TheHifloryof - BookII. 



them black, and they purpofely make them fiich : And among 

 the latter, it is accounted beauty to have a long face, lean 

 cheeks, and exceffively big legs : And hence it is that they 

 fqueeze the heads of their children between two cufhions as 

 foon asthey are born, and that after the example of the Inha- 

 bitants about the River of Effequebe, they bind the legs very 

 hard a little below the knee, and a little above the ankle, that 

 fb the calf may fwell : Among fome Pemvians 3 tohave the face 

 cut and chequer'd, as it were with Lancets, and to have flat 

 and broad heads, huge foreheads, and the head very narrow 

 from the forehead to the nape of the neck, is accounted beau- 

 tiful : And to reduce it to this comely (hape, they kept their 

 childrens heads prefs'd between two thin boards, from the time 

 of their birth till they were four or five year old. To be (hort, 

 among fome oriental Nations, and fbme Africans, it is account- 

 ed a great perfection in the Women, to have their breafts 

 hanging down over their moulders 5 and among the Chinefes, 

 it is the principal part of beauty to have the foot extreamly 

 little and thin; and the better to have it lb, while they are yet 

 children they bind their feet fo hard, that they are in a manner 

 lam'd, and it is with much ado that they are able to ftand : It 

 were a hard matter to make a defcription of beauty, according 

 to the different opinions of all thefe nations.* But to return to 

 the Caribbians. 



They go ftark-naked, both men and women, as many other 

 Nations do : And if any one among them ftiould endeavour 

 to hide the privy parts, all the reft would laugh at it .* Though 

 the Chriftians have converfed very much among them , yet 

 have all the perfwafions that have hitherto been ufed to induce 

 them to cover themfelves been to no purpofe: And whereas 

 fbmetimes, when they come to vifit the Chriftians, or to treat 

 with them, they have comply'd fofar with them, as to cover 

 themfelves, by putting on a (hirt, drawers, a hat 3 and fuch 

 cloaths as had been given them, yet aflbon as they were re- 

 turn'd to their own habitations, they ftrip themfelves, and put 

 up all in their Clofets, till fbme fuch other occafion fhould ob- 

 lige them to put them on again: To requite this compliance 

 of the Caribbians, fome among the French, having occafion to 

 go among them, made no difficulty to ftrip themfelves after 

 their example : This defiance of cloaths reigns in all places 

 under the Torrid Zone, as every one knows. 

 Vvt. Le When the Brazilians are reproach'd with their nakednefs, 

 Bla ™^P ar ' they reply, that we came naked into the wqrld,and that it were 

 5 ' c ' 1 a mad thing for us to hide the bodies beftowed on us by na- 

 Vutcb Rela* ture. The Inhabitants of the Kingdom of Benin in Africa^ 

 tions. are to be commended, that they cover themfelves when they 

 are to be married, and would do it fooner if their King would 

 permit it .* The women of the Luc ay an Iflands ought alfo to 



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