242 SIR J. W. DAWSON, C.M.G., F.R.S., ETC., ON SPECIMENS 



The mummy and ten of the skulls are from the Island of 

 TenerifFe and therefore represent the typical Guanches, 

 since the name is said to have originally been Guancldnail, 

 and to have meant " men of Teneriffe." The skiill originally 

 sent by Mr. Haliburton has no precise locality indicated; but 

 it closely resembles the specimen obtained by Dr. Lambert 

 from Gran Canaria. The lock of hair which accompanied this 

 skull is fine, straight, and of a rich brown colour. 



2nd. TJie Canary Islands and Their People. 



I present here a short summary of the more important 

 facts which seem to be certainly known respecting the 

 Guanches. 



The Canary Islands appear to have been peopled in very 

 ancient times, and to have been visited by early voyagers.* 

 Strabo mentions them under the name " Islands of the 

 Blest," and attributes their discovery to the Phoenicians, who 

 must have seen them in their voyages, from the Strait of 

 Gibraltar along the west coast of Africa. Later notices of 

 them under the name of '• Fortunate Islands," occur in Pliny. 

 They are said to have been visited in the reign of Augustus 

 by an expedition sent out by Juba, King of Mauritania. At 

 that time it is stated that no inhabitants were seen, but as 

 remains of buildings were found as well as large numbers of 

 goats and dogs, there must have been inhabitants ; and 

 either these were for a time thinned off by some plague, or 

 they had retreated into the interior to avoid the strangers. 

 The name " Fortunate Islands," seems to have been due to 

 their climate and productions, and to the primitive condition 

 of their people, reminding their visitors of the golden age, 

 just as similar conditions seem to have impressed early 

 visitors to the islands of the Pacific in more modern times. 



The islands were re-discovered by the French, Portuguese 

 and Spanish voyagers of the fifteenth century, who foimd 

 them well peopled and abounding in goats, sheep, p;rain and 

 fruits. At this time the number of fighting men in the 

 different islands Avas estimated at from 12,000 to 17,000, 

 but their weapons were only clubs, stones and wooden 

 lances with the points hardened in the fire or tipped with 



* Boutier and Le Verrier, Conquest of the Canaries^ translated by R. 

 H. Major, F.S.A., Haklujt Societj', 1872 ; Glas in Pinkerton's Voyages, 

 vol. xvi, p. 808, give useful summaries of information. 



