X 



/+* AMERICA. \ Chap. II. 



mediately kill them . yet for all this they are not Chafte, but very Libidinous.*; As 

 foon as a Woman is Deliver'd of a Child, (he wafhes her felf and the Child in cold 

 Water • then kills a Lamb call'd QMuraqm> and makes a Feaft - at which flic her 

 felf eats and drinks freely amongft the reft, and the next day goes about her ufual 

 Employment. 



The Spaniards tell us, that their Women, if they continue long in this Countrcy, 

 are more and more hardned by the Air, and are as little concern'd at the Birth of a 

 Child as the Natives. 



A Widow hath free leave to Marry again, provided flie hath given to her Chil. 

 dren part of what (he hath i but if fhe Marry not, but return to her Parents, then 

 flic is highly efteem'd of. 



Both Men and Women wafli themfelves in the Rivers in the coldeft Weather. 



They adore chiefly their Deity Tittan, and the Devil, who doth them much hurt. 



S£l *f Tnc Y acknowledge no Rcfurrc<5tion,accounting long Life in this World the greateft 



C^ng ttir Good 5 wherefore when any one dies, the Friends and Relations make a doleful 



>Md - Cry, andfuffer the dead Body to lie three, nay, four Moneths before they bury 



them, fluffing them full of ftrong fmelling Herbs, to keep them from putrifying : 



Three days before their Interrment the nearcft Allies meet, kill a Sheep, make 



Merry, and throw the Body into a Hole near the Hut in which the Deceafcd dwelt, 



putting alfo a piece of the flain Sheep, and a Jug full of the Liquor Chica, into 



the Grave. 



Concerning their Idol fillan, to whom with flrangc Geftures they Sing divers 

 Songs, they believe that he is a Spirit of the Air, and Governs all things on Earth. 

 Some fuppofehimtobe Thunder, and therefore they worfliip him in a moft par- 

 ticular manner when they hear it Thunder . for then they flick an Arrow and 

 Stone Ax into the Ground, and take Arms into their Hands, putting themfelves 

 into a pofture as if they (hould fuddenly be fct upon by a mighty Enemy, and 

 look'd upon it heretofore as a fore-running of the Spaniards approach,whofe Cruel, 

 ties they exceedingly dreaded. 



They call all their Hero's Tillans, and afcribe Divine powers to them. 

 They take very much ftrong Tobacco, the Smoak whereof puffing in the Air 

 with ftrange Geftures, they cry, Receive this, Titian. 



When they return home Conquerors from any Victory, they put a Stone Ax 

 into the Ground, and (landing Arm'd round -about the fame, Drink exceedingly, 

 and fingaSongin honor of TiBan. They ufe their Prifoners very cruelly, for 

 forcing them to Dance and make Merry amongft them, they on a fudden cleave 

 their Heads with an Ax, pull their Hearts out of their Bodies, and bite the fame 

 with their Teeth. After the fame manner they punifli their Robbers and 

 Traitors; but thofe that have good ftore of Qhka to pfefent the Governors with, 

 efcape the Execution : Yet this cannot buy off Sorcerers or Witches, who are 

 without mercy burnt alive, with all they enjoy'd. 



They have no Priefts, nor any that pretend to any religious Function . onely 

 thofe that can Sing the <Pd»ary well, are in great efteem amongft them. 



Their fecond Deity Maruapeante (they fay) informs them in a Dream when they 

 muft Marry . but he doth not do them this kindnefs before thcy have made them, 

 felves Drunk, and fung Sonnets to his praife. 



This Countrey is Govern'd by prime Perfons, call'd Hlmen, or peculiar Lords, 

 call'd Curacen. The Ulmens and Quracem Command twenty five, fometimes fifty, 

 a hundred Families : Their Power confifts in calling all the People together, and 

 confulting with them about State-Affairs, which they dare not do with any parti- 

 cular 



Their cruel 

 ufage of Pri- 

 foners. 



