The Nature 

 of the Inha- 

 bitants. 





6\6 AMERICA Chap. VIIL 



the King cfteeming the Peace with Spain of more value than one Mans Life, 

 without taking notice of Gundemor's Accufations, commanded that the Sentence 

 formerly pafs'd on him forTreafon fhould be Executed, and accordingly in the fix* 

 tieth year of his Age he was Beheaded, difcovering himfelf, by his Chriftian Beha- 

 vior and Profeffion at his Death, to be a far other kind of Pcrfon than what the 

 World had cenfur'd him to be. 



Since this laft Expedition of Sir Walter Raleigh > we find not that there hath been 

 any great Refort or Trade unto this Countrey, except by a few 2{etherland Mer- 

 chants, who have yearly fent eight or nine Ships to the River Orinoque for To- 

 bacco. 

 Thetempe- ^ s f or tn€ Air or Climate of Guiana, it is very differing, for about the Jma^pne 

 aST' * River, dry Weather begins about Mgufl, and the windy and rainy Seafon about 

 February . but Weftward towards Orinoque, the Summer takes beginning in Oftober, 

 and the Winter in April 5 the Days and Nights are almoft of an equal length, and 

 the difference of Heat and Cold is but little. 



Burning-Feavers, Dropfie, and the Jtmnesj&tfktQy many People here - which laft 

 is not unlike the (POX, and proceeds from carnal Copulation with the Guianian 

 Women, who are naturally fubjeft to this Difcaie. 



The Inhabitants are divided into feveral forts, the chiefeft whereof being the 

 Qaribbees go naked, covering onely their Privities with a Lappet. The Women, 

 though yellow, arc very comely ; and both Men and Women paint their Bodies 

 with Netto, which grows on little Trees in Cods : They make Holes through their 

 Nofes, Lips and Ears, and hang Glafs, Bells, pieces of Copper, or any other Trifles 

 that they get from the Btglijh and Netherlander s> in them : About their Necks, Arms 

 and Legs, they wear Strings of Beads, or Cockle-fhells. 



Their Houfes with low Roofs, fcrve them onely to deep in the Night upon 

 Cotton Hammocks, for in the day-time they fit under high Arch'd open places, that 

 the Wind may blow full upon them. Their Houfhold-ftuff confifts of Earthen 

 Pots and Diflies neatly painted. They live in Tribes or Families together in a 

 Town, which is Govcrn'd by the eldeft of them • and their Militia is Commanded 

 by one that is able to endure moft Stripes with Switches without any (hew of pain. 

 The chiefeft of their families have commonly three or four Wives, whereas others 

 are contented with one. The Men feldom do any toilfom Work, but make thek 

 Wives do all, infomuch that as foon as a Woman is Deliver'd of a Child, (he muft 

 immediately go about her ufual Employment, whileft her Husband lies lozelling 

 out his Moneth on a Hammock. 



Their Language founds not unpleafantly, but is hard to learn, becaufe many 

 words differ but little in the pronunciation, and yet have quite another figni- 

 fication. 



When they march into the Field againft their Enemies, then the General fends 

 a Stick to all the Villages under his Jurifdi&ion, on .which arc cut fo many 

 Notches as there are Days appointed before he intends to fet forth, which they cut 

 out again as the Days expire, and on the laft they repair to the appointed place. 



A not much unlike Cuftom they obferve in all Promifes and Bargains • for they 

 give one another as many Sticks as they defire Days to perform the fame in, and 

 fo throw away every day one, till they have onely one remaining, and then they 

 begin to think of performing their Promife or Bargain. 



They know no word whereby to exprefs any greater number than Ten • 

 Twenty they exprefs by laying their ten Fingers on their Toes, and all that ex- 

 ceeds Twenty, they compare to the. Hairs of their Head, crying Ounfa awara. 



Some 



