Chap. XlL of Monfieur Tavern ie r. 131 



of their mouthes,and the more Tick the party is, the louder and thicker, they fetch their 

 belches. The (landers by hearing them belch in that manner and fetch iuch vilanous 

 ftghs from their ftomacks, believe their friend to be dangeroufly ill, and that the louder 

 the Women belch,the more eale and comfort they receive , but whether they do or no, 

 the women are well payd for their pains. When any one feels a pain in the Head, they 

 fend for the Barber, who gives two cutts upon the Head acrols with the ralor, and then 

 pourcs Oyl into the wound. For they believe the Head-ache proceeds only from a 

 wind beeween the.ncfh and the bone, for which the Incifion opens a pauage to let 



At their Funerals they that arc the near Relations or Friends of the dead, fome cut 

 their faces, and other parts of their Bodies with fharp flints, others proftrate themfclves 

 upon the ground, and tear their hair :, i'o that when they return trom the Burial, they - 

 are all of a gore blood: However, notwithftanding all this affliftion, they never 

 pray for the Btead. 



As to their Marriages : When a young man has icen a Virgin which he has a liking 

 to, he lends one of his friends to agree with her Parents or her Tutor, what he will 

 aire for her. Gommonlv the guift Vonfifts in Horfes, Cows or fome other fort of Cat- 

 tel When the agreement is made, the Parents and Kindred of the party thereby com 

 tn-'fted, together with the Lord of the place, go to the Houfe where the Virgin lives 

 and bring her to the Bridegrooms Houfe, where there is a Feaft ready prepare! ^ 

 and after they have made merry, and fuhg, and dane'd for a while, the Bride- 

 groom and Bride go and lye together, without anv other Ceremony. II the Man and 

 MaidareoftwoPariihes, the Lord of the Village where the Man lives, accompany 

 him and his Kindred to the next Village altogether, to fetch the Bride from 



thence. ' f _ lT __. 



If a Man and the Wife have no Children, he is permitted to taketeveral Wives one 

 after another till he have Ifluc. If a marri'd Woman have a Gallant, and that the 

 Husband mould come and find his Wife a bed with him, he goes away again without 

 faying a word, and never takes any further notice of it. The Woman alio in the lame 

 cafe, does the like by the man. Nay, the more Gallants a Woman has, the more (he is 

 rofpefted : And it is a common cuftom when they fall out, to taunt one another, 

 that if they were not ugly, or ill natur'd, ordifeas'd, they would have more Admirers 

 than they have. The People are of an excellent Complexion, efpecially the Women, 

 who are extreamly fair, and finely (hap'd , and keep their beauty till five and forty ox 

 fifty years. They are very laborious, and work thcmielves in the Iron Mines, which 

 they melt afterwards rind forge into feveral Tooles and Implements. They make abun- 

 dance of Embroidery of Gold and Silver for their Saddles, their Quivers, and their 

 Pumps, as alio upon the Calicut of which they make their Handkerchiefs. 



If the man and the woman happen to quarrel often together, fo that they cannot be 

 reconcil'd : the Husband complaining firft to the Lord of the Place, He fends for 

 the Woman, and having giv'n order to fell her, gives the Man another. But if the 

 Woman complain firft, the Man is ferv'd the fame fawce. If a Man or Woman be a 

 diiturber of their Neighbours, if the Neighbours complain to the Lord, he prefently 

 caulcs the party to be apprehended and fold to the Merchants that buy Slaves, for they 

 are refolv'd they will live in quiet. . 



They that take upon them the quality of Gentlemen, fit ft ill, do nothing, and ipeak 

 very little. In an evening they ride out, and meet fome twenty or thirty together to go 

 a dealing. Nor do they'rob only their Enemies, but their Neighbours, from whom 

 the chief prey which they take are Cattle and Slaves. All the Country-people are 

 Slaves to the Lord of the Village where they live, whom he imploys to till his Land, 

 and cut Wood for him upon occafion, of which they fpend vaft quantities. For not be- 

 ing very warm clad, they keep fire all night in the places where they ileep. 



R 2 chap, 



