Purchas his pilgrimes. part 3 In fiue bookes. The first, contayning the voyages and peregrinations made by ancient kings, patriarkes, apostles, philosophers, and others, to and thorow the remoter parts of the knowne world: enquiries also of languages and religions, especially of the moderne diuersified professions of Christianitie. The second, a description of all the circum-nauigations of the globe. The third, nauigations and voyages of English-men, alongst the coasts of Africa ... The fourth, English voyages beyond the East Indies, to the ilands of Iapan, China, Cauchinchina, the Philippinæ with others ... The fifth, nauigations, voyages, traffiques, discoueries, of the English nation in the easterne parts of the world ... The first part.

Of the manners and customes of the Indians of the Firme Land, and of their women.

THe manners and customes of these Indians, are diuers in diuers Prouinces. Some of them take as many Wiues as them list, and other liue with one Wife, whom they forsake not [ 40] without consent of both parties, which chanceth especially when they haue no children. The Nobilitie aswel men as women, repute it infamous to ioyne with any of base Parentage or Stran∣gers, except Christians, whom they count Noblemen, by reason of their valiantnesse,* 1.1 although they put a difference betweene the common sort and the other to whom they shew obedience, counting it for a great matter and an honorable thing, if they bee beloued of any of them: inso∣much that if they know any Christian man carnally, they keepe their faith to him, so that hee be not long absent farre from them, for their intent is not to be Widdowes, or to liue chaste like religious women. Many of them haue this custome, that when they perceiue that they are with childe, they take an Hearbe wherewith they destroy that is conceiued:* 1.2 for they say that only well aged women should beare children, and that they will not forbeare their pleasures, [ 50] and deforme their bodies with bearing of children, whereby their Teates become loose and hanging, which thing they greatly dispraise. When they are deliuered of their children, they goe to the Riuer and wash them, which done, their bloud and purgation ceasseth immediately: And when after this they haue a few dayes absteined from the company of men, they become so streight, as they say which haue had carnal familiaritie with them, that such as vse them, cannot without much difficultie satisfie their appetite: They also which neuer had children, are euer as Virgins. In some parts they weare certaine little Aprons round about them before and behind,* 1.3 as low as to their knees and hammes, wherewith they couer their priuy parts, and are naked all their bodie beside. The principall men beare their Priuities in a hollow Pipe of Gold, but the common sort haue them inclosed in the shells of certaine great Welkes, and are be∣side [ 60] vtterly naked: For they thinke it no more shame to haue their Cods seene, then any other part of their bodies: and in many Prouinces both the men and women goe vtterly naked, with∣out any such couerture at all. In the Prouince of Cueua they call a man Chuy, and a woman Ira, which name is not greatly disagreeable to many both of their women and of ours.

These Indians giue great honor and reuerence to their Caciques (that is) their Kings and Ru∣lers.

The principall Cacique,* 1.4 hath twelue of his most strong Indians appointed to beare him, when he remoueth to any place, or goeth abroad for his pleasure. Two of them carrie him sitting vpon a long peece of wood, which is naturally as light as they can finde, the other ten follow next vnto him as footemen: they keepe continually a trotting pase with him on their shoulders. When the two that carrie him are wearie, other two come in their places, without any disturbance or stay. And thus if the way be plaine, they carry him in this manner for the space of fifteene or twenty leagues in one day. The Indians that are assigned to this office, are for the most part slaues, or Na∣borit••, that is, such as are bound to continuall seruice.

