Purchas his pilgrimes. part 2 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]

How they marrie each with other, and what goods their Fathers giue with their Children; their House-keeping together; the womans lying in; educa∣tion of their Children: Their proportions, industrie and conditions.

WHen their children begin to attaine to yeeres of discretion, and are able to be married to a wife, Then the father seeketh out a wife for his Son, which he thinks wil like his Son well, and yet he neuer saw, nor knew her before, & without wooing each o∣ther. Who being thus brought together, the Father giueth nothing at all with his * 1.1 [ 30] son towards houshold: but if he hath gotten any thing himselfe, by fishing or carrying Merchants aboord the ship, that is his owne to begin houshold withall. But the Brides friends, giue the value of fourteene Gulderns in gold with their daughter, for their marriage good; which is to be vnderstood, that if they be any thing worth, then the Father giueth his daughter a Peso and a halfe of gold, and the mother halfe a Peso of gold: which after our reckoning altogther, is * 1.2 halfe an ounce of gold Troy weight, which they giue them to buy wine de Palme; to keepe their Bridall withall: for she hath nothing else, but that which her Father and Mother giueth her, for she getteth nothing in her youth, as her husband did. And if it be a Kings sonne or daughter, they also giue no more with them to their marriage; for it is a common custome with them to giue no more with their daughters in marriage, then they giue them as a liberalitie, but [ 40] when they goe to keepe house, they giue them a slaue to serue them. Besides this, the Bride in the presence of her friends which come to the Banquet, maketh a promise, and sweareth, to be * 1.3 true to her husband, and not to vse the bodily company of any other man; but the man taketh no such oath, but is free thereof.

Now, if she chanceth to commit whoredome with an other man, either willingly or against * 1.4 her will, and that her husband heareth thereof, then he must put her away for it; and the man that hath committed the act, shall forfeit to the King foure and twenty Pesos (which after our account is nine ounces) of gold. But if it be a Dutch man, he payeth no fine, because he is a stranger, and knew not whether the woman was married or not, which excuseth him: yet the fault is laid vpon the woman that hath done such an offence, and she must pay to her husband [ 50] foure Pesos, or halfe an ounce of gold, because she committed adultery with another man. If she hath gotten any thing; but if she hath nothing, and cannot pay the fine to her husband, it excuseth her not: for if he hath no great fantasie to his wife, or that they haue little affection one vnto the other; if he will, he may put her away from him, and as then the band of Matri∣monie is broken betweene them, and he may take an other wife when he will.

But if he cannot learne that his wife hath committed such a fact, by information of other men, but presumeth it of himselfe, or suspecteth that his wife hath laine with any other man, * 1.5 he chargeth her with it, and making her eate certaine Salt, vseth other Ceremonies of their Idolatrous Fetissos, wherewith the woman knowing her selfe to be cleere, and not to haue com∣mitted adultery with an other man, willingly taketh her oath. But knowing her selfe to bee [ 60] faulty, she dare not take her oath fearing, that if she should forsweare her selfe, her Fetisso would make her die, whereby oftentimes the wife discouers her owne o••••ence, and prooureth the means to mooue her husband to be deuorced from her, which chiefely hapneth, by meanes of the Ielousie; which the man hath of his first wife, for it causeth a great hatred and contention be∣tweene

them, because it is a great scandall vnto him, and oftentimes there groweth so great strife about it, that he seeketh to murther the man that doth the fault, and although he hath paid the fine imposed vpon him, the married man hath the Priuiledge to driue him out of the Towne.

Further, when they keepe house together, if the man beginneth to thriue, and hath meanes to buy an other wife, he may not buy her without the consent of his first wife, vnlesse he * 1.6 were at controuersie with her, and put her away, for some thing that he could charge her with∣all; but with her good will he may buy another. He giueth his first wife sixe Englishen of gold, or two, three, foure or fiue, as much as he can get, or hath need of, keeping his other wife for his slaue, or to serue him, or for his Etigufou, or in our Language, his Whore or Concubine, to [ 10] whom he beareth not so great affection, nor is not so iealous of her, as of, and to his wife, and those serue for euery man, for he may complaine of no man for her, nor cause him to pay any fine for her. His first wife waxing old, and her mind being not so much addicted vnto lust, if he perceiueth it, then he cleaueth to his yonger wife, to haue his pleasure with her, and euer after esteeming most of her, maketh his old wife doe the houshold worke, giuing her meat and drinke as long as she liueth, and putteth her not away, but she is forced to serue the yong wife, and shall neuer trouble her selfe with any thing, but onely to eate and drinke well, to haue a care to please her husband, and to doe whatsoeuer he commandeth.

