and defend against Elephants by the kindling of Fires, whereof these Beasts are very much afraid.
There groweth also a certain Plant call'd Pao, or Wood of Antak, which creeps along the ground, and is very like the Herb Aristolachia, or Heart-Wort. The Fruit is long, small, with green Seeds or Grains. The Roots have a strange ver∣tue, in curing a Disease call'd Antak, which seizes on the Foreigners, by con∣versing with the Blacks, and can be expell'd by no other Medicine.
The Inhabitants make Wine of Mille, which they call Huyembe, or Pembe.
Here is no want either of tame or wild Fowl,
nor of Stags or Harts, wild Hogs, Cows, Oxen, and Elephants; which last are so numerous, that the Inha∣bitants dare not travel without fire, to defend them from their assaults. Wild Hens breed in the Woods, being speckled with many small white and gray spots: their Heads are much less than our common Hens, with a short Comb, but thick, and of a high colour: and not onely the upper part of the Head, but also part of the Neck, cover'd with a blue Skin like a Turky.
Many Silver, Gold, and other Mynes are found in the Countrey.
The People have short Curl'd Hair,
great Lips, long Visages, and very large Teeth.
They go stark naked, onely a blue little Clout before their Privacies: They Paint ther Bodies with divers Colours, but account it the greatest Ornament, to have streaks of a certain red Earth. They make in each Lip three holes, in which they hang Bones, Jewels, and other things. But this Fashion and Trimming eminent People onely use.
They feed in general upon all sorts of Fruit,
and Flesh of Beasts: yet they eat also the Flesh of Men, taken Prisoners in the Wars, but they esteem the Flesh of Elephants as the choycest Dainty.
They are revengeful and treacherous, dull of understanding, and inured to labour like Beasts, not grutching to be Slaves.
Every Lordship or Province produces a several Language;
yet it proves no hindrance to their converse one with another.
Their Riches consist in Gold,
found in the Rivers, Ivory, Ebony, and Slaves; yet are so fearless of any attempts to be made upon them, that they debar no Foreigners to come into their Havens, the Portuguese onely excepted.
Their Weapons of War are Arrows, Battel-Axes; but can neither boast any number of People, nor extent of Land.
The Inhabitants are, according to Linschot, some Heathens, and some Mahu∣metans; but Pyrard averrs, they have neither Religion nor Laws, but that they are onely Kaffers.