206 
A VOYAGE TO 
1778. Amongft the articles which they brought to barter, this 
day, we could not help taking notice of a particular fort of 
cloak and cap, which, even in countries where drefs is more 
particularly attended to, might be reckoned elegant. The 
firft, are nearly of the fize and fhape of the fhort cloaks 
worn by the women in England, and by the men in Spain, 
reaching to the middle of the back, and tied loofely before. 
The ground of them is a net-work, upon which the moft 
beautiful red and yellow feathers are lb clofely fixed, that 
the furface might be compared to the thickeft and richeft 
velvet, which they refemble, both as to the feel, and the 
gloffy appearance. The manner of varying the mixture is 
very different; fome having triangular fpaces of red and 
yellow, alternately; others, a kind of crefcent; and fome 
that were entirely red, had a broad yellow border, which 
made them appear, at fome diftance, exactly like a fcarlet 
cloak edged with gold lace. The brilliant colours of the 
feathers, in thofe that happened to be new, added not a little 
to their fine appearance; and we found, that they were in 
high eftimation with their owners; for they would not, at 
firft, part with one of them, for any thing that we offered, 
afking no lefs a price than a mufquet. However, fome were 
afterward purchafed fbr very large nails. Such of them as 
were of the beft fort, were fcarce; and it ftiould feem, that 
they are only uled on the occafion of fome particular cere¬ 
mony, or diverfion ; for the people who had them, always 
made fome gefticulations, which we had feen ufed before by 
thofe who fung. 
The cap is made almoft exacftly like a helmet, with the 
middle part, or creft, fometimes of a hand’s breadth; and it 
fits very clofe upon the head, having notches to admit the 
' ears. It is a frame of twigs and offers, covered with a net¬ 
work, 
