the South-Sea. 67 



alfo dance in a Ring almoft like us. This Sort of Diver- 

 sion, which they call Qahouin Touhan, and the Spaniards 

 Borrachera, that is, Drunkennefs, is fo pleafing to them, 

 that they do -nothing of Moment without it; but they take 

 care to appoint Part of their Men to guard them, whilft 

 the reft get drunk and divert themfeives. Thofe who are 

 Chriftians cannot prevail upon themfeives to quit that 

 Sport, tho' the Sins it occafions arc reprefented to them 

 daily : In fliort, then it is that Quarrels are revived; and 

 it is affirnrd, that they referr it to thofe Meetings to take 

 Revenge of their Enemies, to the end that, being drunk, 

 they may appear the more excufable for the Murders they 

 commit. Others make themfeives fo extremely drunk, 

 find for fo many Days fuccelfively, that they burft, as hap- 

 pened at the Feftival I fpeak of; becaufe, befides the Chi- 

 £ha^ they had much Wine. 



Notwithftanding thefe frequent Debauches, they live Their Con0 

 whole Ages without any Diftempers ; fo ftrong arc they,and *p* 6 * an<i 

 ufed to the Inclemencies of the Air : They endure Hunger 00 ' 

 and Third a long Time in War and Traveling. 



Their common Food at their own Homes is a Sort of 

 Earth-Nuts, or Roots, or T'aup'mambours , which they 

 call Papas, of a very infipid Tafte, Maiz y or Indian Corn 

 •in the Ear, only boii'd or roafted, Horfes and Mules Flefh, 

 and fcarce ever Beef, which they fay gives them the Gripes. 

 They eat the Maiz feveral Ways, or only boii'd in Wa- 

 ter, or parch'd among Sand in an Earthen-Pot, and after- 

 wards ground into Meal mix'd with Water. This they 

 call Oullpo, when it is potable ; and Rubitll, when made into 

 thick Hafty-pudding with Pepper and Salt. For grinding 

 of the Maiz, after it is parch'd, inftead of a Mill, they 

 have oval Stones about two Foot long, on which, with 

 another Stone eight or ten Inches long, they cruih it on 

 their Knees by Strength of Arm; This is the common 

 Employment of the Women. Of this Meal they make 

 Provifion to go to the Wars, as has been faid ; and this is 

 all their Provifion* When they come to a Place where 



K 2 there 



