residence in the same place, which would occasion various diseases.  Their riches consisted in the various coloured feathers of different birds, in certain stones resembling those called pater-nosters, in plates, or beads made of fish bones, or of green or white stones, which they hang by way of ornaments on their cheeks, lips, and ears.  They likewise consider as valuable several other trifling things which we despise.  They employ no medium for sale or barter, being satisfied with those things which are offered spontaneously by nature.  Gold, pearls, and precious stones, and others of like nature, which are considered in Europe as riches, they hold in no estimation, or rather despise them as of no use.  They are extremely liberal of every thing they possess, so that they never refuse any thing that is asked from them; but are equally greedy in their demands, after they have entered into friendship with any one.  As the greatest mark of friendship, they give their wives and daughters to their friends; and every parent thinks himself much honoured when any one asks from him his virgin daughter, which cements the firmest friendships among them.  They use various rites and customs in burying their dead.  Some deposit them in the earth, accompanied with victuals and water at their head, which they believe are used by the deceased.  After this no farther mourning or ceremonial is customary.  In other places, their mode of sepulture is very barbarous and cruel.  When any person is considered to be near his end, his relations carry him out into a large wood, where they suspend him in a hammock from two trees; and having danced round him for a whole day, they place at night as much water and provisions as may suffice him for four days, and every one returns to his own home.  After this, if the sick person is able to eat and drink, and is so far restored to health as to be enabled to return to his habitation, he is received back by his relations with much ceremony.  But very few are able to do so, as no one ever visits the sick person after his suspension.  Should any of these leave the hammock and die in the wood, they get no other burial.  They have several other barbarous customs, which I omit mentioning, to avoid being prolix.

They use various medicines for curing their diseases, which are so totally different from those used among us, that it is wonderful any one should recover by their means.  When any one is ill of a fever, they plunge the patient at its heighth in the coldest water, after which he is forced to run round a large fire for two hours till he is all over in a violent perspiration, and is then taken to bed.  By this strange remedy we have seen many restored to health.  They will sometimes refrain from food for three or four days.  They draw blood, not from the arms, but from the loins and the calves of the legs.  They excite vomiting by means of certain herbs which they chew, and keep in their mouths.  They use likewise various other