The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 06: Madiera, the Canaries, Ancient Asia, Africa, etc.
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
themselues are very quicke, and deliure [Footnote: Nimble. "All of them
being tall, quicke, and deliver persons." _Hollinshed_, vol. ii., ccc. 5.]
of bodye, and the country champaigne, and playne, they neither vse swearde,
dagger, ne harneis, but onely cary thre Iauelines in their hande, and a
nombre of piked and chosen stones, in a case of stiffe leather hanging
aboute them. With these they vse bothe to fight and to skirmishe. In his
coming towarde the ennemy, he throweth his stone, fetching his ronne, and
maketh lightlye a narowe mysse, thoughe it be a good waye of: suche
continuall practise they haue of it. They kiepe neither lawe ne faithe.
The Troglodites (whiche are also named of the Grecians pastours, for their
fieding and brieding of catteille) a people of Ethiope, do lyue in
companies, and haue their heade ouer them, whome they call Tiraunte. But
not meaninge in him so much tirany in diede, as some time some of our
gouernours vnder a fayrer name do execute. None of them hathe any seuerall
wife, and therfore no seueral children, but bothe those in commune, the
tiraunte excepted: Who hathe but one wyfe onely. To the which yf any manne
do but approach or drawe nighe: he is condempned in a certeine nombre of
cattaile to be paied to the Tiraunte. From the beginning of Iuly vntle
about middle August (at the which time thei haue great plenty of raine)
thei nourishe them selues with milke, and bloude, sodden a litle together.
The pasture vplond being, dried away with the heate of the Sonne: They
sieke downe to the marshe, and lowe groundes, for the whiche onely they be
often at debate. When their catteil waxeth olde or sicke, they kyll them,
and eate them, and altogether liue vpon such. They do not giue the childe
the name of the father, but name him aftre a bull, a rambe or an eawe. And
those call thei father (the beastes I meane of the masle kinde) and thother
of the femel kynde, they call mother, because their daily fode is giuen by
them. The people called Idiote, vse for their drincke the iuyce of a whinne
named Paliurus. But the men of worshyp and gentlemen vse the iuce of a
certeine floure they haue emonge them, whiche maketh drincke moche like the
worste of the Renishe muste. And because thei cary great droues of catteile
with them, they chaunge their soile often. Their bodies are all naked,
sauing their priuities, whiche they hide with felles of beastes. All the
Troglodites are circumcised aftre the maner of the Egiptians, sauing only
the Claudians: whiche they so terme of claudicacion or limping. They onely,
dwellinge from their childe hode within the country of the Hesternes, are
not touched with rasour or knife. The Troglodites that are called
Magaueres, carye for theyr armour and weapon, a rounde buckler of a rawe
oxe hide, and a clubbe shodde with yron. Other haue bowes, and Iauelines.
As for graues or places of buriall, they passe not. For they binde the
heade, and the fiete of the dead together with witthes of Paliurus, and
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