SINGULAR CUSTOMS. 3^ 
All mifortunate Maroon woman lost her husband by the bursting 
of a shell ; for some time a small pension was allowed, but of 
late it has been stopped : for what reason 1 could not learn. The 
governor ought to be particular in seeing the widows and children 
of those who fall in defence of the colony provided for, and not 
left to want and misery ; subject to every insult without power of 
retribution. What a heart-felt satisfaction must it be to see at 
the widow's feast, the poor as well as the rich I 
The following annual custom prevails here. The rich wi- 
dows once a year meet and give a great dinner, in the field, Avith 
porter and wine, to the governors ; each one cooking and pro- 
vidhig a certain number of d shes. The feast ends with their 
usual favorite diversions of country dances, in which some of 
them excel ; and the unfortunate Yarico I before mentioned is 
an instance. 
All the natives 1 have yet seen have peculiar marks on their 
bodies, both men and women ; the latter in general have very 
large ones on their shoulders, and sometimes on the abdomen, 
in the form of stars and other figures : these appear to be made 
with a sharp instrument, and the wounds kept open until an 
excrescence arises, which they suffer to skin over, thereby giving 
a prominence to each incision. In some of them, one side of 
the back is entirely covered with these marks ; therefore the 
pain they must endure for this addition of beauty, as they deem 
it, must be very great. As to their hair, they are far more 
curious than any ladies in Europe, having it plaited in the 
most curious and pleasing forms ; and to have this operation per- 
formed, they will lay patiently down during several hours ; nor 
do they want combs to grace it. Their teeth are beautifully 
white; they constantly use a small bit of stick to clean them; 
and so much are they in the habit of keeping them so, that a 
Goree lady (all such ladies spring from the natives) in common 
conversation, is continually rubbing them. The palm-tree is 
here one of the greatest blessings, producing oil and wine : witli 
the former they rub themselves all over; and it likewise serves 
them for sauce, as they eat it almost with every thing. — The 
wine I have before mentioned, is not at ail ungrateful, and its 
deep yellow gives a rich appearance to the dish. The} have one 
dish peculiar to them, as I believe all nations have ; this they 
call palaver sauce ; it is composed of fowls, stewed rice, pahn 
oil, and Cayenne pepper, with which the whole is so highly 
seasoned, that few Europeans can swallow it. This dish th© 
ladies frequently make for their husbands against their return. 
The word bush is very common among them ; indeed they 
are so partial to it^ they use it ou all occasions. If they want io 
6 
