554 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



it in the fame cloth upon her back, and gives it fuck with 

 the bread:, which flie throws over her Ihoulder, this part be- 

 ing of fuch a lengtii as, in fome, to reach almoll to theiy 

 knees. 



The Shangalla have but one language, and of a very 

 guttural pronunciaiion. They worfliip various trees, fer- 

 pents, the moon, planets, andftars in certain pofitions, 

 which I never could fo perfedlly underftand as to give any 

 account of them. A liar palling near the horns of the moon 

 denotes the coming of an enemy. They have priells, or ra- 

 ther diviners ; but it Ihould feem that thefe were looked 

 upon as fervants of the evil-being, rather than of the good. 

 They prophecy bad events, and think they can affli(5t their 

 enemies with ficknefs, even at a diftance. They generally 

 wear copper bracelets upon their wrifts and arms. 



I HAVE faid the Shangalla have each feveral wives. This, 

 however, is not owing to any inordinate propenfity of the 

 men to this gratification, but to a much nobler caufe, which 

 fhould make European writers, who object this to them, a- 

 Ihamed at the injuftice they do the favagc, who all his life^ 

 quite the reverfe of what is fuppofed, fhews an example of 

 continence and challity, which the pureft and moft refined 

 European, with all the advantages of education, cannot 

 pretend to imitate. 



It is not the men that feek to avail themfelves of the 

 liberty they have by their ufages of marrying as often and 

 as many wives as they pleafe. Hemmed in on every fide 

 by a<5live and powerful enemies, who confider them as a 

 fpecies of wild bealls, and hunt them precifely as they do 



the 



