Chap. XVIII. 



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riage was finifli'd. They fcldora Divorc'd their Wives after they had bore them 

 Children, but otherwife the Man would break the Bond of Matrimony when he 

 pleas'd. A young Man that had no Relation might court a Stranger, and if her 

 Parents allowed of it, the Match was made. One that had behav'd himielf vali- 

 antly againft the AroVages was lure of feveral good Matches, for he was rcfus'd by 

 none whom he Courted ; and the abundance of Wives was the greateft teftimony 

 of their Valor. Each Wife had a peculiar Dwelling, Co to prevent all Diffentions : 

 So foon as one of them was with Child, her Husband Lay not with her till after 

 Delivery. If any Woman committed Adultery, her Husband was permitted to 

 knockout her Brains, or rip open her Belly ; which done, he acquainted her Fa- 

 ther with the Deed, who return'd him thanks for the fame. Murderers were ei- 

 ther burnt or cut in pieces. Children were born here with little trouble, for the 

 Women were no fooner Delivered, but they carried the Infant to wafli at the next 

 Brook i which done they return'd home to their Houfliold Labor, whileft the Man 

 on the contrary kept his Bed, and ate nothing but a piece of CaJfaVa Bread, which 

 he hollow'd out in the middle, and left the edges till the Feaft, which was kept 

 at the Naming of the Child : Moreover, he fed on all manner of Dainties for a 

 whole year after. But this Cuftom was obferv'd onely at the Birth of the firft Son, 

 at which time they fcratch'd the Father's Shoulder with a (harp Curry-combe, at 

 which if he flinch'd not, it was accounted a good Omen of the Childs future Valor. 

 At fifteen days old they made Holes in the Childs Ears, Lips, and Noftrils,through 

 which they put a String for the tying on of what-ever Ornamentals. With the like 

 Ceremonies the Child received a Name, taken from his Predeceflbrs, Trees, Filhes, 

 or fome remarkable Paflages during the Mothers bearing of the Infant in her 

 Womb, or of the Father's Lying-in : But this Name was chang'd Co foon as they 

 went to War, or kill'd a Commander of the Jrovages, whole Name they exchange! 

 for their own : After which the Mothers took fpecial care in bringing them up, 

 and at fix Moneths the Children were able to run alone i When they attain'd to 

 the age of two years, they cut off their Hair, at a great Feaft made for that purpofe ; 

 from which time forward they exercis'd them in Shooting with Bowes and Ar- 

 rows; to which purpofe they hung up pieces of Meat for them to flioot at, which 

 they muft either hit down, or Faft. 



Their Ceremonies to make Soldiers were very ftrange, vi^> The Father con- ^j* #f 

 ducked his Son to the Corbet, where he told him the Duties of a Soldier, beat him 

 with a Bird of prey, call'd Mans'fenis, till he had bruis'd the Head of the Bird, and 

 fcratch'd his whole Body all over with a Curry-combe till the Blood came, and 

 then put Lemmon Juice into the Wounds, afterwards put him in a Hammock,and 

 hung him up for feveral days without giving him any Meat 5 all which Torments 

 and Trials if he endur'd with patience, then he was accounted a good and appro- 

 ved Soldier. 



Few bred up their Children to be fBoye^, or Priefts ; yet thofc that were brought of their 

 up to it, abftain'd from certain Food from their Infancy, and before they could be 

 receiv'd into the Order of Priefthood, they were fore'd to draw Blood from every 

 part of their Bodies. 



The Caribbeeans attain to an exceeding great Age : Charles de %otchfort witnefleth, f w T^f^ t [ 

 That in his time there liv'd Men who remembred the firft: Arrival of the Spaniards am - 

 under the Command of Cbriftopher Columbus, which confider'd, they could not be lefs 

 than each of them a hundred and fixty years old. Many Women alio were found 

 there, who bare Children after they were eighty years of age : yet neverthelefs they 

 are not free from SicknelTes and Diftempers,which cannot juftly be attributed to the 



M m j Climate, 



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