“The inhabitants of Lancerotta and Fuertaventura are social and cheerful;” like the Shelluhs of Atlas; “they are fond of singing and dancing; their music is vocal, accompanied with a clapping of hands, and beating with their feet:” the Shelluhs resemble them in all these respects; “Their houses are built of stone, without cement; the entrance is narrow, so that but one person can enter at a time.”
The houses of the Shelluhs are sometimes built without cement, but always with stone; the doors and entrances are low and small, so that one person only can enter.
“In their temples they offered to their God milk and butter.”
Among the Shelluhs milk and butter are given as presents to princes and great men: the milk being an emblem of good will and candour.
“When they were sick (which seldom happened) they cured themselves with the herbs which grew in the country; and when they had acute pains, they scarified the part affected with sharp stones, and burned it with fire, and then anointed it with goat’s butter. Earthen vessels of this goat’s butter were found interred in the ground, having been put there by the women who were the makers, and took that method of preparing it for medicine.”
The custom of the Shelluhs on similar occasions is exactly similar; the butter which they use is old, and is buried under ground many years in (bukul) earthen pots, and is called budra: it is a general medicine, and is said to possess a remarkably penetrating quality.
“They grind their barley in a hand-mill, made of two stones, being similar to those used in some remote parts of Europe.”
In Suse, among the Shelluhs, they grind their corn in the same way, and barley is the principle food.
“Their breeches are short, leaving the knees bare;” so are those worn by the Shelluhs.
“Their common food was barley meal roasted and mixed with goats milk and butter, and this dish they called Asamotan.”