flowers, which continually they throwe into it, doe
make it stinke. There be alwayes many people
in it: for they say when they wash themselues
in it, that their sinnes be forgiuen them, because
God, as they say, did wash himselfe in that place.
They gather vp the sand in the bottome of it, and say
it is holy. They neuer pray but in the water,
and they wash themselues ouerhead, and lade vp water
with both their handes, and turne themselues about,
and then they drinke a litle of the water three times,
and so goe to their gods which stand in those houses.
Some of them will wash a place which is their length,
and then will pray vpon the earth with their armes
and legs at length out, and will rise vp and lie downe,
and kisse the ground twentie or thirtie times, but
they will not stirre their right foote. And some
of them will make their ceremonies with fifteene or
sixteene pots litle and great, and ring a litle bel
when they make their mixtures tenne or twelue times:
and they make a circle of water round about their pots
and pray, and diuers sit by them, and one that reacheth
them their pots: and they say diuers things ouer
their pots many times, and when they haue done, they
goe to their gods, and strowe their sacrifices which
they thinke are very holy, and marke many of them
which sit by, in the foreheads, which they take as
a great gift. There come fiftie and sometime
an hundred together, to wash them in this well, and
to offer to these idols. They haue in some of
these houses their idoles standing, and one sitteth
by them in warme weather with a fanne to blowe winde
vpon them. And when they see any company comming,
they ring a litle bell which hangeth by them, and many
giue them their almes, but especially those which
come out of the countrey. Many of them are blacke
and haue clawes of brasse with long nayles, and some
ride vpon peacocks and other foules which be euill
fauoured, with long haukes bils, and some like one
thing and some another, but none with a good face.
Among the rest there is one which they make great
account of: for they say hee giueth them all
things both foode and apparell, and one sitteth alwayes
by him with a fanne to make wind towards him.
Here some bee burned to ashes, some scorched in the
fire and throwen into the water, and dogges and foxes
doe presently eate them. The wiues here doe burne
with their husbands when they die, if they will not
their heads be shauen, and neuer any account is made
of them afterward. The people goe all naked saue
a litle cloth bound about their middle. Their
women haue their necks, armes and eares decked with
rings of siluer, copper, tinne, and with round hoopes
made of Iuorie, adorned with amber stones, and with
many agats, and they are marked with a great spot
of red in their foreheads, and a stroke of red vp to
the crowne, and so it runneth three manor of wayes.
In their Winter, which is our May, the men weare quilted
gownes of cotton like to our mattraces and quilted
caps like to our great Grocers morters, with a slit