296 UNCEREMONIOUS MARRIAGES. [1698. 



When they make Merry, their Cries or Howlings serve 

 them for Songs. They Laugh sometime like to split their 

 Sides, and their Dances are grotesque and indecent, altho' 

 the women do not mix with the Men, but Dance by them- 

 selves. 



I have often observ'd young People among them, making- 

 Love after an extraordinary gallant manner. The Lover 

 approaches his Paramour, who expects him either sitting or 

 standing, and without saying a word to her, presents Smiling 

 the second finger of his Eiglit Hand just over against her 

 Eyes, as if he would tear them out. After he has mov'd his 

 Finger about for a quarter of an Hour, Laughing all the 

 wliile, from one Eye to another, he suddenly turns his Back, 

 and goes away as he came. Their Marriages are without 

 Ceremony. 



Sometimes they assemble by Dozens or Twenties, and 

 squat down upon their Heels without touching the Ground 

 any otherwise. The Circle being thus form'd, a Pipe of 

 Tobacco goes round, and every one takes a whiff till the Pipe 

 is out. I never observ'd that this good Fellowship was ever 

 interrupted by any Quarrel, and to say true, they are by no 

 means Mutinous. They feed, lie, and live together like a 

 Herd of Oxen and Cows, doing like them the ordinary 

 functions of Nature with ail manner of Simplicity. As 

 Avarice is no reigning Passion among them, and all that 

 come to Want are immediately reliev'd by the rest, it seldom 

 happens that any of them mind Stealing, so that the 

 Christian Inhabitants let them come and 20 without fearing 

 to lose any thing by them. 



There are at the Cape a great number of Negro's that are 

 brought from Madagascar, Ceilon, and other Islands. Those 

 among them that are Slaves, go almost xsaked, and are 

 treated as you have heard ; but other that are free, have 

 Horses and Coaches."^ They say they worship one only God, 

 ' In orig. : '• niais ceux qui sont libres out dcs mivisons a eux, & sent 



