166 



The Hi/lory of 



Book II. 



for they underftand what the word means, and fay that term 

 belongs only to the wild beafts, the Inhabitants of the woods: 

 Nor do they take it well to be called Cannibals , though they 

 eatthefleftiof their Enemies, which they fay they do to fa- 

 tisfie their indignation aud revenge, and not out of any deli- 

 cacy they find in it more than in any thing elfe whereby they 

 are fuftain'd : But they are extreamly pleas'd when any one 

 calls them Caribbians, becaufe it is a name they pride them- 

 felvesmuch in, as being a certain acknowledgment of their ge- 

 nerofity and courage : For they are not only the Apalachites^ 

 from amongft whom they came, who by that word fignific a 

 Warlike and valiant man, endu'd with force and a particular 

 dexterity in military affairs 5 but even the Arouagues themfelves 

 their irreconcileable Enemies, having often experienc'd their; 

 valour, underftand thereby the fame thing, though by the fame % 

 word they would alfo denote a Cruel perfon, by reafon of the 

 miferies the Caribbians have occafioned them. But howere it 

 be, this is certain, that our Savages of the Caribbies are fo much 

 pleafed with that name, that fpeaking to the French they have 

 this perpetually in their mouths, toy Francois, moy Caraibe^ 

 Thou art a French- man, lama Caribbian. 



In all other things they are of a good and tradable difpofi- 

 tion 5 and they are fo great Enemies to feverity, that if the 

 European or other Nations who have any of them flaves fas 

 among others the Englijh have fbme, cunningly trapan'd and 

 carryed away by them from the places of their birth) treat 

 them with any rigour, they many times die out of pure grief: 

 But by fair means they will do any thing, contrary to the Ne~ 

 groes 3 who muft be roughly dealt with, otherwife they grow 

 infolent,flothful, and perfidious. 



They commonly reproach the Europeans with their avarice* 

 and their immoderate induftry in getting of wealth together 

 for themfelves and their Children, fince the earth is able to 

 find fufficient fuftenance for all men,if fo be they wil take ever fb 

 little pains to cultivate it : as for themfelves, they fay they are 

 notperplex'd with caring for thofe things whereby their lives 

 are preferv J d$and indeed it muft be acknowledged,that they are 

 incomparably fatter, and have their health better than thofe 

 that fare delicioufly : Moft certain it is, that they live without 

 ambition, without Vexation, without difquiet, having no de- 

 fire of acquiring honours or wealth, flighting Gold and Silver, 

 as the ancient Lacedemonians, and the Peruvians , and content- 

 ing themfelves with what Nature had made them, and what the 

 earth fupplies them withall for their fuftenance.- And when 

 they go a hunting, or a fifhing, or root up trees for ground to 

 make a little Garden, or to build houfes, which are innocent 

 employments, and fuitable to the nature of man, they do all 

 without eagernefsj and as it were by way of divertifement and 



recreation* 



But 



