ad. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1565. 



children resort unto the grave with roses and warme 

 water that the dead corps thirst not. Nor the seventh 

 day onely, but the seventh moneth and yeere, within 

 their owne houses they renue this obsequie, to no small 

 commodities and gaine of the Bonzii : great rich men 

 doe spend in these their funerals 3000 duckats or there- 

 about, the meaner sort two or three hundred. Such as 

 for povertie be not able to go to that charges, are in the 

 night time darkelong without all pompe and ceremonies 

 buried in a dunghill. 



They have another kinde of buriall, especially neere 

 the Sea side, for them that bee not yet dead. These 

 fellowes are such, as having religiously with much 

 devotion worshipped Ami da, now desirous to see him, 

 doe slay themselves. And first they goe certaine dayes 

 begging almes, the which they thrust into their sleeves, 

 then preach they in publique a sermon unto the people, 

 declaring what they mind to doe, with the great good 

 liking of all such as doe heare them : for every body 

 wondreth at such a kinde of holinesse. Then take they 

 hookes to cut downe briars and thornes that might 

 hinder them in their way to heaven, and so embarke 

 themselves in a new vessell, tying great stones about 

 their neckes, armes, loines, thighes, and feete : thus they 

 launching out into the maine Sea be either drowned 

 there, their shippe bouged for that purpose, or els doe 

 cast themselves over-boord headlong into the Sea. The 

 emptie barke is out of hand set a fire for honours sake 

 by their friends that folow them in another boat of their 

 owne, thinking it blasphemie that any mortall creature 

 should afterward once touch the barke that had bene so 

 religiously halowed. 



Truly when we went to Meaco, eight dayes before we 

 came to the He of Hiu at Fore towne, sixe men and 

 two women so died. To all such as die so the people 

 erecteth a Chappell, and to each of them a pillar and a 

 pole made of Pineaple for a perpetuall monument, hang- 

 ing up many shreds of paper in stickes all the roofe 



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