Of the Inhabitants, and Civil State of the Isle of
Mindanao. The Mindanayans, Hilanoones, Sologues, and
Alfoorees. Of the Mindanayans, properly so called; Their
Manners and Habits. The Habits and Manners of their Women. A
Comical Custom at Mindanao. Their Houses, their Diet, and
Washings. The Languages spoken there, and Transactions with
the Spaniards. Their fear of the Dutch, and seeming desire
of the English. Their Handy-crafts, and peculiar sort of
Smiths Bellows. Their Shipping, Commodities, and Trade. The
Mindanao and Manila Tobacco. A sort of Leprosie there, and
other Distempers. Their Marriages. The Sultan of Mindanao, his
Poverty, Power, Family, &c. The Proes or Boats here. Raja Laut
the General, Brother of the Sultan, and his Family. Their way
of Fighting. Their Religion. Raja Laut's Devotion. A Clock
or Drum in their Mosques. Of their Circumcision, and the
Solemnity then used. Of other their Religious Observations
and Superstitions. Their abhorrence of Swines Flesh, &c.
This Island is not subject to one Prince, neither is the Language
one and the same; but the People are much alike, in colour, strength,
and stature. They are all or most of them of one Religion, which is
Mahometanism, and their customs and manner of living are alike. The
Mindanao People, more particularly so called, are the greatest
Nation in the Island, and trading by Sea with other Nations, they
are therefore the more civil. I shall say but little of the rest,
being less known to me, but so much as hath come to my knowledge,
take as follows. There are besides the Mindanayans, the Hilanoones,
(as they call them) or the Mountaneers, the Sologues and Alfoores. [1]
The Hilanoones live in the Heart of the Country: They have little
or no commerce by Sea, yet they have Proe's that row with 12 or 14
Oars apiece. They enjoy the benefit of the Gold Mines; and with their
Gold buy forreign Commodities of the Mindanao People. They have also
plenty of Bees-Wax, which they exchange for other Commodities.
The Sologues inhabit the N.W. end of the Island. [2] They are the
least Nation of all; they Trade to Manila in Proes, and to some of
the neighboring Islands, but have no Commerce with the Mindanao People.
The Alfoores are the same with the Mindanayans, and were formerly
under the subjection of the Sultan of Mindanao, but were divided
among the Sultan's Children, and have of late had a Sultan of their
own; but having by Marriage contracted an alliance with the Sultan
of Mindanao, this has occasioned that Prince to claim them again as
his Subjects; and he made War with them a little after we went away,
as I afterwards understood.
The Mindanayans properly so called, are Men of mean statures; small
Limbs, straight Bodies, and little Heads. Their Faces are oval, their
Foreheads flat, with black small Eyes, short low Noses, pretty large
Mouths; their Lips thin and red, their Teeth black, yet very sound,
their Hair black and straight, the colour of their Skin tawney, but
inclining to a brighter yellow than some other Indians, especially
the Women. They have a Custom to wear their Thumb-nails very long,
especially that on their left Thumb, for they do never cut it but
scrape it often. They are indued with good natural Wits, are ingenious,
nimble, and active, when they are minded; but generally very lazy and
thievish, and will not work except forced by Hunger. This laziness
is natural to most Indians; but these People's lazinesz seems rather
to proceed not so much from their natural Inclinations, as from the
severity of their Prince of whom they stand in awe: For he dealing with
them very arbitrarily, and taking from them what they get, this damps
their Industry, so they never strive to have any thing but from Hand
to Mouth. They are generally proud, and walk very stately. They are
civil enough to Strangers, and will easily be acquainted with them,
and entertain them with great freedom; but they are implacable to
their Enemies, and very revengeful if they are injured, frequently
poisoning secretly those that have affronted them.
They wear but few Cloaths; their Heads are circled with a short
turban, fringed or laced at both ends; it goes once about the Head,
and is tied in a knot, the laced ends hanging down. They wear Frocks
and Breeches, but no Stockings nor Shooes.
