Purchas his pilgrimes. part 4 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.

§. II. [ 20]

Of their manner of killing and eating of humane flesh: and of their creating Gentlemen.

OF all the honours and pleasures of this life, none is so great for this people as to kill and get a name on the heads of their Aduersaries, neither are there a∣mong them any Feasts, comparable to those which they make at the death of those which they kill with great Ceremonies, which they doe in this man∣ner. Those which beeing taken in the Warre are appointed to die, came presently from thence with a token, which is a small coard about his necke; and if hee bee a man that may [ 30] runnne away, he hath one hand tied to his necke vnder his chinne. And before they come to the Townes that are by the way, they paint their eie-lids, eie-browes, and their beards, polling them after fashion, and enpluming them with Yellow feathers so well placed that yee can see no haire; which makes them so gallant as the Spaniards in their rich Apparell, and so they goe sha∣ring their victorie whereby soeuer they passe. When they come to their owne Countrie, the women came out to receiue them, showting altogether and striking themselues on the mouth which is a common entertainment among them; without any other vexation, or imprisonment, except that they weare about the necke a round collar like a coard of a good bignesse, as hard as a sticke. In this collar they beginne to weaue a great manie fathomes of small coard as long as a womans haire, fastened aboue with a certaine knot, and loose vnderneath, and so it goeth from [ 40] eare to eare behind the backe, horrible to looke on. And if it be on the Frontier where hee may runne away, they put him in stead of shackels below the knees a string of threed twisted verie hard, which is too weake for any Knife; but that they haue Keepers that goe not one moment from him, whether he goe about the houses, to the Woods, or by the Fields; for he hath libertie for all this, and commonly the keeper is one that is giuen him for wife, and also for to dresse his meate, with the which if his Masters doe giue him no meate as the custome is, he taketh a Bow and Arrowes and shooteth at the first Henne he seeth, or at a Ducke be it whosesoeuer, and none doth contradict him, and so he waxeth fat, neither breaking therefore his sleepe, his laughter, or his pleasure as the rest, and some are as contented though they are to bee eaten, that in no wise they will consent to be ransomed for to serue; for they say that it is a wretched thing to die, and [ 50] lie stinking, and eaten with Wormes. These women are commonly faithfull in their charge, for they receiue honour thereby, and therefore manie times they are young, and daughters of the chiefe, especially if their brothers are to be the slaiers. For those which haue not this interest manie times, affect them in such manner, that not onely they giue them leaue to runne away, but they also doe goe with them, neither haue the women any other punishment if they bee taken againe, then a few strokes, and sometimes they are eaten of those same to whom they gaue life.

The time when he shall die being determined, the women beginne to make vessels, that is, Bowles, Traies, and Pots for the Wines, so great that euerie one will hold a pipe. This being readie, as well the principall as the rest doe send their Messengers to inuite others from sundrie places against such a Moone about tenne or twelue leagues compasse or more, for the which none [ 60] doth excuse himselfe. The guests doe come in Mogotes or troupes with their wiues and chil∣dren, and all of them doe enter the Towne with Dancers; and all the time the people are a ga∣thering together, there is Wine for the guests, for without it all the other entertainments are nothing worth. The people being assembled, the Feasts beginne some daies before according to

the number, and certaine ceremonies preceding, and euerie one lasteth a day. First, they haue for this certaine coards of Cotton-wooll of a reasonable bignesse, not twisted but wouen of a verie faire worke, it is a thing among them of great esteeme, and none hath them but some principall men, and according to their finenesse and workmanship, and their taking pleasure, it is to be be∣leeued that they are not made in a yeere These are alwaies verie safely kept, and are carried to the place with great feast & great noise in certain traies where a Master of these things doth tie two knots within from that which one of the points do run in such maner that in the midst there re∣maineth a noose. These knots are so fine that few are found that can make them, for some of them haue ten casts about, fiue crossing ouer the other fiue, as if one should crosse the fingers of the right hand ouer the left, & after they die them with thewater of a white clay like lime, & let them drie. [ 10]

