America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld: Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, BesOgilby, John
History
America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld: Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Bes
Ogilby, John
America
Company, wash the Child in cold Water, and wrap it up in Mats; then a
few days after going home, they bring up the Infant with great care,
none putting them out to Nurse: So long as a Woman gives suck, or is
quick with Child, she will not admit of Copulation; one who hath the
Flowers, never comes abroad: In time of sickness they faithfully assist
one another: When any die, the nearest Relations shut their Eyes; and
after having watch’d them some days, they are Interr’d after this
manner: The Corps is plac’d sitting with a Stone under its Head, near it
they set a Pot, Kettle, Dish, Spoons, Money, and Provisions to use in
the other World; then they pile Wood round about it, and cover it over
with Planks, on which throwing Earth and Stones, they set _Pallisadoes_,
and make the Grave like a House, to which they shew Veneration,
wherefore they account it a great piece of villany to deface any thing
of it: The Men make no shew of sorrow over the Dead, but the Women mourn
exceedingly, and carry themselves very strangely, beating their Breasts,
scratching their Faces, and calling night and day on the name of the
Deceas’d: The Mothers make great Lamentation at the Death of their
Children, especially Sons, for they shave off the Hair of their Heads,
which at the Funeral is burnt in the presence of all their Relations;
which is also perform’d by the Women when their Husbands die; besides,
they black all their Faces, and putting on a Hart-skin Shirt, mourn a
whole year, notwithstanding they liv’d very contentiously together.
[Sidenote: Conjurers.]
On some occasions they go a Worshipping of the Devil, to a certain place
where the Sorcerers shew strange Feats of Activity, tumbling over and
over, beating themselves, and not without great noise leaping in and
about a great Fire: at last they make a great Cry all together; upon
which (as they say) the Devil appears to them in the shape either of a
tame or wild Beast: the first signifies bad, and the other good fortune;
both inform them of future Events, though darkly; and if the business
fall out contrary, they affirm that they have not rightly understood the
Devil’s meaning. Moreover they bewitch some in such a manner, that they
foam at the Mouth, throw themselves into the Fire, and beat themselves
severely; and so soon as they whisper in the Ear of those whom they have
bewitch’d, they immediately recover their former health.
[Sidenote: Language of the _New Netherlanders_.]
The Language of this Countrey is very various, yet it is divided into
onely four principal Tongues, as the _Manhattans_, _Wappanoo_,
_Siavanoo_, and _Minqua_’s, which are very difficult for Strangers to
learn, because they are spoken without any Grounds or Rules.
[Sidenote: Money.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld: Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Bes — John Shaqi
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