Cap.XXH T^Canbby-Iflands. 335 



they eire tha v dves r -^:>al cuts and great wounds with their ' 

 km've:-., in < er? p.; its « i' their bodies. 



Jibe j-e" of Wives among thc.Caribbiam is not Iimitedj 

 as it is smong the MaMfvefi^.whtofcfa man may. have but three Plfai "d. p. 

 at vbii feme time: But as that number was heretofore proper- l ' c ' 12 ' 

 tioned- to their courage and valour, (for as often as they return- 

 ed from the wars with the commendation of gallant men, they 

 might pretend to ck hope for a new Wife)fo at the prefenr,they 

 have as many as they defire and can obtain 5 fo that among 

 th<:^i,as Vv e& as among the 1opnambous^\Q who hath moft Wives De Lery, 

 is accounted moft valiant^ and the moft confiderable perfon in c - 1 7- 

 the whole Ifland. And whereas in the Ifland of Hifyaniola all Hiflory of 

 the wi « es lay in the fame Room with their Husbands, the Carib* Lopez. 

 bi ms we laid before, to prevent all differences and jealou- 

 fies, keep their wives, as the Turkj and Tartars do theirs, in d'i- 

 ftinft Habitations nay, fometimes they difpofe them into fe- 

 veral Iflands : Or haply another realbn of their ordering fueh 

 a diftance between the feveral aboads of their wives, is that 

 they may the more conveniently apply themfelves to the cul- 

 ture of their Gardens, which lie fcattered up and down in di- 

 vers places: and it is upon the fame account that fome affirm 

 the Caribbtans of the Continent do the like, their wives having 

 this commendation, that they are not troubled with jealoufie. 

 Our Savages of the IfLnds, if they have no more wives than 

 one, are very careful not to be far from them 3 and if they have 

 many, they vifit them by turns one after another : But in this 

 they f bferve the fame Cuftom with the Floridtans^ that they 

 med .s e not with thofe who are with child. 



It is ibmewhat to be w.ondred at, that Lycnrgm and Solon VIm. in their 

 thofe Lights of Greece;, ftiould (hew themfelves lo blind and Lives, 

 withal fo dimoneft,as to open a gap for Adultry to get in among 

 their Citizens 3 for there is hardly any Nation 10 Barbarous 

 and Savage, but hath of it felflight enough to read this Law 

 drawn by the hand of nature 5 that Adultery is a crime, and 

 that a certain horrour ought to be had for it 5 nay there is not 

 any but expreffes a certain deteftatiori of it, and feverely pu- 

 niflies it. The punifhmcrit of Adultery is pleafmt enough 

 among the Inhabitants of Gwnt/y 5 for the Wife, it fhe hath a Dutch Re- 

 mind to conrinue ftill with her Husband, pays him by v/ay of lotions. 

 fatisfa&ion, fome ounces of Gold. But there is no jeftinf with 

 thofe of Bet?gala> and the Mexicans^ who cut off their wive. 10- Linfcot,c.t(S 

 fesand ears in that cafe : Divers other barbarous Nations pu- 

 niflj this crime with death 3 nay, the Tegnans are fo fevert upon V. Ie Blanc, 

 thefe occasions, and have fo great a horrour for this breach off- *• c - 3 2 * 

 conjugal love, that both men and women who are forma guil- 

 ty thereof are buried alive. 



Nor are the Caribbians the moft indulgent, and the leaft jea- 

 lous of their honour in this cafe 3 heretofore they knew n^t 



how 



