4-H 



AMERICA. 



Chap. VII. 



I 



Their Arms. 



with a String made faft oh their left Shoulders and about their Waftes- about 

 their Legs they have Cotton Garters ; each in his turn bowing to the Left, 

 ftretches down his left Hand to the Ground, and puts his right Hand in between the 

 Strings which tie the Plume of Feathcrs,and damps continually with his right Foot, 

 wliileft all the reft begin to Sing a doleful Song, which by degrees they change 

 into a merry one, not without fome appearance of underftanding the Art of 

 Mufick. Their Songs contain firft a mournful Relation of a general Deluge, which 

 drowned their Prcdeccffors, all but fome few, who efcap'd by climbing up high 

 Trees and Mountains j next the Ads of thofe old Heroes from whom they boaft 

 themfelves Extra&ed, who loft their Lives, or valiantly fought for the publick 

 good, and were rewarded with the enjoyment of all pleafures and Delights,of Sing- 

 ing, Playing, Dancing, and the like, in a remote Countrey, whither after their 

 Deaths they hope to be tranflated : Whileft they thus Sing over all their Songs, 

 three Prieftsftand in the middle of the Ring, each holding the Idol Maraka (in their 

 left Hand) refembling an old Oftritch's Egg ftuck full of Feathers on the top : 

 about their Waftes they wear a Girdle of rich Plumes, on their Heads alfo a Crown 

 of Feathers, the middle Prieft looks with a ftern Countenance, and holds up his 

 left Leg from the Ground, whileft the other two ftanding on each fide of him,hold 

 in their right Hands a Pipe,out of which blowing Tobacco-fmoak in one anothers 

 Faces,they utter thefe words, %ea'm the Spirit of heroick Strength : The Dance ended, 

 they Entertain their Priefts with Meat and Drink eight days together, and alfo put 

 Meat before their Idol Maraka, who is the chief Deity they adore. 



Their Arms confift of Bowes made of hard Wood, Strung with twitted Cotton 

 Thredj their Arrows they make of the Cane Tacaara, made very fliarp at the end,or 

 headed with fome Beads fliarp Tooth, or pointed with the Bones of the Fifh Iperu* 

 Some of the Tapuiyans ufe great Darts, and long Clubs of black Wood, broad before, 

 andfulloffliarpSpik.es. the Handles being wound about with Cotton Strings 

 call'd Jatirana, under which hangs a Tuft of the Bird Arara's Feathers, as alfo about 

 the middle. Their Trumpets, call'd Qangtmca 7 are the Shin-bones of Men, though 



they 



