The times., 1898-08-08
A PECULI TAR PEOPLE
Study of the Natives Of the
Canary Islands.
THE WOMEN ARE SINGULAR
They Are Masculine In Appearance
md Wear Peasant Clothes I'm
and Shoes Are Made at Home
Their Mannerof Dress and Living.

For time 1t seemed as though the
tabled Atlantis, of Plato. the garden of
Hesperides and ST. Brandons fairy isle,
all known TO modern geographers as the
Canary Islands, might become a part OF
the United States. Certainly, says the
Chicago Record. no spot on earth offers
a more curious, illustration of primitive
women 9ti4 sd
When the Canafies were conquered by
Jean de Bethencourt, a Norman baron,
in 1402, in the name of Juan III of CASTLE.
they were peopled by two races which
had emigrated from the mainland Each
race had different laws, habits and GUS
toms, and was possessed of mutual ha-
tired, which engendered constant war
fare.
The inhabitants of the Western Canary
islands We're small, fair, energetic, brave
and amiable; some of them even had blue
eyes and red hair. In Fuerteventura and
Lanzarote they were taller, darker and
more indolent, lazify obeying their heredi-
tary rulers, whether the latter were men
or women. The dark-skinned inhabitants
nieian origin. They were conquered
easily. because they were even more in
dolent than the Spaniards, and then the
fairer race was subjugated.
Today the common type In the Canar-
les, of both men and women consists of
tall frame, an elongated head, a badly
chiseled nose and mouth, a large heavy
face and blue eyes. This type is uni
versal,' but the drees in every island is
slightly different. OF course the true
Canary costumes are seen on these peas
ants, for the higher classes are entirely
Spanish and European. They have no
native clothes. such as the F1ipinos have;
hence the material for their clothing is
imported from Europe, and the women
make up the garments in their houses.
However, hats and shoes are made in the
Canaries
Strange 10 say. the men, women and
children are accustomed TO walk barefoot
over the thory plants, the plains filled
with spiny cacu, and the burning rocks
OF lava. which, in d few hours, Will burn
and wear out the stoutest shoes. Both
men and women Always wear their shoes
in the towns; but If you meet them on
the road the men invariably are carrying
their shoes at the end of stick, while
the women carry theirs on their heads
The women OF Tenerife wear a skirt and
apron of cotton, well-fitting bodice orn-
ameated with large sleeves, and a fchu
which ends in points both In front and
behind. The head is covered with the
greatest care. A silk handkerchief is
folded around the chin, and then a large
wooden shawl is wrapped around the en-
tire head and falls down below the waist
behind. Above this is placed a small
straw hat with low crown, saucer
shaped, on which the bundle, jar or load
of faggots is placed. The string of wool
or leather, around the neck must not be
forgotten. for from it is suspended an
amulet, blessed by the priest and which
preserves the wearer from all danger and
unseen evil.
Notwithstanding their feminine attire
the women of Grand Canary are entirely
masculine in appearance. Their hair is
short, the mustache which ornaments
their upper lip is luxuriant; they wear a
mans hat. and they are passionately de-
voted to smoking cigars. The women OF
the Grand Canary are not sirens accord
ing to American ideas. Neither are they
as polite as they are generous, for al
though they will give a stranger drink
of water, while he has lifted the jug to
his mouth they will often throw an un-
expected shower over his head and shoul-
diers as a practical joke.
In the island of Palma the women go
about with their heads and necks COW
cred with a kerchief and surmounted by
curious hat.
The women's costume in Lanzarote con-
sists of a short, striped cotton skirt,
sleeves to the elbow, bodice laced in
front and a white cape folded around the
head and shoulders, surmounted by a
straw hat often trimmed with flowers.
They make the mems clothes. which are
quite gay in this island, consisting Of
trousers to the knee tied with bright rib
bonS or gariers a sleeveless jacket, a
sash betting in the shirt and a montera
or cap, generally of blue, embroidered
with yellow, green or red, and display
ing a knot OF ribbons at the side. The
natives of Lanzarote are content with
very little. They drink water and live
on gofio, the native barley bread, dried
fish, potatoes and Barbary figs.
Many inhabitants of the Canar1es still
live in grottos In the Grand Canary, for
example. there is an entire village of
troglodites-La Talaya. The ordinary
house is of stone with a terraced roof
rendered impervious TO water. The furni-
ture is very simple A bed, with its straw
mattress is the chief object in the room,
and the rest consists of chest TO hold
the clothing, a mat on the floor, a jug for
water, dish for the grain, a little hand
mill kind of etager>e to hold some high
ly priced plates of porcelain ornamented
with gaudy flowers-for decoration and
not use-and few wooden chairs.
At the meal time the entire family sits
on the mat around a large wooden bowl
or earthenware platter, and all dip theil
fingers and rude spoons and forks in il
at pleasure. The food is generally gofio
dried fish, figs, etc, as I'm the other isl
ands. In the evening the women boi
some herbs, without any butter or grease
and this bouillon Is used to knead the
bread, or gofio, instead Of water. They
also eat in large quantities a kind oil
thistle which has flowers as large as ar
tichokes. Water is the universal bever-
age.
millionaire Soldiers.