CHAP. VIII. Of their Employments and Recreations.
IT is full time now, that we relate what course of life the People take, and what means they use for a livelihood. This has been in part already related.
As for Commerce and Merchandize with Foreign Nations, there is little or nothing of that now exercised. Indeed in the times when the Portugueze were on this Island, and Peace between them and the King, he permitted his People to go and Trade with them. The which he would never permit them to do with the Hollander, tho they have much sought ••or it. They have a small Traffic among themselves, oc∣casioned from the Nature of the Island. For that which one part of the Countrey a••••ords, will not grow in the other. But in one part or other of this Land they have enough to sustain themselves, I think, without the help of Commodities brought from any other Countrey: exchanging one Commodity for another; and carrying what they have to other parts to supply themselves with what they want.
But Husbandry is the great Employment of the Countrey, which is spoken of at large before. In this the best men labour. Nor is it held any disgrace for Men of the greatest Quality to do any work either at home or in the Field, if it be for themselves; but to work for hire with them is reckoned for a great shame: and very few are here to be ••ound that will work so: But he that goes under the Notion of a Gen∣tleman may dispence with all works, except carrying; that he must get a man to do when there is occasion. For carrying is accounted the most Slave-like work of all.
Under their Husbandry, it may not be amiss to relate how they geld their Cattel. They let them be two or three years old before they go about this work; then casting them and tying their Legs to∣gether; they bruise their Cods with two sticks tied together at one end, nipping them with the other, and beating them with Mallets all to pieces. Then they rub over their Cods with fresh Butter and Soot, and so turn them loose, but not suffer them to lye down all that