13 a p. XVIII. The Caribby Jflands. 



either to go a fifhing or to divert themfelves on the water, they 

 thruft down their feet nd thighs in at thehole,and then fitting 

 down they fo fatten the fhort Cojt they have about them to 

 the ledge which is about the bole, thar they teem to be graf- 

 fed into the little veffel, and ro be part of it. 



Thus much of the figure and materials of thefe little ve ffds j 

 let us now confider the accoutrement of the men who have 

 the conduct of them : When they intend to go to Sea, they put 

 over their other cloths a certain fhort coat, which is kept only 

 for that purpofe : This Sea-coat confifts of feveral Ikins having 

 the hair taken off, which are well drefs'd and fet together, that 

 a man would think it to be all of a piece : It reaches from the 

 crown of the head to the Navel .* it is rubb'd over with a 

 blackifh gum, which is notdiffolved in the water, and keeps 

 it from paffing through 5 That Capuchon or part of it which 

 comes over the head, comes fo clofe under the neck and upon 

 the forehead, that it leaves nothing but the face open: The 

 fieeves are ty'd at the wrift, and the lower part of the coat is 

 faften'd to the ledge , about the hole of the veffel, with fo 

 much care and induftry, that the body thus covered is always 

 dry in the mid ft of the waves, which with all their tolling can 

 wet only the face and the hands. 



Though they have neither Sail, nor Matt, nor Rudder, nor 

 Cothpafs, nor Anchor, nor anything of all thofe conveniences 

 which are requifite to make our Ships fit for the Sea 3 yet will 

 they undertake long voyages with thefe fmall vefiels, upon 

 which they feemtobefewn .* they have an experienc'd know- 

 ledg of the Stars, and need no other guide in the night time .* 

 The Oars theyufe are broad at both ends like a Chirurgeons 

 palet , and that they may the more eafily make their way 

 through the waves, and laftthe longer, they tip them with a 

 white bone which covers the edges of the wood 3 which or- 

 nament they fatten with pins of horn, which they ufe inftead of 

 nails : The middle of thefe Oars is beautifi'd with a bone or 

 precious horn, as well the ends, and by that place they hold 

 them that they may not flip out of their hands: They handle 

 thefe double Oars with fuch dexterity and nimblenefs , that 

 thefe fmall vefiels will out-run Ships that have all the advan- 

 tages of fails, wind, and tide: They arefo confident in them, 

 and fo vers'd in the guiding of them, that they fhew a thoufand 

 tricks in them, for the divertifement of the beholders : Nay 

 fometimes they will raife fuch waves, that the water will be all 

 foamy, as if there had been a great tempeft } and then they feem 

 rather like Sea-monfters courting one another then men: And 

 to make it appear they fear not dangers, and that they hold a 

 good correfpondence with that Element which feeds them, 

 they fnew feverall tricks, diving and rouling themfelves in the 

 Sea three or four times together } fo that they may be taken 

 for perfect Amphibia. When 