The Women are fairer than the Men; and their Hair is black and long;
which they tie in a knot, that hangs back in their Poles. They are
more round visaged than the Men, and generally well featured; only
their Noses are very small, and so low between their Eyes, that in
some of the Female Children the rising that should be between the Eyes
is scarce discernable; neither is their any sensible rising in their
Foreheads. At a distance they appear very well; but being nigh, these
Impediments are very obvious. They have very small Limbs. They wear but
two Garments; a Frock, and a sort of Petticoat; the Petticoat is only
a piece of Cloth, sewed both ends together; but it is made two Foot
too big for their Wastes, so that they may wear either end uppermost;
that part that comes up to their Wastes, because it is so much too
big, they gather it in their Hands, and twist it till it fits close
to their Wastes, tucking in the twisted part between their Waste and
the edge of the Petticoat, which keeps it close. The Frock fits loose
about them, and reaches down a little below the Waste. The Sleeves
are a great deal longer than their Arms, and so small at the end,
that their Hands will scarce go through. Being on, the Sleeve fits
in folds about the wrist, wherein they take great pride.
The better sort of People have their Garments made of long Cloth;
but the ordinary sort wear Cloth made of Plantain-tree, which they
call Saggen; [3] by which name they call the Plantain. They have
neither Stocking or Shooe, and the Women have very small Feet.
The Women are very desirous of the Company of Strangers, especially
White Men; and doubtless would be very familiar, if the Custom of the
Country did not debar them from that freedom, which seems coveted by
them. Yet from the highest to the lowest they are allowed liberty to
converse with, or treat strangers in the sight of their Husbands.
There is a kind of begging Custom at Mindanao, that I have not met
elsewhere with in all my Travels; and which I believe is owing to the
little Trade they have; which is thus: When Strangers arrive here,
the Mindanao Men will come aboard, and invite them to their Houses,
and inquire who has a Comrade, (which word I believe they have from
the Spaniards) or a Pagally, and who has not. A Comrade is a familiar
Male-friend; a Pagally [4] is an innocent Platonick Friend of the
other Sex. All Strangers are in a manner oblig'd to accept of this
Acquaintance and Familiarity, which must be first purchased with a
small Present, and afterwards confirmed with some Gift or other to
continue the Acquaintance: and as often as the Stranger goes ashore,
he is welcome to his Comrade or Pagally's House, where he may be
entertained for his Money, to Eat, Drink, or Sleep, and complimented,
as often as he comes ashore, with Tobacco and Betel-Nut, which is
all the Entertainment he must expect gratis. The richest Mens Wives
are allow'd the freedom to converse with her Pagally in publick,
and may give or receive Presents from him. Even the Sultans and the
Generals Wives, who are always coopt up, will yet look out of their
Cages when a Stranger passeth by, and demand of him if he wants a
Pagally: and to invite him to their Friendship, will send a Present
of Tobacco and Betel-nut to him by their Servants.
The chiefest City on this Island is called by the same Name of
Mindanao. It is seated on the South side of the Island, in lat. 7
d. 20 m. N. on the banks of a small River, about two Mile from the
Sea. The manner of building is somewhat strange: yet generally used
in this Part of the East-Indies. Their House are all built on Posts,
about 14, 16, 18, or 20 Foot high. These Posts are bigger or less,
according to the intended magnificence of the Superstructure. They
have but one Floor, but many Partitions or Rooms, and a Ladder or
Stairs to go up out of the Streets. The Roof is large, and covered
with Palmeto or Palm-leaves. So there is a clear passage like a Piazza
(but a filthy one) under the House. Some of the poorer People that
keep Ducks or Hens, have a fence made round the Posts of their Houses,
with a Door to go in and out; and this Under-room serves for no other
use. Some use this place for the common draught of their Houses,
but building mostly close by the River in all parts of the Indies,
they make the River receive all the filth of their House; and at the
time of the Land-floods, all is washed very clean.
