The most antient Caribbeeans, living under no other Roof than the Canopy of Heaven, fed on nothing but what the Fields naturally produc’d, which salvage Life an old Man much beamoan’d; when a certain Deity clad in white Apparel descending down on the Earth, said, That he would have come sooner to have shew’n them the way of a civil Life, had they requested it before. Moreover, the Angel shew’d them a place along the Shore where there lay sharp-cutting Stones, with which he told them they might cut down Trees, and with the Timber build themselves Houses, and cover them with the Leaves of the Palm-Tree to keep out the Rain; which said, he broke his Staff into three pieces, which being Planted, soon after produc’d the Root Manioe, which stamp’d and dry’d, made good Bread.
Their Opinion concerning the Soul.
The Caribbeeans have also a strange Opinion concerning the Soul, that is to say, That every one hath as many Souls as he hath Pulses, but the chiefest is the Heart it self, which after Death removes with Jeheizi, (that is every ones peculiar God or Genius) to the Company of the other Deities, where they live after the same manner as here on Earth; wherefore those that are Persons of Quality give Charge at their Deaths, that their Servants may be kill’d and buried with them, that so they may serve them in the other World; That the other Souls, which are the Pulses, are of two sorts, whereof the first call’d Maboya’s, range through Woods and Wildernesses; and the other call’d The Oumekous, reside along the Sea, and over-turn the Ships that Sail by; That the Souls of Heroes remove to pleasant and delightful Islands, where they are serv’d by the Arovages; That Cowards at their Death go behind a high Mountain, where they become perpetual Slaves to the Arovages.
So soon as they hear a clap of Thunder they run into their Huts, and place themselves on little Stools round the Fire, cover their Faces, and laying their Heads on their Knees, make a doleful noise, as supposing that Maboya is exceedingly enrag’d against them.
Their manner of Dwelling.
Their Huts, for the most part built near Rivers and Streams, are of an oval fashion, their Roofs made of Palm-Tree Leaves or Sugar-Canes, the Walls nothing but Boughs set in the Ground and pleited together, and the Floor of sifted Earth or Sand, rammed in and kept very even and smooth; besides a Room wherein they Sleep and Entertain their Friends, they have also a Kitchin to dress their Meat, and a place to lay their Bowes, Arrows, Clubs, and the like, in; they use Mats in stead of Walls, to separate one Apartment from the other. Their Houshold-stuff is little; the richest of them have Hammocks in stead of Beds; the meaner sort use Sticks laid cross one another, and cover’d thick with the Leaves of the Banana-Tree, made fast at the four corners with Cords. Hollow Calabashes, and Earthen Ware call’d Canaris, serve them for their Kitchin Utensils. In the little Canaris they prepare their Tumalis, or Pepper-pottage, and in the biggest their Liquor Ovicou.
Their Cleanliness may appear by this, that when they go to ease Nature, they make a Hole in the Ground with a Stick, and after they have done, stop it up again, burying their Excrement that it may not be seen.
Round about their Huts feed many Hens and Turkies, which they breed not so much for their own use, as to exchange for Iron.
They remove their Habitations very often, either out of fear of being haunted by the Ghost of some deceased Person, or to avoid some Smell which they find noisom and offensive, or because their Hut hath been set on fire by Lightning.
Their Houshold Affairs and Diet.