Although a man hath as many wiues as he is able to keepe, yet all are not of one, but of seue∣rall ages, the one yonger then the other, that they may be the better serued by their wiues. For [ 20] when the eldest can doe no more for age, (that he may not want worke) and that the yongest wiues might doe him more pleasure, they make most of the yongest: and euery wife dwelleth in a house by her selfe, although he had ten wiues, as many of them haue. The wife keepes her * 1.7 husbands money, and when he needeth any, he fetcheth some of her. They eate not one with the other, but either of them alone by themselues; the husband eateth with one of his compa∣nions that he dealeth with, or with whom he goeth to Sea: his wiues also eate with their friends or neighbours, euery one bringing their meat with them, and so make good cheare toge∣ther, and at euening, the women goe home to their houses againe, and are together but in the day time. The man and wife lie each of them in a seuerall roome, at night, spreading a mat vp∣on the ground, and lay a wooden stoole vnder their heads, in stead of a pillow, and then making [ 30] * 1.8 a little fire of wood, when it burneth they lie downe, with the soles of their feet before it, that the heat thereof might draw out the cold, which they by day haue drawne vp into them from * 1.9 the earth (by going bare-footed, esteeming it to be very good for them, which we must also ac∣knowledge. Now, when he hath a desire to vse any of his wiues, either he calleth or fetcheth her, and that night helieth with her, & the next day, she goeth to her house againe, where she dwel∣leth, not once making any of the rest acquainted, what she did that night, or that her husband lay with her; for then they would be too 〈…〉〈…〉ealous.

Being with child, when their time of deliuerance, and bringing foorth of their child into the world commeth, when she is in labour, both men, women, maids, yong men & children, run vn∣to * 1.10 her, and she in most shamelesse manner, is deliuered before them all. I would say much more hereof, but in respect of the credit of women, I will leaue it. When the child is borne, she goes to [ 40] the water to wash & make cleane her selfe, not once dreaming of a moneths lying in, nor of ma∣king Caudles of Ipocras, and other wines, as women here with vs vse to doe: they vse no Nurses to helpe them when they lie in child-bed, neither seeke to lie dainty and soft; but they present∣ly take a spoonefull of Oyle, and a handfull of Manigette or Graine, whereof they make a drinke, and drinke it vp.

The next day after, they goe abroad in the streets, to doe their businesse, as other women doe. They giue their child such a name, as they thinke good to themselues, and blesse the same * 1.11 with their Fetissos, and other witchcrafts, and when time serueth, circumcise both boyes and girles: at which time they make a great feast, whereof they make great account. But where [ 50] the women are most shamelesse at the time of the birth of their children, the men in three mo∣neths after, lie not with that wife, nor once haue the vse of her body, which neuerthelesse, I thinke they doe not, for any shame or regard that they haue, to deale with that woman, but onely because they haue other wiues enough. They take the yong child as soone as it is borne, and wrapping a cleane cloth about the mid••le thereof, lay it downe on a mat vpon the ground, and not in a cradle, and there let it turne and sprawle about, and doe what it will, and when it is two or three moneths old, the mother ties the child with a peece of cloth at her backe, and so lets it hang there, as the high Dutches wiues vse to follow their husbands in the warres. When the child crieth to sucke, the mother casteth one of her dugs backeward ouer her shoulder, and so the child suckes it as it hangs. The women goe vp and downe from place to place, and still car∣ry [ 60] their children in that sort, as lightly, as if they had nothing at their backes, the childs head lies iust vpon her shoulder, and so she goes shaking of the child most pitifully to behold, where∣by * 1.12 we wondered that they brake not the childs ioynts, by bearing them in that sort, being so young, and yet you find very few or no lame persons in those Countreys. They teach their chil∣dren

to goe very young, for they make no reckoning thereof, and suffer them to creepe and runne abroad when they are very little, and teach them to speake very soone, whereby you find many children there among them that can both goe and speake ere they bee a yeare old, and some of them speake so plainly, that you may vnderstand what they say in their Language, for they speake and goe farre sooner then our children doe, which we wondred at, besides this, they are strong, fat and well disposed, whereof we will speake hereafter in another place.

