282 



The Guanches, famed for their tall stature, 

 were the Patagonians of the old world ; and 

 historians exaggerated the muscular force of the 

 Guanches, as, previous to the voyage of Bou- 

 gainville and Cordoba, a colossal form was con- 

 ferred on the tribe, that inhabited the southern 

 extremity of America. I never saw Guanche 

 mummies but in the cabinets of Europe ; at the 

 period of my journey, they were very scarce ; a 

 considerable number, however, might be found, 

 if miners were employed to open the sepulchral 

 caverns, which are cut in the rock on the eastern 

 slope of the Peak, between Arico and Guimar. 

 These mummies are in a state of desiccation so 

 singular, that whole bodies, with their integu- 

 ments, frequently do not weigh above six or 

 seven pounds ; or a third less than the skeleton 

 of an individual of the same size, recently strip- 

 ped of the muscular flesh. The conformation of 

 the scull has some slight resemblance to that of 

 the white race of the ancient Egyptians ; and 

 the incisive teeth of the Guanches are blunted, 

 like those in the mummies found on the banks 

 of the Nile. But this form of the teeth is owing 

 to art alone ; and on examining more carefully 

 the physiognomy of the ancient Canarians, able 

 anatomists* have recognised in the cheek bones, 

 and the lower jaw, perceptible differences from 



* Blumenbach, Decas quinta Collect, sua Craniorum diversa- 

 rum Gentium illustr. 1808, p. 7. 



