Far up into the Countrey amongst the Mountains, inhabit Canibals, or Man-eaters. The Europeans that first travell’d that way, found the Countrey very fertile and full of People, especially in the Valleys, but somewhat incommoded by the want of Water, and the excessiveness of the Heat in the Day, and of the Cold in the Night. In some places the Countrey is so over-grown with Brambles, that they are forc’d to cut their way through the same. But there are a sort of Thistles, which having concave Leaves, receive the Dew and Rain for the accommodation of the Natives.
Besides Serpents and Dragons, the Tygers are most of all to be fear’d when hungry, but once satisfi’d are easily taken.
Dogs, Oxen, Sheep, and Horses thrive also exceedingly in most parts of Brasile.
The Nature of the Brasilians.
The Brasilians live to be very old without being Bald or Grey: There are seldom or never to be seen squint-ey’d, lame, decrepid, or any deformed People, notwithstanding the Children are never Swath’d but thrown into cold Water as soon as born. The Men generally have a very near resemblance one with another, as also the Women, so that there is not such a difference betwixt Man and Man there, as amongst other People. There is scarce any Sickness heard of in these Parts; for besides a long Life, they enjoy the benefit of Health so long as they live. They trouble not themselves with much Business; and in one Hut, whose Covering consists of Palm-Leaves, dwell several Families together.
Their manner of Living.
Their several sorts of Drinks.
The general Bread of the Brasilians is the stamp’d Root Mandihoka; besides which they also eat all manner of Fruit and Plants, and many times Flesh, which they either eat boyl’d, broyl’d, or stew’d; their Boyling is after this manner: First they kindle their fire with two Sticks, the one of hard, and the other of soft Wood; the hard they make sharp at the end, and fix the same into the soft, which setting on fire they immediately lay Cotton thereupon, or else dry Leaves, and so boyl the Flesh in round Earthen Pots call’d Camu: but they account that better which is stew’d in a Pot, the bottom whereof is cover’d with Leaves, on which they lay the Flesh, then stopping the same close on the top with Earth and Leaves, they make Fire over it so long till they think the Flesh to be sufficiently stew’d. Their Broyling they perform by fixing forked Sticks into the Ground, over which they lay several others like a Gridiron; and upon them the raw Flesh, cut in long Slices, and Pepper’d and Salted, then make a Fire under the same till it is enough; and their Meat so dress’d keeps good fourteen days. Their Fish either boyl’d or broyl’d is eaten with the Sawce Juquitinga. The little Fish Piaba and Piquitinga they make up in Rolls, and lay them under hot Ashes. Both with their Flesh and Fish they eat for Bread, as hath been said, the Meal of the Root Mandihoka, which they taking up with three Fingers throw into their Mouthes so dexterously, that not the least scrap falls besides. They never observe any set hours to eat, for they make several Meals in the Day, and sometimes in the middle of the Night, if their Appetite serves, and neither drink nor speak whilest they are at their Meat. They sleep in spread Hammocks made fast between two Poles, near which burns a constant Fire with which in the Day-time they dress their Meat, and at Night keep themselves warm, the Nights being there somewhat cold, because of their equal length with the Days. Their usual Liquor is cold Water, taken out of the Fountains, Rivers, or Brooks; but to Carouse they make the Drink Caoi, of the Fruit of the Ocaiiba-Tree, which being stamp’d in a woodden Mortar, is strain’d, and at first looks like Milk, but after a few days standing turns to a darker colour, and is strong enough to make Astronomers of those that drink largely of it, but if long kept, it turns to be excellent Vinegar.
They have another Drink call’d Aipu, which is made two several ways; the first is thus: An old Toothless Woman chews the little cut Root Aipimacaxera to a Pap call’d Caracu, which spitting in a Pot they pour Water on the same, and afterwards boyling it leisurely, stirring it all the time it stands over the Fire. The other way of making this Aipu, which is much the more cleanly, is to boyl the said Root so long, till it comes to be like Butter-milk, and then letting it stand till it hath done working, it will be no unpleasant Drink.