188 
DISCOVERIES OF THE PORTUGUESE. 
given him favour in their eyes ; and he was well 
treated four months, which they spent " conti- 
nually triumphing, drinking, dancing and eat- 
*Mng men's flesh." At length, their roamings 
having brought them to the neighbourhood of a 
Portuguese settlement, and the wizards having 
announced it as the devil's pleasure that Battel 
should depart, he found no difficulty in effecting 
his safe removal, along with some slave merchants 
who came to the camp. 
The Giagas are described by him as a race of 
organized out-laws, who have neither country, 
possessions, industry, nor arts of their own ; " de- 
pending on war for a supply of all they want." 
Wherever they come, complete desolation attends 
them ; they reap the corn without sowing any in 
its place ; and, instead of cautiously extracting 
the juice of the palm trees, they cut them down 
and leave them to rot. He confirms the report, 
that, in this community, no children are permit- 
ted to live, but are buried alive so soon as born. 
They keep up their number entirely by taking the 
boys and girls, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, 
from the places they have conquered, training 
them to all their roaming and predatory habits. 
" They make war," says the writer, by en- 
chantments, and take the devil's counsel in all 
** their exploits." Before beginning their march, 
an augury is performed in the most solemn man- 
