2JZ 



The Hiflory of Book II. 



who came out of their Mothers wombs imperfect and deformed,. 

 Nay, there are fome handfom Maids and Women amongft the 

 Savage Caribbians , witnefs Madamoifelic de Ropelan } wife to the 

 Governour of Saint alonfta. 

 Trigaut.Hif* All the Caribbians are black-hair'd, as the Chincfes are , who 

 Cbin.l.i.c.%. f or t hat reafon are fometimes calfd the Blackchair'd People : 

 The hair of the Caribbians is not curl'd or frizzled, as that of 

 the Moors , but ftreight and long 3 as thofe of the Maldivefes i 

 And the Women attribute the higheft perfection of Beauty to 

 this black colour, as to what concerns the hair. It is reported 

 Garalaflo, ^fo^ ^ n at t h e Indian Women of Tern are fo enamour 'd of 

 /. 8. c t 13, D i ac k hair, that to make their own of that colour by artifice, 

 when Nature does it not, they are willing to endure incredible 

 pains and torments : On the contrary, in Spain many Ladies, 

 to make their hair feem to be of a golden yellow colour, per- 

 fume it with Sulphur, fteep it in Aqua-fortis^ and expofe it to 

 the Sun in the heat of the day, nay in the very Dog-days : And 

 in Italy the fame colour is much affefted. 



The Caribbians are very careful in combing themfelves, and 

 they think it commendable fo to do : They anoint their hair 

 with Oil, and have certain Receipts to advance the growth 

 thereof : The Women commonly comb their Husbands and 

 their Children t Both Men and Women tie up their hair to- 

 , wards the hinder part of the head, winding it about fo as that 

 it ftands up like a horn on the Crown 5 on both fides they leave 

 locks hanging down likefo many Muftachioes , according to 

 natural liberty. The Women part their hair fo as that it falls 

 down on both fides of their heads 5 but the men part theirs the 

 quite contrary way, fo as that one half falls down behind, the 

 other before, which obliges them to cut off the fore-part of it, 

 otherwife it would fall down over their eyes : This they did 

 heretofore with certain (harp Herbs , before they had theufe 

 of Sciflers 3 not to mention, that they were alfo accuftomed to 

 cut off their hair when they were in mournings whereas on the 

 contrary, in Madagascar the Men never cut off their hair, but 

 the Women (have it clear off} a cuffom contrary to that of 

 thofe people among whom S. Paul liv'd. 



The Caribbians feem not to have any Beards at all, but as 

 foon as they grow they pluck them off by the roots, as the Bra- 

 Carpin in plians 5 the Cumanefes, and certain Nations fubjeft to the Em- 

 Btrgeron, pire of the Tartars do, who have always an iron inftrument in 

 their hands, wherewith they pluck out the hair of their Beards 

 as foon as they come out .• But the Caribbians are feldom fee n 

 to put themfelves to that trouble, infomuch that it is conceiv d 

 they have afecret to prevent the growth of hair when it is once 

 gotten off 5 an invention which would have been of great con- 

 venience to the ancient Romans : For it isaffirm'd, that they 

 Would not (uffer their Beards to grow till after the time of the 



Emperour 