The children being a moneth or two old, then they hang a Net about the bodie thereof, like * 1.13 a little shirt, which is made of the barke of a tree, which they hang full of their Fetissos, as gol∣den Crosses, strings with Corall about their hands, feet, and neckes, and their haire is filled full of shels, whereof they make great account, for they say, that as long as the young childe hath [ 10] that Net about him, the Deuill cannot take nor beare the child away, and leauing it off, the De∣uill would carrie it away, for they say, the childe being so little, it would not bee strong enough to resist the Deuill, but hauing that Net vpon the bodie, it is armed, and then the Deuill hath no * 1.14 power ouer it; the Corals which they hang about the child, which they call a Fetisso, they esteeme much, for that hanging such a Fetisso about the childes necke, they say, it is good against vomi∣ting; the second Fetisso, which they hang about his necke, they say, it is good against falling the third, they say, is good against bleeding; the fourth, is very good to procure sleepe, which; they hang about the necke thereof, in the night-time, that it may sleepe well; the fift, is good against wild beasts, and the vnwholsomenesse of the Aire, with diuers other such like Fetissos, each ha∣uing a name a-part, to shew what vertue it hath, and what they are good for, and they credibly [ 20] beleeue them to be good against vomiting, falling, bleeding, (which they presently helpe) and for sleeping, they feed their young children with all kind of grosse meates, almost from the first, for when they leaue suckling (they suffer them not to suck long) then they beginne to learne the childe to eate of their grosse meates, and to drinke water; when they be vsed thereunto, then they take little heed to them, but beate the children lying downe in their house, like Dogges, rooting in the ground like Hogges, whereby it falleth out that the young children soone learne to goe.

Euery woman bringeth vp her owne children, and each child knoweth the Mother, and re∣mayneth with her, vntill the Father either buyeth it of her, or that it goeth away from the Mother, it oftentimes falleth out, that the Husband taketh the child from the Mother, & selleth [ 30] it to other men for a slaue. When they begin to goe, they presently learne to swimme, and to * 1.15 runne into the water, and when they are first borne they are not blacke, but reddish, as the Bra∣silians are; and then by little and little begin to be blacke; and at last, to bee as blacke as Pitch, and growing bigger, run vp and downe like Sauage men, Boyes and Girles together, fighting one with another, taking each others meate from them, and from their child-hood vpwards, be∣gin to be enuious one against the other, and so grow bigger and exercise all kind of villanie and knauerie, their Parents not once teaching them any ciuilitie, nor shewing them what they should doe, suffering both Boyes and Girles to goe starke naked as they were borne, with their priuie members all open, without any shame or ciuilitie.

They vse to beate and chasten their children most cruelly, striking them with great staues, in * 1.16 [ 40] such sort that we wondred that they did not breake their bones, which they doe not, but for some great cause (whereby their children respect them much) and for that they beate them cruelly, so that they doe not easily forget it. Other good Discipline they teach them not, but they grow vp like wild trees: hauing spent their time thus vnciuilly, and beginning to be eight, ten, or twelue yeares old, then their Parents begin to instruct and teach them to do some thing, and to labour with their hands, the Fathers teach their Sonnes to spinne Thred made of barkes of Trees, and to knit Nets, which hauing learned they goe to Sea with their Fathers to fish, and when they know how to rowe, and to guide a Boat, then two or three Boyes will goe out to∣gether * 1.17 in a Canoe or Almadia to fish, and that which they take they carrie to their Parents for food, but when they are eighteene or twentie yeares old, then their Sonnes beginne to deale for [ 50] themselues, and leaue their Fathers, and go and dwell two or three of them together in a house, buying or hyring a Canoe, (which is one of their Boats) and therewith goe to Sea together, and what fish they get they sell for Gold, first, keeping as much as serueth for food for them∣selues, with that they sell, they buy a fathome of Linnen cloth, which they hang about their * 1.18 bodies, and betweene their legges, wherewith they couer their priuie members, for then they begin to be shame-faced; whence they proceed further and beginne to deale and traff••que with Merchandize, and to carrie it aboord the ship in their Canoes, and serue Merchants to carry them to and from their ships, and so learne to deale with Gold, and to get some thing. After that, be∣ginning to be amorous, and to looke after young Wenches, then they are esteemed to bee men, which when their Fathers perceiue, they looke them out Wiues, and then they marrie, which * 1.19 they doe very young, so that in those Countries, Children get Children. Touching the G••rles, [ 60] they also begin to worke, and that some-what sooner then the Boyes, they learne to make Baskets, Mats and str••w Hats of greene Rushes, which they fold with their hands, they also learne to make Caps, Purses, and apparell made of barkes of Trees, dyed with all kinds of co∣lours,