On the second day they bring a great number of burdens of wilde Canes or Reeds as long as Lances or more, and at night they set them on fire in a round heape, the points vpward leaning one to another, and so they make a great and faire high bone-fire, round about the which are men and women dancing with sheaues of arrowes at their backe, but they goe very swiftly; for hee that is to die, which seeth them better then hee is seene because of the fire, catcheth hold of all that he can, and catcheth them, and they beeing many hee misseth few times. At the third day they make a dance of men and women, all of them with pipes of Canes, and all of them at once doe stampe on the ground, now with one foot then with the other, all together without missing a stroke; and obseruing the same measure they play on their pipes, and there is no other singing nor speaking; they being many and the Canes some bigger and some smaller, besides the resoun∣ding [ 20] in the Woods, they make a Hel-seeming harmonie, but they abide it as if it were the swee∣test Musicke in the World. And these are their feasts, besides others which they intermingle with many graces and soothsayings.

On the fourth day, they carrie the captiued enemie as soone as the day breakes to wash him at a Riuer, and they while the time that when they doe returne it may be broad day light, comming i〈…〉〈…〉o the Towne, the Prisoner goeth presently with a watchfull eye, for hee knoweth not out of what house or doore a valiant man is to come out to him, that is to catch hold of him behind. For as all their happinesse doth consist in dying valiantly, and the ceremonie that followeth, is now the neerest vnto death, as he which is to lay hold of him, doth shew his forces in ouer-comming him himselfe alone without any other helpe, so he will shew courage and force in resisting him: [ 30] and sometimes he doth it in such sort, that the first standing aside as wearied in wrestling, ano∣ther succeedeth him which holds himselfe for a valianter-man, the which sometimes remaine well bedusted, & more they would remaine if at this time the captiue had not his cord or shakels.

This wrestling being ended, he on foot blowing and puffing with rage and wearinesse, with the other that hold him fast, there commeth forth a troope of Nymphes which doe bring a great new painted bowle, and in it the cords rolled vp, and very white, and this present being set at the feet of the captiue, a cunning old woman in these matters, and Mistris of the troope begin∣neth to tune a Song, whom the other doe helpe, the Dittie is according to the ceremonie. And while they sing, the men take the cords and the nooze being put about his necke, they giue it an∣other knot neere to the other great ones, that it may not lose againe; and hauing made of euery [ 40] end a coyle, they put them on the arme of the woman which alwaies goeth after him with this weight, and if the weight be great because the cords are great and long, they giue her another to carrie one of the coyles, and if he before was terrible with the coller, he is more now with those two knots so bigge behind about his necke, and therefore one of the verses of the Song saith, Wee are those that make the necke of the bird to stretch, although after other ceremonies, they say to him in another foote, If thou hadst beene a Parrot annoying vs, thou wouldest haue fled.

At this time the vessels of wine are set in a rowe, in the middest of a great house, and the house (hauing no partitions though it bee of twentie or thirtie fathome in length) it is full of people; and when they begin to drinke it is a Labyrinth, or a Hell to see and heare them. For those which dance and sing doe continue with great feruentnesse all the daies and nights that the wines doe last. For this being the proper feast of the slaughters, in the drinking of the wines are many particularities, which last long, and they make water at euery stop; and so they continue day and [ 50] night; they sing, dance, drinke, and speake telling in whoopes through all the house of warres, and acts that they did; and as euery one will be heard in his Historie, euery one doth speake stri∣uing to bee lowdest, beside other noises, without any intermission, no not a quarter of an houre. That morning in which they begin to drinke, they paint the captiue by a particular way that they haue for that designe, in this sort, his face being cleane, and all the feathers he hath brought forth, they anoint him with the Milke of a certaine tree that cleaueth very fast, and they cast vpon it the powder of certaine egge-shels of a certaine wild bird, and vpon this they paint him with black very faire pictures, and all his bodie to the sole of his foote, and sticke him all with feathers which they haue alreadie cut for that purpose and died redde, and that maketh him to [ 60] seeme halfe as bigge againe, and touching his face it maketh it seeme as much greater, and the eies so much the smaller, that he remaineth an horrible visage. And in the same manner that they haue painted his face, they adorn the Sword which is of wood, in manner of a Ferula or Palmer,

but that the head is not so round, but almost three square, and the sides doe almost end in an edge, and the shaft of it which may bee of seuen or eight spans is not altogether round. It hath at the head about foure fingers broad, and commeth still narrowing vnto the end where it hath certaine pendants, or little bels of diuers coloured feathers, it is a gallant thing and of great esteeme a∣mong them, they call it Iugapenambin, that is, eares of the Sword. The last day of the wines they make in the midst of the place cabins of Palme-boughs, as many as they are that shall die, and in that they lodge, without entring any more, any house, and all the day and the night hee is well serued with feasts more then with meate, for they gine him no other foode but a fruite that hath the sauour of Nuts, that the next day he may not haue much bloud.

