LOSS OF A JAMAICA SLOOP. 267 
are so hungry that they can fast no longer, they concert mat- 
ters over night which way they shall hunt the next day, and 
rise about two or three o'clock in the morning, get into their 
canoes without saying a word to each other, and paddle so far 
up the river as they think proper, and are generally in the 
woods before break of day, that as soon as the daylight ap- 
pears they may have the better opportunity of securing their 
game. When they find a drove of warree or piccarie, they 
throw themselves into a circle and surround them, having dogs 
with them, and being armed wdth guns and lances, whichever 
w^ay the game turns some of the Indians meet them, and 
often kill a great part of the drove; I saw them bring home 
ten at one time, of which they gave us two. When any of 
their family are sick, they kill for them guanoes to make them 
hroth, which they reckon very wholesome, and proper for sick 
people. If they are tired with eating flesh, they go a fishing, 
and so from time to time hunt or fish, as they like best ; the 
whole society take part of what they bring home. The wo- 
men go sometimes into their plantations, and bring with them 
such fruit as it affords, or is wanted to dress their provisions ; 
they also make matts. The men are generally a tall, well- 
shaped, raw-boned, strong people, nimble and active, long 
black strait hair, are very ingenious, and friendly to the Eng- 
lish, and very dexterous at throwing the lance, fishing or har- 
poon, or any manner of dart, and shoot exceeding well with 
a bow and arrow, as Avell as with small arms, the last of 
which they buy of the English. They go ofi" to sea at a cer- 
tain time of the year with a little fleet of canoes to the miis- 
ketoe reefs, w^hich are about twelve or fifteen leagues from 
the coast, to take turtle for the sake of the shell, which they 
send to Jamaica, to sell or dispose of to the traders that come 
upon that coast, for guns, powder and shot, hatchets, axes, 
and iron pots. Some of their boys make it their business to 
catch parrots and monkeys, w4th w^hich they purchase beads, 
knives, or such other trifles. Some few of them have sepa- 
rated from the main body, as those at cape Camerone, our 
neighbors, and gave this reason for it ; they said that some 
people who ^vere not of the ancient inhabitants, but new up- 
starts, were got into the government, and behaved themselves 
Avith so much pride and insolence that they could not bear it, 
and therefore had separated from the main body. They re- 
lated the matter thus : A ship wuth negroes by accident was 
catet away on the coast, and those who escaped drowning mix- 
ed among the native mosketoe people, who intermarried with 