The Sultan's House is much bigger than any of the rest. It stands
on about 180 great Posts or Trees, a great deal higher than the
common Building, with great broad Stairs made to go up. In the first
Room he hath about 20 Iron Guns, all Saker and Minion, placed on
Field-Carriages. The General, and other great Men have some Guns also
in their Houses. About 20 paces from the Sultan's House there is a
small low House, built purposely for the Reception of Ambassadors
or Merchant Strangers. This also stands on Posts, but the Floor is
not raised above three or four Foot above the Ground, and is neatly
Matted purposely for the Sultan and his Council to sit on; for they
use no Chairs, but sit cross-legg'd like Taylors on the Floor.
The common Food at Mindanao is Rice, or Sago, and a small Fish or
two. The better sort eat Buffalo, or Fowls ill drest, and abundance
of Rice with it. They use no Spoons to eat their Rice, but every Man
takes a handful out of the Platter, and by wetting his Hand in Water,
that it may not stick to his Hand, squeezes it into a lump, as hard
as possibly he can make it, and then crams it into his Mouth. They
all strive to make these lumps as big as their Mouths can receive
them; and seem to vie with each other, and glory in taking in the
biggest lump; so that sometimes they almost choke themselves. They
always wash after Meals, or if they touch any thing that is unclean;
for which reason they spend abundance of Water in their Houses. This
Water, with the washing of their Dishes, and what other filth they
make, they pour down near their Fire-place: for their Chambers are
not boarded, but floored with split Bamboes, like Lathe, so that
the Water presently falls underneath their dwelling Rooms, where it
breeds Maggots, and makes a prodigious stink. Besides this filthiness,
the sick People ease themselves, and make Water in their Chambers;
there being a small hole made purposely in the Floor, to let it drop
through. But healthy sound People commonly ease themselves, and make
Water in the River. For that reason you shall always see abundance
of People, of both Sexes in the River, from Morning till Night;
some easing themselves, others washing their bodies or Cloaths. If
they come into the River purposely to wash their Cloaths, they strip
and stand naked till they have done; then put them on, and march out
again: both Men and Women take great delight in swimming, and washing
themselves, being bred to it from their Infancy. I do believe it is
very wholsom to wash Mornings and Evenings in these hot Countries,
at least three or four Days in the Week: For I did use my self to it
when I lived afterwards at Ben-cooly, and found it very refreshing and
comfortable. It is very good for those that have Fluxes to wash and
stand in the Rivers Mornings and Evenings. I speak it experimentally;
for I was brought very low with that distemper at Achin; but by
washing constantly Mornings and Evenings I found great benefit,
and was quickly cured by it.
In the City of Mindanao they speak two Languages indifferently: their
own Mindanao Language, and the Malaya; but in other parts or the
Island they speak only their proper Language, having little Commerce
abroad. They have Schools, and instruct the Children to Read and
Write, and bring them up in the Mahometan Religion. Therefore many
of the words, especially their Prayers, are in Arabick; and many
of the words of civility the same as in Turkey; and especially when
they meet in the Morning, or take leave of each other, they express
themselves in that Language.
Many of the old People, both Men and Women, can speak Spanish, for the
Spaniards were formerly settled among them, and had several Forts on
this Island; and then they sent two Friers to the City, to convert
the Sultan of Mindanao and his People. At that time these People
began to learn Spanish, and the Spaniards incroached on them and
endeavoured to bring them into subjection; and probably before this
time had brought them all under their yoak, if they themselves had
not been drawn off from this Island to Manila, to resist the Chinese,
who threatened to invade them there. When the Spaniards were gone,
the old Sultan of Mindanao, Father to the present, in whose time
it was, razed and demolished their Forts, brought away their Guns,
and sent away the Friers; and since that time will not suffer the
Spaniards to settle on the Islands.
