The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1902-01-16

vengeance on intruders After YOU
have succeeded in hiring a company of
peasants to lower you over the cliffs
and screwed their courage up to the
sticking point with gold and vino, they
are likely to desert you at the slightest
nose-even to let 60 the rope and run
away, leaving you to drop into the rag
ing surf, or to perish in the darkness of
the catacOmbS.
The mummies are found standing
erect around the walls of rock, each
with a stout staff in his hand, and at
his feet clay pot, which is supposed
to have contained gofio for the souls
food on its long journey. No antisep-
tic preparation seems to have been
used in the mummifying process, but
the bowels of the corpse were removed
and the cavity filled with seeds. No
trace of bandages nor clothes of any
kind has been found, but each mummy
is sewed up III tanned goat-skins, the
outer covering decorated with raN-hide
thongs, like fringe, knotted in a
peculiar fashion, and hung with little
discs of baked earth. Wooden spears
are also found in the catacombs. carved
and tipped with obsidian: arrow-heads:
hand mills for grinding goho: leather
pitchers for holding water. wine and
milk: bowls of baked clay. unglazed;
small bones, supposed to represent
money; and clay pipes, similar to
those found i'll some Of the old kiStvHns
of Ireland. so it may be inferred that
the Guanches were smokers, though,
like the ancient Irish, they may not
have smoked tobacco. The compaIa-
lively recent discovery OF Sculptured
stones i'll the Canaries. covered with
symbols precisely like those found on
similar stones near the shores Of Lake
superior, IS regarded as priceless
nuggets of proof in favor of Atlantis
by those who advocate the theory of a
10 It continent. In the museum of Los
Palmas, on Gran Canaria island, may
be found a good many relics of the
aborigines; but nothing which seems to
speak of them so forcibiy as the colossal
group of statuary in the plaza of Santa
Cruz. 1t represents the popular tradi-
ton of the apparition of the Virgin of
Candelaria to the four kings of the
Guanches, which is believed to have
taken place i'll the year 1892. The
statue is Of the finest Carrara marble
female figure upon pedestal, supported
by the four Indian monarchs, each of
whom carries a huge thigh bone for
War-club. Sad to say, the illuStrious
company of five enjoy but one nose
among them, and that is the topmost-
probably because the Virgins counte-
ance happens to be just beyond the
reach of vandal mindless
The Canary Islander of today is not
a handsome creature, whether male OF
female, young or old The common
type, universal in all the islands, con-
sists of tall, bony frame, an elongated
head clumsily chiseled mouth and
nose, and brown face very large and
heavy, in which the small blue eyes
look as lonesome as two wortleberries
on a big wooden platter The dress of
each island shows some popularity diff
oil
among the peasantry. OF course the
true Canary costumes are seen only on
the peasants, the higher classes being
entirely Spanish or European, who
wear imported clothes, all but hats
and shoes, which are made in the Ca
naries Strange to say, men, women
and children are accustomed to walk
barefooted over the plains that are
filled with spiny cacti and the burning
rocks of lava which in a few hours will
wear out the stoutest Shoes They all
have shoes, but it is the fashion to wear
them only in the easy streets of the
towns. Ii you meet them anywhere
else the men are invariably carrying
their shoes at the end of stick, and
the women economizing theirs by wear.
ing them on their heads. The women
of Teneriffe wear skirt and apron of
cotton and a well-fitted bodice with
enormous sleeves and a sort of fichu.
which ends in points both behind and
in front. When abroad the head is
covered with a large square OF white
cotton cloth, or a white knitted shawl.
the corners of which bangle gracefully
down the back. On top of the shawl is
placed small straw hat, low-crowned
and saucer-shaped; and on top of the
hat may be a bundle, or jar of water,