And when one of their wives has been delivered of a child, the infant is washed and swathed, and then the woman gets up and goes about her household affairs, whilst the husband takes to bed with the child by his side, and so keeps his bed for 40 days; and all the kith and kin come to visit him and keep up a great festivity.  They do this because, say they, the woman has had a hard bout of it, and ’tis but fair the man should have his share of suffering.[NOTE 4]

They eat all kinds of meat, both raw and cooked, and they eat rice with their cooked meat as their fashion is.  Their drink is wine made of rice and spices, and excellent it is.  Their money is gold, and for small change they use pig-shells.  And I can tell you they give one weight of gold for only five of silver; for there is no silver-mine within five months’ journey.  And this induces merchants to go thither carrying a large supply of silver to change among that people.  And as they have only five weights of silver to give for one of fine gold, they make immense profits by their exchange business in that country.[NOTE 5]

These people have neither idols nor churches, but worship the progenitor of their family, “for ’tis he,” say they, “from whom we have all sprung.” [NOTE 6] They have no letters or writing; and ’tis no wonder, for the country is wild and hard of access, full of great woods and mountains which ’tis impossible to pass, the air in summer is so impure and bad; and any foreigners attempting it would die for certain.[NOTE 7] When these people have any business transactions with one another, they take a piece of stick, round or square, and split it, each taking half.  And on either half they cut two or three notches.  And when the account is settled the debtor receives back the other half of the stick from the creditor. [NOTE 8]

And let me tell you that in all those three provinces that I have been speaking of, to wit Carajan, Vochan, and Yachi, there is never a leech.  But when any one is ill they send for their magicians, that is to say the Devil-conjurors and those who are the keepers of the idols.  When these are come the sick man tells what ails him, and then the conjurors incontinently begin playing on their instruments and singing and dancing; and the conjurors dance to such a pitch that at last one of them shall fall to the ground lifeless, like a dead man.  And then the devil entereth into his body.  And when his comrades see him in this plight they begin to put questions to him about the sick man’s ailment.  And he will reply:  “Such or such a spirit hath been meddling with the man,[NOTE 9] for that he hath angered the spirit and done it some despite.”  Then they say:  “We pray thee to pardon him, and to take of his blood or of his goods what thou wilt in consideration of thus restoring him to health.”  And when they have so prayed, the malignant spirit that is in the body of the prostrate man will (mayhap) answer:  “The sick man hath also done great despite unto