306 The Natural Historg 



pay the Husband's Debts, then he may if he pleases, take 

 her to be his Wife, or sell her to another for his own or a less 

 Purchase. 



There are several of these kind of Bargains made in a Day 

 amongst them (the Women never living the worse for this 

 kind of Traffick) for the Men will sell their Wives at their 

 publick Meetings, as Men do Horses and other Cattle at a 

 Fair or Market with us : A Man is not only allowed to 

 change as often as he pleases, but likewise to have as many 

 Wives as he is able to maintain, though they are seldom 

 kno^vn to live with more than one at a time, except it be their 

 great Men, such as Wa7'-Captains, &c. The Women have 

 very easy travail with their Children; sometime they bring 

 forth Twins, and are frequently brought to Bed by them- 

 selves, when taken at a disadvantage ; not but that they have 

 Midwives as well as Doctors amongst them, who make it 

 their Profession (for Gain) to assist and deliver Women: 

 Some of these Midwives are very knowing in several Mede- 

 cins that the Country naturally produces, which most cer- 

 tainly expedite and make easy Births, besides they are un- 

 acquainted with those severe Pains that follow the Birth in 

 European Women. Their Eemedies are a gTeat cause of this 

 easiness in that state, for the Women will run up and down 

 their Plantations the same Day they are delivered, without 

 any sign of Pain or Sickness ; yet they look very meager 

 and thin, not but that we must allow a great deal to be owing 

 to the Climate, and the natural Constitution of the Women, 

 whose Courses of Nature never visit them in such quantities 

 as the European Women have; although they always have 

 plenty of Milk, I never saw an Indian Woman have large 

 Breasts, which is common amongst the Blacks or Negroe 

 Women, they having the largest and ugliest of any that are 



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