The fifth day in the morning at seuen of the clocke, little more or lesse his woman doth there [ 10] leaue him, and goeth home very sad, and speaking for her farewell some pittifull wordes at the least fainedly. Then they take away his shackels, and passe the cords from his neck to the waste, and standing at the doore of him that must kill him, the slaughterer commeth forth in a dance as white as a Doue, painted with white earth, in a garment which they call a cloke of feathers tied about the breast, vpward like the wings of an Angell, so dancing he goeth round about the place, and commeth making very strange countenances with his eies and bodie, and with his hands he counterfeiteth the Kite that desireth flesh, and with this Deuillishnesse hee commeth to the wretch, which stands with the coard stretched, on both sides hauing one that holdeth him: and the poore wretch if he find wherewith to throw at him, hee doth it with a good will, and many times they giue him wherewith, for many valiant men doe come out to him, so nimble in win∣ding [ 20] their bodie that he cannot hit them. This being ended there commeth an honorable Iudge, or stickler of the new Knight that shall bee, and taking the Sword passeth it many times be∣tweene his legges, putting it now on the one side, now on the other, euen in the same manner that the Pipers dogs doe passe betweene their legges, and after taking it by the midst with both hands he pointeth as with a thrust to the eies of the man which is to die; and this being done he turneth the head of it vpward in the same manner that he is to vse it, and putteth it in the hands of the slaughterer, as apt and fit already with those blessings for to doe his office; they place them∣selues somewhat to the left side, in such sort that he may hit him with the edge of his Sword in the nape of the necke, for he striketh at another place.

And their brutishnesse is so much, that because they feare no other euill but that which is pre∣sent, [ 30] they are as resolute as if it were nothing, as well for to speake, as for to try their courage, for after they take their leaue of life, saying, In a good houre, let me die seeing many are dead, and that besides this his brethren and kinsmen remaine here to reuenge them. And with this the one makes him readie to discharge, and the other to auoid his bodie, which is all the honour of his death. And they are so nimble in this that many times it is high daies before they are able to kill them, for when he sees the weapon in the aire, sometimes hee drawes his head aside, sometime hee de∣clines his bodie; and in this they are so doughtie, that if those that hold the points of the coards doe gird him hard (as they doe when the slaughterer is slow or weake) hee puls so hard that hee brings them to him, and makes them to slacken in despight, hauing one eie on them another on the Sword, without any standing still: and as the killer may not deceiue them with an offer, and [ 40] not strike vnder paine of receiuing a fillip, they doe foresee their stroke in such sort that come it neuer so low in a trise they stoope, and lie so flat that it is a wonder to see; and no lesse is the ta∣king of the Sword, holding the arme in such sort that doing him no hurt, they pul it downe ioint∣ly with themselues, and they put it vnder the arme pulling by the killer; wherein if they did not helpe the other would dispatch him; for they haue in this actson so many sooth-sayings that for to kill a child of fiue yeere old, they goe so prepared as for to kill some Giant. And with these helpes and incouragements so many times hee striketh till hee hitteth and that is enough, for as∣soone as he is downe he giueth him so many blowes till he batters his head (though one man was seene that had it so hard that they could neuer breake it, for as they goe bare-head, they haue them so hard that ours in comparison of theirs are like a Pompion, and when they will injurie [ 50] any White man, they call him soft-head.)

