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SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Oct. 19, if 



when investigating the character of a nation, whatever 

 may be the race, whatever the time in which it lived. 

 The position ot women among the ancient inhabitants of 

 the Canary Islands was unusual when compared with 

 other old races. The matter has not been before, so far 

 as I am aware, ever separately considered. It must be 

 confessed that the actual facts we have to go upon are 

 scanty, but by dint of careful reading between the lines 

 of the narratives which have come down to us, a fair esti- 

 mate of the position of women is obtainable. For this pur- 

 pose our main reliable sources of information may be 

 reduced to two, although we obtain a few hints from the 

 remarks of casual travellers, the MS. of the two priests 

 who chronicled Bethencourt's conquest, and the Spanish 

 MS. of Father Juan de Abreu de Galindo (or Galineo 

 according to Glas) a Franciscan Friar. I have already 

 alluded to the former. The latter MS. was translated and 

 published by George Glas as far back as 1764, but was 

 only published in Santa Cruz de Tenerife as late as 1848. 

 Galindo wrote the narrative in the year 1632, some 130 

 odd years after the conquest, in the island of Palma, the 

 island, be it remembered, which was sharply and quickly 

 conquered in about six months without any serious de- 

 population. There the customs and habits of the old 

 inhabitants would be still readily traceable and more 

 prominent than if studied in an island which had been 

 slowly decimated, and therefore almost solely by the 

 uncertain light of tradition. Even to this day the con- 

 servatism of Palma is most noticeable, more custumefor 

 example, being preserved there chan in any of the other 

 islands. 



Unlike " yage nations", the women do not seem to have 

 .rtake tasks of laborious toil. In Tenerife the 

 .pared the ground for seed by hoeing it with 

 wooden hoes, and then the women did the lighter task of 

 Scattering the seed in the hollows. The women helped, 

 as they still do in most civilised countries, in gathering 

 in the harvest and in winnowing the ears. When the 

 men, women, and children waded into the sea to drive a 

 shoal of fish towards the shore, we are particularly told 

 that an equal division of the prize was made, every 

 woman receiving a share and one for her children. In 

 the incidents and occupations of domestic life the women 

 doubtless played their usual part. We are told nothing 

 to the contrary, and therefore may fairly presume that if 

 the conquerors and travellers had noticed anything un- 

 usual in this respect they would have recorded it. We 

 are told that in Canaria the women did the painting and 

 dyeing, and in the proper season gathered the flowers, 

 shrubs, etc., from which they extracted the several 

 colours. In battle they waited on the men, succoured 

 the wounded, and removed the dead. 



They were treated with respect. In Tenerife they 

 had a custom that when a man by chance met a woman 

 alone on the road or- in a solitary place, he was not to 

 look at or speak to her, unless she first spoke to or de- 

 manded ought of him, but to turn out of the way; and 

 if he made use of any indecent expression or behaved in 

 an unbecoming manner he was severely punished. Even 

 in their wars among themselves it was held to be base 

 and mean to molest or injure the women or children of 

 the enemy, "for they considered them as meek and help- 

 less, therefore improper objects of their resentment." 

 Though this relates specially to Canaria, from what we 

 know generally of the other islands, the same noble 

 sentiments may fairly be attributed to their natives also. 

 The men were careful to protect their women from the 



enemy. When the Spaniards once unexpectedly came 

 upon a body of some fifty natives near a wild pass in the 

 centre of Fuerteventura, they at once rushed to attack the 

 invaders of their islands, in order to hold them in check 

 till their wives and children were in safety. For rudely 

 armed people to thus take the initiative against an enemy 

 armed with weapons of iron and clad in mail shows a 

 great amount of courage. 



The women, too, were not deficient in bravery. 

 Rather than fall into the dreaded hands of the licentious 

 conquerors, we read of two women throwing themselves 

 down a precipice in Canaria. Another woman strangled 

 a child at her breast for fear that its cries might inform 

 the enemy of the presence of her companions. When 

 driven to bay, the women could fight, and did fight well. 



The heroic king Benhearo, who with Benchomo made 

 the name of Guanche renowned and celebrated in Europe, 

 was accompanied by his daughter Guacina, who, it is 

 said, rode at the head of the troopb. 



The diplomatic capability of the ancient Canario 

 women of high rank is well illustrated in the following 

 story : " Before the advent of Bethencourt there lived in 

 Gaidar a young and beautiful woman, of noble birth, 

 who was as wise and good as she was beautiful. At 

 that time Canaria was governed by many nobles in 

 different districts of the island, who met together and 

 formed a council for general matters. They had much 

 trouble in keeping peace, and Andamana, by her sage 

 advice to the people, aided them much. The nobles or 

 chieftains were, however, jealous of her influence, and 

 not liking a woman's interference, they persecuted her 

 and her followers in Galgar, and persuaded the people 

 not to listen to her. This hurt her much, as she had 

 given the best part of her life to them. She did not 

 rest satisfied with complaints, but took to action. Going 

 to Guimidafe, one of the chieftains who was con- 

 sidered the ' most valiant and prudent of all the nobles 

 in Canaria,' and who lived in a cave, she told him her 

 grievances, and proposed an alliance with him. It is not 

 the only occasion in the world's history that the women 

 of royal blood have been obliged to be suitors. Guimidafe 

 seems to have consented readily to espouse the princess 

 and her cause. Accounts differing slightly render it 

 uncertain whether she fought and conquered the island 

 before marrying Guimidafe or whether they married first 

 and fought — their enemies — afterwards. The latter is 

 the more probable. At any rate, Andamana and 

 Guimidafe reigned over a united Canaria. They had 

 one son, Artemi, famous for his courage and virtue, who 

 became king, and it was during his reign that Bethen- 

 court landed at Arguineguin, where he was repulsed 

 with loss." 



This cave of the beautiful Andamana at Gaidar is the 

 one that we had cleared out of its rubbish, and where were 

 found the paintings which have been already alluded to 

 {To be continued.) 



A Plague of Aphides. — During the fine weather of 

 September, there occurred in certain Midland districts 

 a perfect plague of Aphides, lasting for about a week. 

 So numerous were they, that persons walking or riding 

 found their mouths, noses and eyes constantly filled 

 with these troublesome insects. This fact is the more re- 

 markable since during the spring and summer Aphides 

 were exceptionally scarce, as were also their principal 

 enemies. 



