o 



The Hijlory of 



Book UJ 



up a body of fifteen hundred men and more, as maybe guefs'd 

 by their appearance 5 for their number cannot be certainly 

 known, inafmuch as they themfelves not knowing how to reck- 

 on, cannot tell what numbers they are : But if they are pref- 

 fed by their Enemies, they get into the Woods, or climb up 

 Rocks that are inacceffible to all others 3 or if they are neer 

 the Sea, they leap band dive, and rife up again at a hundred, 

 nay fometimes two hundred paces from the place where they 

 had been feen : And afterwards they rally together, at certain 

 Rendezvoufes known to themfelves, and charge afrefh when it 

 is leaft expected, and when they were thought to be abfolute- 

 ly routed. 



But when they fipd thofe coming to them to be friends who 

 come only to vifit them, after they have cry'd to them that 

 they are welcome,fome caft themfelves into the water andfwim 

 to them, enter into their Veffel, and when they come neer 

 land proffer to carry them afhore on their backs, as aa affurance 

 of their affection : In the mean time the Captain himfelf, or his 

 Lieutenant, expects them on the fhore, and receives them in 

 the name of the whole Ifland : Thence they^re conducted by 

 aconfiderable number of them to the Carbet, which is as it 

 were the Town- Houfe, where the Inhabitants of the Ifland, 

 every one according to the age and fex of the New-comers, bid 

 them welcome : The old Man complements and makes much 

 of the old Man 3 the young Man and Maid do the like towards 

 thofe of their age 3 and a man may read in their countenances 

 how much they arefatisfied with the vifit. 



But the firft difcourfe they make to the Stranger is ta ask 

 him his name, and then to tell him theirs : And for an expre£ 

 fion of great affection and inviolable friendfliip, they call them- 

 felves by the names of thofe whom they entertain.* But to 

 crown the Ceremony, they will have the perfon whom they re- 

 ceive in like manner to alTume their name : Thus they make 

 an exchange of names 5 and they have fuch excellent memo- 

 ries, that ten years after fuch a meeting they will remember 

 the names of their friends, and relate fome circumftance of 

 what had paffed at the former interview .* And if they were 

 prefented with any thing, they will be fure to call it to mind, 

 and if the thing be ftill in being, they will fhew it to him who 

 had beftowed it on them. 



After all thefe complements which are paffed at the firft 

 meeting, the next is to prefent their Guefts with thofe penfile 

 Beds which they call Amais^ very clean and white, whereof 

 they have ftore againft fuch occaiions ; They defire them to 

 reft themfelves thereon, and then they bring in Fruits*, and 

 while fome are bufie preparing fome tteatment,others entertain 

 them with difcourfe, obferving ftill the conformity of age 

 and fex. 



This 



