56 HISTORY OF 



The women are kept in the greatest subjection 

 by the men. If a tribe is travelling and meets 

 any of our people, the women are made to re~ 

 tire to a distance, from which they are not 

 suffered to advance till ordered ; and on any oc- 

 casion the slightest offence given to the husband 

 is punished with the blow of the club, which 

 never fails to cause a stream of blood, and very 

 often a fractured skull : yet this inhuman prac- 

 tice appears rather to strengthen the wife's at- 

 tachment than weaken it, and the very wounds 

 are shewn as marks of honour. 



In some very few cases, the wives return this 

 usage, and after such an engagement they live 

 together the same as before. The analogy there 

 is between savages and the lower classes of people 

 in all countries, is here too obvious to escape 

 attention. 



The men do not confine themselves to one 

 wife, but the women revenge this by retaliation, 

 and often by murder. 



That the females are not devoid of art, the fol- 

 lowing anecdote will form a pleasing illustra- 

 tion : A female fell in love with the great coat 

 of the Governor, and used a variety of means to 

 obtain it; she first danced, playing many antic 

 tricks ; this not effecting it, she attacked the 

 Governor with tears, and this failing, she 

 ceased and then became as merry as any around 

 her. 



Though chastity is not one of the virtues they 

 boast, there are some few who seem ashamed to 



