Page:The principal navigations, voyages, traffiques and discoveries of the English nation 16.djvu/54

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store of victuals of all sorts, and of all maner of fruits as before is set downe: Then the great and rich marchandize which are there to be had. Then they described the properties and nature of the people as followeth.

The name of the King of that part of the yland was Raia Bolamboam, who was a man had in great maiestie and feare among them. The common people may not bargaine, sell, or exchange any thing with any other nation without speciall licence from their king: and if any so doe, it is present death for him. The King himselfe is a man of great yeeres, and hath an hundred wiues, his sonne hath fiftie.

The custome of the countrey is, that whensoeuer the king doeth die, they take the body so dead and burne it and preserue the ashes of him, and within fiue dayes next after, the wiues of the said king so dead, according to the custome and vse of their countrey, euery one of them goe together to a place appointed, and the chiefe of the women, which was neerest vnto him in accompt, hath a ball in her hand and throweth it from her, and to the place where the ball resteth, thither they goe all, and turne their faces to the Eastward, and euery one with a dagger in their hand, (which dagger they call a Crise, and is as sharpe as a rasor) stab themselues to the heart, and with their hands all to bee-bath themselues in their owne blood, and falling grouelling on their faces so ende their dayes.

This thing is as true as it seemeth to any hearer to be strang.

The men of themselues be very politique and subtile, and singularly valiant, being naked men, in any action they vndertake, and wonderfully at commandement and feare of their king. For example: if their king command them to vndertake any exploit, be it neuer so dangerous or desperate, they dare not nor will not refuse it, though they die euery man in the execution of the same. For hee will cut off the heads of euery one of them which returne aliue without bringing of their purpose to passe: which is such a thing among them, as it maketh them the most valiant people in all the Southeast parts of the world: for they neuer feare any death. For being in fight with any nation, if any of them feeleth himselfe hurt with launce or sword, he will willingly runne himselfe vpon the weapon quite through his body to procure his death the more speedily, and in this desperate sort