'Some years travels into divers parts of Africa, and Asia the great. Describing more particularly the empires of Persia and Industan: interwoven with such remarkable occurrences as hapned in those parts during these later times. As also, many other rich and famous kingdoms in the oriental India, with the isles adjacent. Severally relating their religion, language, customs and habit: as also proper observations concerning them.' [‎17] (38/448)

Souldania
s.
vj
criip •, Neverthelefs by way of drefs fome fljave all their skull, fome half, otherfome
leave a tuft a-top j but fome inftead of Ihaving have feveral other drefles for their head
asSpur-rowds, Brafs-buttons, pieces of Pewter, Beads of many forts, which th^mirth-
ful failer exchanges for Mutton, Beef, Herbs, Oftrich-eggeielis, Tortoifes or the
like , their ears are extended by Links of Brafs, Stones, broken Oyfter-fhells and like
ponderous Babies^ their Armes and Legs loaden with voluntary fhackles of Copper,
s* Iron and Ivory ^ and about their Necks (either in imitation of the Dutch Com
manders chains, or thofe worn by Cockfwains and Boatfwains) they wear the raw
guts of beafts, which ferve as well for food as complement, ufually eatine and fpeak-
ing both together *, the reft of their body is naked, fave that about the waift they have
a thong of leather which like the back of a Glove fervesto cover their pudenda* which
without doubt they imagine a drefs both rich and an ingenious fort of ornament. The
natural and firft garment Adam ufed, was long before the Art of Weaving was invent-
thai ?u CO r inS J C v'u bet , 1 ? r fort tr here wear a Lyon or Panthers skin, or like
that the Leopard and Baboon v alfo a Calf or Sheep-skin the hair inverted *, elfewhere
their body bemg naked: only upon their feet they have a fole or piece of leather tied
with a little ftrap, refembling the Roman Creptdula '■> which while thefe Hatten-totes
werem our company their hands held, their feet having thereby the greater libertv to
Ileal, which with their toes they can do exadly, all the while looking us in the face the
better to decewe : a vice how criminal foever it be in molt places, wasneverthelefs a-
monglt the Lacedemonians a reputable pradice at firfl. Theft not being puniilit, but ra
ther fuch as could not filch neatly. What the generality of the Natives are, I cannot
lay, but lome we faw were Semt-emuchs, and forae Women ufe excifion, through cuflome
or imitation rather than religion: their habitations are ufually in Caves, fo as. thefe
are the proper Troglodites. Dernocrim perfwades us, that knowledge concerning Na
ture lies hid in certain deep Mines or Caverns of the Earth*, thefe living conftanSv in
the mtrals of the Earth have good opportunity to gain that perfection, did not their
bruitim difpofition avoid it. Now concerning their diet, former time fpoke modeftlv of
them. Sohrms calls them Agriofhagi and Itthyophagl (from their food), Acridophari I
might add feeing they have plenty of Locuits brought thither by Winds, which beins
Iprmkled with fait they eat greedily^ but more properly Anthropophagi ^ for the truth
is, they would commonly violate the graves of thole dead men we buried, and feed up-
on t ieir Carcaues, the greateft piece of barbarity witliin the compafs of expreflion one
would think •, for in humanity men naturally abhor it *, and herein they are more favage
than Lyons, Cadaveramortuorurn non gup ant ^ emm-verdy qmdvivit corripinm, & ex
€0 Gomedunr, in that being more phyfical than thofe barbarians, who it feems are kno-
rant that no creature that dies ot it felf is good to eat *, nor conildering that there is a
difpanty 'twixt the nourilhment and the thing nourifhed. Albeit is of Opini
on, that in deep confnmptions no fuch cure as by fucking humane blood in its beft con-
ftitution. I luppofe he means when the Phyfician gives order for the openins a vein
But among thefe bruits, albeit they have plenty of dead Whales, Seals, Pengwvnsi
Oreafe, and Rawpuddings, which we faw tliem tear and eat as dainties, for thev nei
ther roaft nor boil, yet do they no lefs covet to deftroy fuch as through old age or fick-
nefs are not able to provide for themfelves, leavingthem upon forae mountain deftkute
of help i where if famine and cold deftroy them not, the Wild Beafts put a period to
their languilhmg condition. Abarbarifm fcarce to be parallcl'd, fave by the cWiw in
Mergima, who had the like bafe cuftom as we read in the i viStrabo, for being
fuperannuated, Parmies decrepit^ anguflo locoimludtntes,
' l ' • ' ; ■ ' • > • ' * 1 4 w ' < J l / j y i ' ' ' J ? f'ij- f r ;• f ' rt - - • =; ' • . ■
With fuch* no violent death nor ^firoying rage Non pr«maturi Ginercs, ncc imm acetbum
Of Lufly is half fo dreadful as old age, Luxuriaf, fed morte magis mctuenda Seneftus,
Inter omnia animantia, Mulier in partu maxime vexatur, fays Arifiotle, 7. /. p. Hifior,
Animant. and agrees with the fentence pafled Upon Eve for her transgreffion. Never-
thelefsj in this and other ethniqUe Countries > it is reported that the Women are deli
vered without help and pain. And here the Women give fuck theUberous Dugg be
mg ftretched over their naked fhoulder: whofe portrait with a landskip of the
Table and other neighbouring mountains, I prefent the Reader fo well as I was able to
draw them.
D
Their