of the Ifthmus of Amdtica.' 361 



Mother, and do what little Services they can but 

 the Girls flay at home with the old Women. 



They feem very fond of their Children, both Fa- Indul- 

 thcrsand Mothers \ and I have fcarce feen them ufe£ ence - 

 any Severity towards them. And the Children are 

 luffer'd to divert themfelves which way they will. 

 Swimming in the Rivers and catching Fifh, is a 

 great Exercife even for the fmall Boys and Girls' 5 

 and the Parents aifo ufe that Refrefhment. They go 

 quite naked, both Boys and Girls, till the Age of 

 Puberty ; when the Girls put on their Clout, and 

 the Boys the Funnel 



The Girls are bred up by their Mothers to their Girls Em- 

 domeftick Employments. They make them help ploy- 

 to drefs the Victuals, and fet them to draw Strings ments - 

 out of Maho-b&Yk, and to beat Si/£-grafs, for 

 Thread, Cordage, and Nets. They pick the Cot- 

 ton alfo, and fp\n it for their Mothers weaving. 

 For weaving, the Women make a Roller of Wood, TbeWo- 

 ^bout 3 Foot long, turning eafily about between 2 ™ ens . 

 Pofts. About this they place Strings of Cottojn, ?a T* m § 

 of 3 or 4 Yards long, at rnoft, but oftner lefs, ac- 

 cording to the ufe the Cloth is to be put to, whe- 

 ther for a Hammock, or to tie about their Waifts, 

 or for Gowns, or Blankets to cover them in their 

 Hammocks, as they lie in them in their Houfes ; 

 which gre all the Ufes they have for Cloth : And 

 they never weave a Piece of Cotton with a Defign 

 to cut it, but of a Size that fliall juft ferve for the 

 particular Ufe. The Threads thus coming from 

 the Roller are the Warp ; and for the Woof, they 

 twift Cotton-yarn about a fmall piece of Macaws 

 wood, notch' d at each End ; and taking up every 

 other Thread of the Warp with the Fingers of one 

 Hand, they put the Woof through with the other 

 Hand, and receive it out on the other Side : And 

 to make the Threads of the Woof lie clofe in the 

 Cloth, {hey ftrike then} at every Turn with a long 



