240 SIB J. W. DAWSON, C.M.G., F.E.S., ETC., ON SPECIMENS 



fully into their general anthropological relations, as might 

 have been done by my late friend, Sir Daniel. 



The first specimens obtained for the Museum were pre- 

 sented by Mr. R. S. Haliburtou, and were collected by him 

 in a visit to the Canaries in 1881. They consisted of a skull, 

 a lock of hair, soine earthenware beads ; also photographs of 

 additional skulls, of earthenware objects known as stamps 

 or seals, of a vase or jar, of stone mortars, hooks and piercers 

 or bodkins ; with a few flakes of obsidian or pitchstone. 

 These objects were noticed in the annual report of the 

 Museum for 1888, and some of them were figured in the 

 author's work, Modern Science in Bible Lands, in 1888. 



In presenting the specimens, My. Haliburton stated that 

 the ornamented clay discs were from Gran Canaria, and 

 were supposed to be seals of chiefs. The beads were 

 actually found in Guanche tombs or sepulchres, but there 

 was no certain evidence that they had been used as money, 

 or for records, in the manner of the American Indians. 

 They may have been merely for ornament. Polished green- 

 stone axes are sometimes found, but he was not able to 

 obtain an example of these. In addition to human mummies 

 he had been informed that ;i specimen of a large lizard 

 preserved in the same way had been discovered, possibly, a 

 sacred animal.* With reference to the alleged want of 

 knowledge of navigation on the part of the Guanches, he 

 remarks : — 



" If these islands were settled by a maritime people, the 

 memory of vessels, boats, or rafts would have been preserved. 

 But, strange to say, though these seven islands are in sight 

 of each other, and one can be seen from the African coast, 

 the natives have always apparently been isolated from each 

 other by not knowing that the sea may be traversed by boats 

 or rafts. So long has this isolation continued that the 

 natives of the Canaries were almost distinct from each other 

 in languages, religion, etc. 



" It is possible that by an odd accident, in one island, 

 the natives may have forgotten the use of boats (and also of 

 bows and arrows), but how can this have occurred in all the 

 islands ? 



"It seems to be, in my judgment, a strong proof that this 

 people are the survivors of a very ancient agricultural race. 



* According to Wallace there are no truly iudigenous reptiles in the 

 <'auaries, and the only mammals were two European species of bats. 