They are now most afraid of the Dutch, being sensible how they have
inslaved many of the Neighboring Islands. For that Reason they have a
long time desired the English to settle among them, and have offered
them any convenient Place to build a Fort in, as the General himself
told us; giving this Reason, that they do not find the English so
incroaching as the Dutch or Spanish. The Dutch are no less jealous
of their admitting the English, for they are sensible what detriment
it would be to them if the English should settle here.
There are but few Tradesmen at the City of Mindanao. The chiefest
Trades are Goldsmiths, Blacksmiths, and Carpenters. There are but
two or three Goldsmiths; these will work in Gold or Silver, and make
any thing that you desire: but they have no Shop furnished with Ware
ready made for Sale. Here are several Blacksmiths who work very well,
considering the Tools that they work with. Their Bellows are much
different from ours. They are made of a wooden Cylinder, the Trunk
of a Tree, about three Foot long, bored hollow like a Pump, and set
upright on the ground, on which the Fire it self is made. Near the
lower end there is a small hole, in the side of the Trunk next the
Fire, made to receive a Pipe, through which the Wind is driven to
the Fire by a great bunch of fine Feathers fastened to one end of
the Stick, which closing up the inside of the Cylinder, drives the
Air out of the Cylinder through the Pipe: Two of these Trunks or
Cylinders are placed so nigh together, that a Man standing between
them may work them both at once alternately, one with each Hand. They
have neither Vice nor Anvil, but a great hard Stone or a piece of an
old Gun, to hammer upon: yet they will perform their work making both
common Utensils and Iron-works about Ships to admiration. They work
altogether with Charcoal. Every Man almost is a Carpenter, for they
can work with the Ax and Adds. Their Ax is but small, and so made that
they can take it out of the Helve, and by turning it make an Adds of
it. They have no Saws; but when they make Plank, they split the Tree
in two, and make a Plank of each part, plaining it with the Ax and
Adds. This requires much pains, and takes up a great deal of time;
but they work cheap, and the goodness of the Plank thus hewed, which
hath its grain preserv'd entire, makes amends for their cost and pains.
They build good and serviceable Ships or Barks for the Sea, some
for Trade, others for Pleasure; and some Ships of War. Their trading
Vessels they send chiefly to Manila. Thither they transport Bees-wax,
which, I think, is the only Commodity, besides Gold that they vend
there. The Inhabitants of the City of Mindanao get a great deal of
Bees-wax themselves: but the greatest quantity they purchase is
of the Mountaneers, from whom they also get the Gold which they
send to Manila; and with these they buy their Calicoes, Muslins,
and China Silk. They send sometimes their Barks to Borneo and other
Islands; but what they transport thither, or import from thence, I
know not. The Dutch come hither in Sloops from Ternate and Tidore,
and buy Rice, Bees-wax, and Tobacco: for there is a great deal of
Tobacco grown on this Island, more than in any Island or Country
in the East-Indies, that I know of, Manila only excepted. It is
an excellent sort of Tobacco; but these People have not the Art of
managing this Trade to their best advantage, as the Spaniards have
at Manila. I do believe the Seeds were first brought hither from
Manila by the Spaniards, and even thither, in all probability, from
America: the difference between the Mindanao and Manila Tobacco is,
that the Mindanao Tobacco is of a darker colour; and the Leaf larger
and grosser than the Manila Tobacco, being propagated or planted in
a fatter Soil. The Manila Tobacco is of a bright yellow colour, of an
indifferent size, not strong, but Pleasant to Smoak. The Spaniards at
Manila are very curious about this Tobacco, having a peculiar way of
making it up neatly in the Leaf. For they take two little Sticks,
each about a Foot long, and flat, and placing the Stalks of the
Tobacco Leaves in a row, 40 or 50 of them between the two Sticks,
they bind them hard together, so that the Leaves hang dangling
down. One of these bundles is sold for a Rial at Fort St. George:
but you may have 10 or 12 pound of Tobacco at Mindanao for a Rial:
and the Tobacco is as good, or rather better than the Manila Tobacco,
but they have not that vent for it as the Spaniards have.
