solitary place, he was not to look at her, unless she first 

 spoke to him, but to turn out of the way ; and if he used 

 any indecent expression, or behaved in an unbecoming 

 manner any way, he was severely punished. They also 

 had a custom among them, that when one person went to 

 the house of another, he did not attempt to enter, but sat 

 on a stone at the door, and either whistled or sang, till 

 some one came out and desired him to walk in. Who- 

 ever observed not this rule, and entered another person's 

 house without being invited, was liable to punishment, as 

 it was considered among them as the highest offence. 



Polygamy was not practised at all by them. They paid 

 no regard to marrying kindred, except that of father and 

 brother, or mother and sister. When a young woman 

 pleased a man, he, in person, asked her parents, if she had 

 any, if not, asked herself for her hand, and if agreeable, 

 without any further ceremony than giving one another the 

 hand, they became man and wife. If at any time after- 

 wards they became disgusted with one another, they parted, 

 and their union was dissolved, and they were at liberty to 

 marry any one else. If they had children, they were con- 

 sidered as illegitimate, and could not inherit their father's 

 effects. The king was always obliged to marry a person 

 who was his equal, and if such a one could not be found, 

 he was allowed to marry his own sister, that he might not 

 debase his family by a mixture of plebeian blood. They 