I haue also noted that when the Indians perceiue themselues to be troubled with too much bloud,* 1.5 they let themselues bloud in the calfe of their legges, and brawnes of their armes: this doe they with a very sharpe stone, and sometimes with the small tooth of a Viper, or with a [ 10] sharpe reede or thorne. All the Indians are commonly without Beards, in so much that it is in a manner a maruell to see any of them either men or women to haue any downe or haire on their faces,* 1.6 or other parts of their bodies: Albeit I saw the Cacique of the Prouince of Cata∣rapa, who had haire on his face and other parts of his body, as had also his wife in such places as women are accustomed to haue. This Cacique had a great part of his body painted with a blacke colour, which neuer fadeth, and is much like vnto that wherewith the Moores paint themselues in Barbarie in token of Nobilitie.* 1.7 But the Moores are painted specially on their visage and throate, and certaine other parts. Likewise the principall Indians vse these pain∣tings on their armes and breasts, but not on their visages, because among them the slaues are so marked. When the Indians of certaine Prouinces goe to the battaile (especially the Caniball [ 20] Archers) they carrie certaine shels of great welkes of the Sea,* 1.8 which they blow, and make therewith great sound, much like the noise of Hornes: they carrie also certaine Timbrels, which they vse in the stead of Drummes: also very faire Plumes of Feathers, and certaine armour of gold,* 1.9 especially great and round peeces on their breasts, and splints on their armes. Likewise other peeces, which they put on their heads and other parts of their bodies: For they esteeme nothing so much as to appeare gallant in the warres,* 1.10 and to goe in most comely order that they can deuise, glistering with precious Stones, Iewels, Gold, and Feathers. Of the least of these welkes or perewincles, they make certaine little Beades, of diuers sorts and colours: they make also little Bracelets, which they mingle with gandes of Gold, these they roule about their armes from the elbow to the wrest of the hand. The like also doe they on their [ 30] legges from the knees to the soles of their feete, in token of Nobilitie, especially their No∣ble Women in diuers Prouinces are accustomed to weare such Iewels, and haue their neckes in manner laden therewith: these Beades and Iewels, and such other trinkets, they call Caquiras. Beside these also, they weare certaine Rings of Gold at their eares and nostrels, which they bore full of holes on both sides, so that the Rings hang vpon their lippes. Some of these Indians are poulde and rounded; albeit commonly both the Men and Women take it for a decent thing to weare long haire, which the women weare to the middest of their shoulders, and cut it equally, especially aboue their browes: this doe they with certaine hard Stones, which they keepe for the same purpose. The principall Women, when their teates fall, or become loose,* 1.11 beare them vp with barres of Gold, of the length of a spanne and a halfe, [ 40] well wrought, and of such bignesse that some of them weigh more then two hundred Caste∣lans or Ducades of Gold: these barres haue holes at both the ends, whereat they tye two small cords made of Cotton at euery end of the barres: one of these cords goeth ouer the shoulder, and the other vnder the arme holes, where they tye both together, so that by this meanes the barre beareth vp their teates. Some of these chiefe Women goe to the battaile with their Husbands, or when they themselues are regents in any Prouinces, in the which they haue all things at commandement, and execute the office of generall Captaines, and cause themselues to be carried on mens backs, in like manner as doe the Caciques, of whom I haue spoken before.

These Indians of the firme Land are much of the same stature and colour as are they of the I∣lands:* 1.12 they are for the most part of the colour of an Oliue: if there be any other difference, it [ 50] is more in bignesse then otherwise, and especially they that are called Coronati, are stronger and bigger then any other that I haue seene in these parts, except those of the Iland of Giants, which are on the South side of the Iland of Hispaniola, neere vnto the coasts of the firme Land, and likewise certain other which they call Iucatos, which are on the North side. All which chief∣ly, although they be no Giants, yet are they doubtlesse the biggest of the Indians that are known to this day, and commonly bigger then the Flemings; and especially many of them, as well wo∣men as men, are of very high stature, and are all archers both men and women. These Coronati inhabit thirtie leagues in length by these coasts, from the point of Canoa to the great riuer which they call Guadalchiber, neere vnto Sancta Maria de gratia. As I trauersed by those coasts, I filled a butt of fresh water of that riuer, six leagues in the Sea from the mouth thereof where it falleth [ 60] into the Sea. They are called Coronati (that is Crowned) because their haire is cut round by their eares, and poulde lower a great compasse about the Crowne, much like the Friers of Saint Augustines Order. And because I haue spoken of their manner of wearing

their haire, here commeth to my remembrance a thing which I haue oftentimes noted in these Indians: and this is, that they haue the bones of the sculs of their heads foure times thicker, and much stronger then ours, so that in comming to handstroakes with them,* 1.13 it shall be requisite not to strike them on the heads with swords, for so haue many swords beene broken on their heads, with little hurt done.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Indian women.
• * 1.2

  Vnnaturall ab∣ortions.

  Large breasts▪ Child-birth.
• * 1.3

  The men of India.
• * 1.4

  The King is borne on mens backes.
• * 1.5

  Letting of bloud.
• * 1.6

  They haue no beards.
• * 1.7

  They paint their bodies.
• * 1.8

  The Canibals Trumpets.
• * 1.9

  Armor of gold.
• * 1.10

  Their gallant∣nesse in the warres.

  Their Iewels.
• * 1.11

  How the wo∣men beare vp their teates with bars of Gold.
• * 1.12

  The stature & colour of the Indians.

  The Indians called Coronati. The Iland of Giants. Iucatos.
• * 1.13

  The sculs of Indians heads.