256 Tbe Hifiory of Book 11. 



trees: Some anoint themfelves with the oil of Balm , and then 

 caft on it a fmall powder,which feems as if it were the filings of 

 Gold. In fine, there are fome who anoint their bodies with a 

 glewy oil, and blow on that the downe or fmalleft Feathers of 

 divers Birds 3 or haply they cover themfelves with a kind of 

 gummy pafte, which is of a very fweet fcent, and faften there- 

 on the moffc delightful Flowers growing in their Country. 

 There is fufficient choice of all thefe modes 3 and it were a 

 pleafant fight to fee a company of thefe Morris-dancers dancing 

 together. We might add thereto, to make the divertifement 

 the more compleat , thofe Turkjjh Pilgrims who commonly go 

 in long Garments made of thousands of pieces of all forts of co- 

 lours. 



But this is to be noted. That the painting of the body is a 

 very ancient kind of Ornament 3 and among other Monuments 

 Lib.22.c.i. of this piece of Antiquity, Pliny and Herodian affirm, that cer- 

 I« the life 0/ tain people of Great Brittany, not ufing any kind of cloathing, 

 Severn. painted their bodies with divers colours,and reprefented there- 

 ' on the figures of certain living Creatures, whence they were 

 called Fi&i 3 that is. Painted people. But among all the Sava- 

 ges who at this day paint themfelves, the Caribbians have this 

 advantage, that they adorn themfelves with a colour which the 

 Ancients honour'd moft of any 3 for it is reported , that the 

 Goths made ufe of Vermilion to make their faces red 3 and the 

 L&33.C.7. ancient Romans , as Pliny affirms , painted their bodies with 

 Minium upon the day of their Triumph 3 and he particularly 

 tells us that C ami l/tts did fo: and he further adds, that upon 

 Feftival days they fo painted the face of the Statue of their 

 Jupiter 3 and that heretofore the Ethiopians made fo great ac- 

 count of this Vermilion colour, that their principal Lords ap- 

 ply'd it all over their bodies, and that their Gods wore it in 

 their Images. 



Our Caribbians do for the moft part content themfelves with 

 this ordinary drefs of red painting, which ferves them inftead 

 of Shirts, Cloths, Cloaks and Coats .• But on folemn days and 

 times of publick rejoicing, they add to the red divers other 

 colours, lpreading them fantaftically over the face and the 

 whole body. 



But this kind of painting is not the only ornament in ufe 

 among them 3 they adorn the crown of the head with a little 

 Hat made of birds feathers, of different colours, or with a 

 Plume of Herons feathers, or thofe of fome other Bird : They 

 alfofometimes wear a crown of feathers, which covers their 

 heads, fo that there may be foen among them a great many 

 crowned heads, though there be no Kings : And yet they may 

 be better look'd upon as Rings with their feather Crowns, than 

 the Lord of the Gulf of Antongil be taken for a Sovereign 

 Prince, when he. hath for his Scepter and the badge of his 



Royal 



