Chap. II. / *A M £ %^ I C A. 6\\ 



having a Hole in the middle, they put over their Heads, and Co let it hang on 

 their Shoulders, leaving their Arms and Legs bare 5 but on Feftival Days they wear 

 curious embroidcr'd Stockings. The Women likewife cover themfelves with the 

 fame piece of Cloth, but after another manner, tying it firhV about their Middle, 

 then let it down to the Ground, pinn'd before with Silver or Golden Pins ; their 

 Heads, Breads and Legs are uncover'd ; the Cloth itfelf is ftrip'd with red, white, 

 blue, and yellow, and fring'd at the edges. For an Example of their quick and 

 cafie Labor, Hendrkk Brewer relates, That a Woman being Delivei'd in his Ship, 

 within an hour after walk'd up and down the Deck, and gave the Child fuck. 

 Some ofthemjiavc fuch great Breads, that throwing them over their Shoulders 

 they fuckle their Children, being ty'd at their Backs. 



Their Huts being low, are made of Straw, Canes, and Boughs, and not built 

 for one (ingle Family • for often thirty, fifty, a hundred, or a hundred and twenty 

 dwell under one Roof, and have a Governor, by them call'd Caruca. 



Their Houfholdftuflf is'littlc and mean, V/^. two or three Cans to keep their Li- 

 quor Chic* in, Horn Cups, a Stone whereon they grind their Corn, and one or two 

 woodden Stools : The chiefeft of them alio ufe Sheep-skins, which they fpread on 

 the Ground before their Guefts. They live without care, for they neither Sowc 

 iibr Plant any more than will ferve them a Year. 



Their Riches confift in Cattel, of which they have no great plenty. 



About the beginning of OFlober a whole Town meets together to Plough and to 

 Sowe, which the Men perform in two days time, the reft of the Work being left 

 to the care of the Women ; for the Men never meddle with Reaping or Harveft. 



They eat and drink from Morning to Evening, when they do not travel, for 

 then they eat at fet-times. Their Liquor is made of Barley.Meal, or Wheat 

 boyl'd in Water. On Feftival Days they drink Cbica, Brew'd of Mai^ chew'd by 

 the Teeth of old Women. They likewifc make a Liquor of the Fruit Unm, which 

 taftes like Madera Wine. 



Every Man Marries as many Wives as he can buy and maintain, for Maids and Their Mar- 

 Widows muft be fold by the Parents, who fct not a Price upon them according to r 

 their Beauty or Quality, but their skill in managing Houfhold Affairs. Their 

 Marriages are performed after a ftrange manner : A Son having no Inheritance, 

 lives on the Charity of his neareft Relations, who Prefent him, one with a Hog, 

 another with a Cow, a third with a Sheep, and a fourth with fomewhat elfe : thus 

 enriched, he goes to his Miftrefles Father, and hangs fome Turkoifes and Plates of 

 Silver about his Neck, and acquainting him with what Eftate he can make his 

 Wife, he agrees as well as he can with his intended Father-in-law, to whom he 

 gives ten, fifty, or a hundred Sheep, Oxen, Cows, Hogs, Horfes, Poultrey, a Coat, 

 and fome Veffelsfull of Cb\ca j which done, the Father leads his Daughter to the 

 Bridegroom's Houfe, where he is Entertain'd with Meat, but finds the Drink at his 

 own Coll. Some days after the Celebration of the Wedding, the neareft Relati- 

 ons come to congratulate thc.young Marry 'd Woman, and at Dinner fing an Epi- 

 tbalamium to their Nuptial Deity Maruapeante, all of them fitting on the Ground on 

 Sheepskins. The Allies often take away a Woman from her Husband, efpecially 

 when he mifufes her • and if a Man kill his Wife,her Death is reveng'd by her Rela- 

 tions. Perfons of Quality build a Hut for every one of their Wives, fending word 

 to her whom they have a mind to enjoy : They relpec~t one above the reft, who 

 are in a manner but Slaveffes, being fore'd to do all the Drudgery. The Men are 

 exceeding jealous and cholle'rick, cruelly beating their Wives, if they chance but to 

 look on another Man j and if they take them in the Aft of Adultery, they im- 

 mediately 



rtfges. 





