Part in. Travels into thel'NTilES. 
51 
C H A p. XXIX. 
Of theBeafisof the Country of Azmer, and 
of the Saltpetre. 
THere is in thefe Countries, a Beaft like à Fox in the Stiout, which is 
no bigger than a Hare : the Hair of it, is of the colour of a Stags, and 
the Teeth like to a Dogs. It yields moft excellent Musk ; for at the Belly it 
hath a Bladder full of corrupt Blood,and that Blood maketh the Musk,or The Musk 
is rather the Musk it felf : They take it from it, and immediately cover Animal, 
the place where the Bladder is cut, with Leather, to hinder the fcent from 
evaporating : But after this Operation is made, the Beaft is not long liv'd. 
There are alfo towards Az,mer, Pullets whofe Skin is all over black, as 
well as their Bones, though the Flefli of them be very white, and their " 
Feathers of another colour. 
In the extremity of this Province, the Maids are very early Marriageable, j^^.^^ . 
and fo they are in many other places of the Indies^ wtere moft part can en- ageabie at s'or 
)oy Man, at the age of eight or nine years, and have Children at ten. 5 years of age. 
That's a very ordinary thing in the Country, where the young ones go 
naked, and wear nothing on their Bodies, but a bit of Cloath to cover 
their Privities. 
Moft of the Children in thefe Countries have the fameplayes to divert TheChildreas 
them with, as amongft us : they commonly make ufe of Tops, Giggs, and playes. 
Bull-flies in the feafon ^ of Childrens Trumpets, and many other Toys of 
that nature. The People are rude and uncivil : The Men are great clowns, 
and very impudent -, they make a horrid noife when they have any quar- 
rel, but what Paffion foe ver they feem to be in, and what bitter words fo- 
ever they utter, they never come to blows. The Servants are very unfaith- 
ful, and many times rob their Mafters. 
There are very venemous Scorpions in that Country ,but the Indians have venemous 
feveral remedies to cure their Stinging, and the beft of all is Fire. They Scorpions, 
take a burning Coal, and put it near the wound ^ they hold it there as long The remedy of 
and as near as they can : The venom keeps one from being incommoded by 
the heat of the Fire -, on the contrary ,thc Poifon is perceived to v/ork out of 
the Wound by little and little, and in a fhort time after, one is perfedly 
cured. 
The ways of this Country being very Stony, they fhoe the Oxen when The Oxen are 
they arc to Travel far on thefe ways. They caft them with a Rope faften- fhod. 
ed to two of their Legs, and fo foori as they are down, they tye their four 
Feet together, which they put upon an Engine made of two Sticks in form 
of an X -, and then they take two little thin and light pieces of Iron , 
which they apply to each Foot, one piece covering but one half Foot, and 
that they faften with three Nails above an Inch long, which are clenched 
upon the fide of the Hooffs, as Horfcs with us are ftiod. 
Seeing the Oxen in the Indies are very tame, many People make ufe of j„j-^j^ q^^^ 
them in Travelling, and ride them like Horfes \ though commonly they 
goe but at a very flow pace. Inftead of a Bit, they put one or two fmall 
firings through the Griftle of the OxesNoftrils, and throw over his Head 
a good large Rope faftcned to thefe ftrings, as a Bridle, which is held up by 
the bunch he hath on the fore part of his back, that our Oxen have not. 
They Saddle him as they do a Horfe, and if he be but a little fpurred, he'll -pj^^ q^^^ 
go very faft \ and there are fome that will go as faft as a good Horfe. Thefe saddled. 
Beafts are made ufe of generally all over the Indies -, mà with them only 
H 2 are 
are 