most cunningly done, as if they were fastened together with cords, much to bee wondred at, they also learne to grind their Corne or Millia, and thereof make Bread, which they goe and sell for their Mothers, and bring them the money to buy other meate withall, and whatsoe∣uer they get, they giue it to their Mothers, who for that (when they marrie) giue them some gift, as I haue said before. In this sort the Girles begin to labour, and to learne to doe houshold worke, wherein according to their manner of house keeping, they are very curious, and exceed the men in cunning workmanship.

The men in those Countries are of a very good proportion, with faire members, strong legs, and well-shaped bodies, which is easily to be seene, for that they goe almost naked of their bo∣dies, [ 10] they haue round faces, and no great lips, nor wide mouthes, as the Barbarian Moores haue, but their Noses are flat, which they make flat when they are young, for they esteeme a * 1.20 flat Nose to be a great ornament vnto them, and to say truth, it doth not amisse in them, for that according to the proportion of bodie, it beautifieth their faces: their eares are small, their eyes white, their eye browes very great, white teeth in their mouthes, (for they keepe their teeth very cleane, scouring them with small stickes, and thereby make them very smooth, and shi∣ning like Iuorie) they haue little beard, and are at least thirtie yeares of age, before they haue a∣ny. They haue broad sholders, thicke armes, great hands, and long fingers, and let their nailes * 1.21 grow very long, which they keepe very cleane with scraping, for some of them let them grow as long as the ioynt of a mans finger, which they esteeme for a great ornament, for that cause thinking themselues to be Gentlemen. The Merchants also that dwell within the Land, vse [ 20] those long nailes for a great shew, for they keepe them as white as Iuorie, by scraping them, and againe they haue good vse for them, for that sometimes when they haue not a Spoone by them, and that they vntie their Purses to weigh Gold, and wanting a Spoone to take it out, for haste they vse their long nailes, and therewith put the Gold into the Scales, and I haue seene some of them at one time, take at least halfe an ounce of small Gold like sand out of their Purses. They haue small bellies, long legs, broad feet, and long toes, little haire vpon their bodies, curled haire vpon their heads, but not so much curled as the Tawnie Moores, for theirs is almost like bristels, and not like Wooll. In the palmes of their hands, vnder their feet, and vnder their lips, they are very white, their skins are as soft as Veluet, and smooth, which they raze not, they likewise haue a great priuie member, whereof they make great account, therein they much sur∣passe [ 30] our Countrimen.

As they grow in yeares, they become blacker and blacker, at thirtie yeares of age beeing in their best time, but when they are seuentie or eightie yeares old, then their blacknesse beginnes to decay, and their bodies become yellowish, and their skins begin to be rugged, and to wrinkle like Spanish Leather; they exceed all other Moores in Africa, for proportion and stature of bodie.

The men are industrious and subtill persons as can be, good Workmen or Labourers, strong of bodie, strait, and very vpright, ingenious to learne any thing, and readie to conceiue it: for any thing whatsoeuer they see done before them, they will soone imitate and counterfeit; they are of a very sharpe fight, and see further then our Netherlanders, for if there be any ships at the [ 40] * 1.22 Sea, they will see them sooner then we, they are subtill Merchants to traffique with all, and e∣uerie day more and more learne of the Netherlanders, so that in time they will surpasse them, for they haue good skill and knowledge in the Merchandizes which we sell them, they are hard of complexion, and haue very hot stomackes, for they are able to disgest raw and most strange meates (whereat we wondred) for if they had an Ostridge maw, they could not better disgest * 1.23 such raw meate as they many times eate, as I will further declare, when I speake more of their manner of feeding. They are very enuious and spitefull one against the other, and will beare * 1.24 malice against a man ten yeares together, and when they haue the meanes to be reuenged, then they will make their malice knowne, and vntill then keepe it secret.

