2o6 AVOYAGETO 



»773- Amongfl: the articles which they brought to barter, this 



day, we could not help taking notice of a particular fort of 

 cloak and cap, which, even in countries where drefs is more 

 particularly attended to, might be reckoned elegant. The 

 fn-fl, are nearly of the fizc and fliapc of the Ihort cloaks 

 worn by the women in England, and by the men in Spain, 

 reaching to the middle of the back, and tied loofely before. 

 The ground of them is a net-work, upon which the mod 

 beautiful red and yellow feathers are io clofely fixed, that 

 the furface might be compared to the thickefl and richeft 

 velvet, which they refemblc, both as to the feel, and the 

 g^ofly appearance. The manner of varying the mixture is 

 very different; fome having triangular fpaces of red and 

 yellow, alternately; others, a kind of crefcent ; and fome 

 that were entirely red, had a broad yellow border, which 

 made them appear, at fome diflance, exadly like a fcarlet 

 cloak edged with gold lace. The brilliant colours of the 

 feathers, in thofe that happened to be new, added not a little 

 to their fine appearance ; and we found, that they were in 

 high cRimation v/ith their owners ; for they would not, at 

 firfl, part with one of them, for any thing that we offered, 

 aflcing no lefs a price than a mufquet. However, fome were 

 afterward purchafed for very large nails. Such of them as 

 were of the bed fort, were fcarce ; and it fliould feem, that 

 they are only ufed on the occafion of fome particular cere- 

 mony, or divcrfion ; for the people who had them, always 

 made fome gefticulations, which wc had fccn ufed before by 

 thofc who fung. 



The cap is made almoft cxav5lly like a helmet, with the 

 middle part, or crcd, fometimcs of a hand's breadth ; and it 

 i'lis very clofc upon the head, having notches to admit the 

 tais. It is a frame of twigs and oilers, covered wich a net- 



* v^'ork, 