If this which they kill falleth on his backe, and not on his belly they hold it for an euill lucke and prognostication that the killer shall die, and although he falleth vpon his belly, they haue many ceremonies, which if they be not kept they hold that the killer cannot liue, and many of them are so painfull that if any one did suffer their troubles for Gods sake, they would bee ac∣counted meritorious, as hereafter shall be said, The poore wretch beeing dead they carrie him to a bone-fire that they haue readie for the same, and bringing the bodie neere the fire, touching him with the hand, flay off a skinne somewhat thicker then the rinde of an Onion, till he remaineth cleaner and whiter then a scalded Pig. Then it is deliuered to the Butcher which maketh a hole beneath the stomacke according to their vse, whereby the children first do put in their hands, and [ 60] pull by the guts vntill the Butcher cutteth where hee listeth, and that which remaineth in the hand of euerie one is his part, and the rest is diuided among the Commons; except some principal pieces which for great honour are giuen to the guests that are the most principall, which they doe carrie well r〈…〉〈…〉i, so that it may not corrupt, and with them afterward in their countries they make new Feasts and drinkings of wine.

The killer hauing ended his office, taking of the cloke of feather, and leauing the Sword hee goeth home, where at the doore the same iudge or stickler that was before with a shooting bow in his hand, that is, one of the points on the lower threshold, the other at the vpper, and pulling by the string as though he would shoote, the killer passeth betweene him so cunningly that hee toucheth in nothing. Assoone as he is passed the other loseth the string making shew that it grieues him to haue missed him whom he shot at, as though this hath vertue to make him swift afterward in the warre, and the enemies to misse him. When he is within he beginnes to runne through all the houses, and the Sisters and Cousins in the same manner before him, saying my Brother is called N. repeating it through all the Townes, and if the Gentleman hath any good thing he that goeth takes it from him till they leaue him nothing. This being ended they [ 10] cast on the ground certaine legges of a certaine Tree, called Pilan. Vpon the which hee stands all that day with so much silence as if he had some astonishment in him, and carrying to present thither the head of the dead, they pull out one of his eies, and with the strings and si∣newes of it they anoint his pulses, and cutting of his mouth whole, they put it on his arme as a Bracelet, and then he layeth him downe in his Net as a sicke man, and certainly hee is sicke for feare, that if he doe not accomplish the Rites perfectly, the soule of the dead will kill him.

Within a few daies they giue him the habit, not in the breast of the Coat which he hath not, but on his owne skin race him all ouer the bodie with the tooth of a Cutta, that is like a Conies tooth, the which as well for their little skill, as because they haue a hard skinne it seemes, that they teare a piece of Parchment, and if he be valiant, they doe not race him with right strekes [ 20] but a Crosse in sort that there remaine certaine very fine workes, and some doe cry and groane with the paine. This being ended they haue smal Cole finely grownd, and the iuice of Broamerape wherewith they rub the cuts ouerthwart, that the put him to great paine and swelling, which is yet a greater torment, while his wounds doe close, which continue some daies, he lyeth still in his Net without speaking any word, not asking any thing, and that he may not break his silence, he hath neere him water, flowre, and a certaine fruit like Almonds which they call Amendnins, for he tasteth neither fish nor flesh those daies.

After he is whole, many daies or moneths being passed, they make a great drinking of wines that hee may put off his mounrning, and cut his haire which vntill then he did not, then hee an∣oints himselfe with blacke, and from thence forward hee remaines enabled to kill without any [ 30] painfull ceremonie being done to him, and he also sheweth himselfe honoured and contented, and with a certaine disdaine, as one that hath honour alreadie, and gets it not a new. And so he doth no more but giue the other a couple of blowes, although the head remaine whole, and he stirring he goeth home, and presently they come and cut off his head. And the Mothers with their chil∣dren about their necke, come to congratulate him, and hansell him for the warre, staining his armes with that bloud. These bee the exploits, honours and vallour whence this people take their names, whereof they boast very much, and they remaine thence forward Abaetes, Muru∣bixaba, Moçacara, which are the names and titles of Gentlemen. And these are the vnhappie Feasts whereon these wretches doe ground their felicitie and glorie, before they haue any know∣ledge of their Creator. [ 40]

Notes

• Gentle cruell keeper.
• Festiuall pre∣paration and solemnitie.
• Black Saints.
• First encoun∣ters.
• The womens parts.
• Their songs, &c.
• Adorning of the Captiue.
• The fatall Sword.
• Crocodiles teares.
• Hallowing the Sword.
• Butchery rites.
• Block-head.
• Cerrmonies of making a new Gentle∣man.
• Markes and habit of new Gentrie.
• Titles of Honour,