^4 Voyage to 



care to feeure a Retreat into the Bogs 5 or Moralfes, where 

 they are fafer than in the beft Fortrefs. They march to 

 Battle in a very fierce Manner, by Beat of Drum, with 

 their Weapons painted, their Heads adorn'd with Plumes 

 of Feathers ; and before they engage, .the General com- 

 monly makes a Speech ; after which they all beat with 

 their Feet, and give hideous Shouts, to encourage one ano- 

 ther to fight. 



When they are obliged to fortify themfelves, they make 

 Palifadoes, or elfe only entrench themfelves behind great 

 Trees : Before them, at certain Diftances, they dig Pits, 

 the Bottoms whereof they fet full of Stakes upright, with 

 Briars, and cover them with Turf~ to impofe upon their 

 Enemies. Unhappy thofe who fall into their Power ! for 

 they tear them, draw out their Hearts, which they cut in 

 Pieces, and wallow in their Blood like wild Beafts. If it 

 happens to be a Man of any Note, they put his Head upon 

 the Point of a Pike, afterwards drink out of the Skull, 

 and at laft make a Difli of it, which they keep as a Tro- 

 phy ; and of the Leg Bones they make Flutes for their 

 Rejoycings, which are only difmal Drunken Bouts, and 

 laft as long as the Drink they have brought. This Debauch 

 is fo pleafing to them, that thofe who are Chriftians, cele- 

 brate, or rather prophane, the Feftivals of their Religion in 

 that Manner. 



Fefiivals. I was Witnefs of a Feftival the Slaves of an Encomienda y 

 belonging to two Spaniards of the Name of Peter, kept 

 on the Day of the Name of their Matters, in the Village 

 of Talcaguana, near which we lay at Anchor. After 

 hearing Mafs, they mounted on Horfeback to ride at a 

 Fowl, as they ride at a Goofe in France, with this Diffe- 

 rence, that they all fall upon him who bears away the 

 Head, to take it from him, and carry it to him in Honour 

 of whom the Feftival is kept. Running at full Speed, they 

 joftled to get it from him, and gather'd up, as they ran, 

 all that they threw down. After that Courfe, they alighted 

 to dine ; the Entertainment confifting of a great Number 



of 