They are Idolatrous, and very superstitious in their Religion. They haue a strong complexion [ 50] or sauour of their bodies, much like Oyle of Palme, wherewith they often anoint themselues. * 1.25 They are very curious to keepe their bodies cleane, and often wash and scoure them. They are much troubled with Lice and Fleas. They are not ashamed to shew their naked bodies, but they are very carefull not to let a Fart, if any bodie be by them; they wonder at our Netherlanders, that vse it so commonly, for they cannot abide that a man should Fart before them, esteeming it to be a great shame and contempt done vnto them; when they ease themselues, they commonly goe in the morning to the Townes end (where there is a place purposely made for them) that * 1.26 they may not bee seene, as also because men passing by should not bee molested with the smell thereof, they also esteeme it a bad thing that men should ease themselues vpon the ground, and therefore they make houses which are borne vp aboue the ground, wherein they ease themselues, [ 60] and euery time they doe it, they wipe; or else they goe to the water side, to ease themselues in the sand, and when these Priuie-houses are full, they set fire in them, and let them burne to ashes; they pisse by Iobs as Hogs doe, and not all at one time; they are very couetous, and much * 1.27 addicted thereunto, and they can begge so well, and are so expert therein, that they surpasse all

the beggers in our Countrey, who although they had set ten or twelue yeeres ordinarily at the Church doores, in Holland or Zeland; or gone from doore to doore to begge an almes: yet they cannot haue their lessons so perfectly as these. And although they are very hard and nigardly, and will giue but little, yet when they haue gotten any thing by their begging, then they will be somewhat liberall thereof, when it costs them nothing.

They are very lecherous, and much addicted to vncleannesse; especially with yong women, * 1.28 whereby they are much subiect to the Poxe, and other vncleane diseases, that are gotten there∣by; which they make small account of, and are nothing ashamed of them. They are no lesse gi∣uen to drinking; for they are great drunkards, and dainty mouthed, and can eate and drinke * 1.29 of the best. In their feeding, they are very greedy. They cannot endure that any raine should fall vpon their bodies, and therefore they shun it. They are very great liers, and not to be credited. [ 10] They are likewise much inclined to theft, for they will steale like dogs, for their Kings and * 1.30 Captaines practise it, and they are so well vsed thereunto, that they cannot leaue stealing. They are very expert and cunning to fish, and to till the land, and in their apparell, and going very proud, they are very stout, proud and curious in all their actions. They are not to be tru∣sted nor credited, for they are no good pay-masters, you were as good giue it, as trust them with any thing. They are of a very good memorie, and will remember a thing long. They are by nature warme and hott, and therefore cannot endure cold, they are not fru∣gall, for whatsoeuer they get, they spend it presently: for it grieues them to keepe it, so that therein they are like to little children, that can keepe nothing. They are excellent Swimmers and Diuers in the water, and are so expert therein, that they much surpasse our Coun∣trey [ 20] men.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Prouision of a wife.
• * 1.2

  Portion.
• * 1.3

  Rites of mar∣riage.
• * 1.4

  Diuorce and forseiture.
• * 1.5

  Triall of ••ea∣lousie.
• * 1.6

  Polygamy.
• * 1.7

  Their meats.
• * 1.8

  Beds.
• * 1.9

  The Irish doe the like.
• * 1.10

  Child-birth.
• * 1.11

  Names.
• * 1.12

  Vsage of chil∣dren.
• * 1.13

  Deuillish pre∣seruatiues a∣gainst the De∣uill.
• * 1.14

  Fetissos.
• * 1.15

  Colour.
• * 1.16

  Correction.
• * 1.17

  Arts.
• * 1.18

  First, apparell.
• * 1.19

  Wiuing.
• * 1.20

  Their limbes and members.
• * 1.21

  Long nailes, a signe of idle Gentrie.
• * 1.22

  Their wits are subtletie.
• * 1.23

  Stomackes.
• * 1.24

  Stomacks and reuenge.
• * 1.25

  Superstition. Nicetie.
• * 1.26

  Easements.
• * 1.27

  Couetise and begging.
• * 1.28

  Lechery.
• * 1.29

  Drunkennesse and greedi∣nesse.
• * 1.30

  Lying and stealing.