drive this lump of Iron thro the same sloping hole. Then they give it a chop with an Ax half thro, and so sling it into the water. They so chop it, that it may be seen that it is good, Iron for the Satisfaction of those that are minded to buy.
For a ••arewel of their labours, let it not be unacceptable to relate here a piece of their Housewifry; and tell you how they make But∣ter. First, They boil the Milk, then they turn it into a Curd; the next morning they skim off the Cream, and drill it in an earthen Ves∣sel with a stick having a cross at the bottom of it, somewhat like a Cho∣colate stick. When the Butter is come, they put it in a pan, and fry it, to get all the water dry out of it, and so put it into an earthen pot for use.
There are no Markets on the Island. Some few Shops they have in the Cities, which sell Cloth, Rice, Salt, Tobacco, Limes, Druggs, Fruits, Swords, Steel, Brass, Copper, &c.
As to the Prices of Commodities, they are sold after this rate. Rice in the City, where it is dearest, is a••ter six quarts for fourpence half∣peny English, or a small Tango, or half a Tango; six Hens as much; a fat Pig the same: a ••at Hog, three shillings and six pence or four shilling: but the••e are none so big as ours. A fat Goat, two and six pence. Betle-nuts 4000 nine pence Currant price, when a Trad.
And now we are discoursing of their Traffick, we will speak a little of their Measures, Weights, and Coin.
First for Measures. A Rian is a Cubit, which is with them from the bone on the inside of the Elbow to the tip of the fourth Finger. A Waddo rian is the Carpenters Rule. It is as much as will reach from one Elbow to the other, the Thumbs touching one the other at the tops, and so s••retching out both Elbows.
For their Corn-measures, the least is a Potta, which is to contain as much Grain as a man can hold heaped up in his whole hand palm and fingers and all. Four Pottas make a lawful or Statute-measure, called Bonder Nellia, signi••ying the King's measure. Which is the King's ordinary allowance to a man, that is as much as he can eat in a day. But we Englishmen were allowed two. Four of these Bonder Nellias make a Courney. In ••ashion it is an handsom turned measure, some of them are made with Canes like a Basket. Ten of these Courneys make a Pale, that is forty measures, which is the usual quantity that they sell ••or a Laree, or fifth part of a Piece of eight, the usual price in Cande Vda. But in time of Harvest two Pales for a Laree. Four of these Pales make an Ommouna. In which they keep the account of their Corn, reckoning by Ommounas.
For their Weights, their smallest is a Collonda, six make just a Piece of eight. They have half Collondas, and quarter Collondas. When they are to weigh things smaller than a Collonda, they weigh them with a kind of red Berries, which grow in the Woods, and are just like Beads. The Goldsmiths use them, Twenty of these Beads make a Collonda, and Twenty Collondas make a Pallum.
Here is no Punishment for those that make less weights and mea∣sures. They are more circumspect that their measures be not too big than too little. For Money being scarce, Corn passeth instead of Mo∣ney, and every man mets by his own measure. Which therefore he makes as large as he can or dares, that so when he receives his Debt of Corn, he may get as much as he can. Which upon this account would