5 2 
Relation 
[1671 
Manners. All these people are sufficiently civil & courteous, not 
having the brutality of other black nations. They are 
clever & elegant. ’Tis dangerous to offend them too 
much, & when they wish to betray any one ’tis when they 
bestow their warmest caresses. 
Formerly these Blacks were the best people of the 
world; & when they saw a white man they held him in 
admiration & in respect, kneeling to the ground when he 
pass’d by them, & if he wish’d to enter their Huts, they 
would lay down on the side of the door, & make a white 
man pass over their body, saying that the earth was not 
worthy to carry a white man, believing that he had some¬ 
thing of the Divine nature: but at present they have 
chang’d in humour, having no more respect for a white 
man than for a Black. And this was caus’d by the too 
great liberty which they gave them, and by the bad 
examples which the Europeans have had, who glory in 
the sin of Luxury in this country, & who often debauch 
their wives, & when they preach to them of chastity they 
mock, and say that the Whites are not better than them¬ 
selves. 
Although I speak in general of Europeans who have 
been or are in this country, I nevertheless except those 
who are well behav’d, & who by their virtue have caus’d 
no scandal. 
These Blacks are very Hospitable, & do not hide their 
eatables & drinkables from the unexpected comers, who 
arriving in some locality, wherever it may be, commence 
to eat & drink what they find, without compliment, & are 
well receiv’d by all, if they are not enemies. If they did 
the same in Europe there would be no need of Hostelries 
Buildings, for the passing travellers. Their buildings are not superb, 
they make small Huts of wood & leaves, in which a dozen 
persons would be troubl’d to find room ; here they make 
their cooking, & sleep there on small mats, which they 
