The Ht/lory of Book II. 



CHAP. XXI. 



Of the Treatment which the Caribbians make their 

 Trifoners of War. 



WE are now going to dip our Pen in Blood, and to draw 

 a Picture which muft raife horrour in the beholder 3 

 in this there muft appear nothing but Inhumanity, Barbarifm, 

 and Rage 3 We (hall find rational Creatures cruelly devouring 

 thole of the fame fpecies with them, and filling themfelves 

 with Ptheir Flefti and Blood, after they had caft off Humane 

 Nature,and put on that of the moft bloody and furious Beafts: 

 A thing which the Pagans themfelves, in the midft of their 

 darknels, heretofore thought fo full of execration, that they 

 imagin'd the Sun withdrew himfelf, becaufe he would not {hew 

 his light at fuch Repairs. 



When the.Cannibals, or Anthropophagi, that is. Eaters of Men 

 (for here it is that we are properly to call them by that Name, 

 which is common to them with that of the Caribbians") 3 when 

 I fay they bring home Prifoner of War from among the Arou- 

 agues , he belongs of right to him who either feiza on him in 

 the Fight, or took him running away 3 fo that being come in- 

 to his Ifland, he keeps him in his houfe 3 and that he may not 

 get away in the night, he ties him in an Amac, which he hangs 

 up almoft at the roof of his d welling 3 and after he has kept 

 him faftingfour or five days, he produces him upon fome day 

 of folemn debauch, to ferve for a publick Victim to the immor- 

 tal hatred of his Country-men towards that Nation. 



If there be any of their Enemies dead upon the place, they 

 there eat them ere they leave it :They defign for flavery only 

 the young Maids and Women taken in the War They do not 

 eat the Children of their She-prifoners, much lefs the Children 

 they have by them themfelves :' They have heretofore tafted 

 of all the Nations that frequented them, and affirm. That the 

 French are the moft delicate, and the Spaniards of hardeft di- 

 geftion 3 but now they do not feed on any Chriftians at all. 



They abftain alfo from feveral cruelties which they were 

 wont to ufe before they kill'd their Enemies 3 for whereas at 

 prefent they think it enough todifpatch them at a blow or two 

 with the Club, and afterwards cut them into pieces, and having 

 broyl'd them, to devour them 3 they heretofore put them to 

 feveral torments,before they gave them the mortal blow : We 

 (hall not think it befides our purpofe to fet down in this place 

 fome of the inhumanities which they exercis'd upon thefe fad 

 occafions, as they themfelves have given an account thereof to 



thofe 