The Mindanao People are much troubled with a sort of Leprosie, the
same as we observed at Guam. This Distemper runs with a dry Scurf all
over their Bodies, and causeth great itching in those that have it,
making them frequently scratch and scrub themselves, which raiseth the
outer skin in small whitish flakes, like the scales of little Fish,
when they are raised on end with a knife. This makes their skin
extraordinary rough, and in some you shall see broad white spots
in several parts of their Body. I judge such have had it, but are
cured; for their skins were smooth, and I did not perceive them to
scrub themselves: yet I have learnt from their own mouths that these
spots were from this Distemper. Whether they use any means to cure
themselves, or whether it goes away of it self, I know not: but I did
not perceive that they made any great matter of it, for they did never
refrain any Company for it; none of our People caught it of them,
for we were afraid of it, and kept off. They are sometimes troubled
with the Small Pox, but their ordinary Distempers are Fevers, Agues,
Fluxes, with great pains, and gripings in their Guts. The Country
affords a great many Drugs and Medicinal Herbs, whose Virtues are
not unknown to some of them that pretend to cure the Sick.
The Mindanao Men have many Wives: but what Ceremonies are used when
they Marry I know not. There is commonly a great Feast made by the
Bridegroom to entertain his Friends, and the most part of the Night
is spent in Mirth.
The Sultan is absolute in his Power over all his Subjects. He is but
a poor Prince; for as I mentioned before, they have but little Trade,
and therefore cannot be rich. If the Sultan understands that any Man
has Money, if it be but 20 Dollars, which is a great matter among them,
he will send to borrow so much Money, pretending urgent occasions for
it; and they dare not deny him. Sometimes he will send to sell one
thing or another that he hath to dispose of, to such whom he knows
to have Money, and they must buy it, and give him his price; and if
afterwards he hath occasion for the same thing, he must have it if
he sends for it. He is but a little Man, between 50 or 60 Years old,
and by relation very good natured, but over-ruled by those about
him. [5] He has a Queen, and keeps about 29 Women, or Wives more,
in whose company he spends most of his time. He has one Daughter by
his Sultaness or Queen, and a great many Sons and Daughters by the
rest. These walk about the Streets, and would be always begging things
of us; but it is reported that the young Princess is kept in a Room,
and never stirs out, and that she did never see any Man but her Father
and Raja Laut her Uncle, being then about Fourteen Years Old.
When the Sultan visits his Friends, he is carried in a small Couch on
four Mens shoulders, with eight or ten armed Men to guard him; but
he never goes far this way; for the Country is very Woody, and they
have but little Paths, which render it the less commodious. When he
takes his pleasure by Water, he carries some of his Wives along with
him. The Proes that are built for this purpose, are large enough to
entertain 50 or 60 Persons or more. The Hull is neatly built, with
a round Head and Stern, and over the Hull there is a small slight
House built with Bamboes; the sides are made up with split Bamboes,
about four Foot high, with little Windows in them of the same, to open
and shut at their pleasure. The roof is almost flat, neatly thatched
with Palmeto Leaves. This House is divided into two or three small
Partitions or Chambers, one particularly for himself. This is neatly
Matted underneath, and round the sides; and there is a Carpet and
Pillows for him to sleep on. The second Room is for his Women, much
like the former. The third is for the Servants, who tend them with
Tobacco and Betel-Nut; for they are always chewing or smoking. The
fore and after-parts of the Vessel are for the Marriners to sit and
Row. Besides this, they have Outlayers, such as those I described at
Guam; only the Boats and Outlayers here are larger. These Boats are
more round, like the Half-Moon almost; and the Bamboes or Outlayers
that reach from the Boat are also crooked. Besides, the Boat is not
flat on one side here, as at Guam; but hath a Belly and Outlayers
on each side: and whereas at Guam there is a little Boat fasten'd to
the Outlayers, that lies in the Water; the Beams or Bamboes here are
fasten'd traverse-wise to the Outlayers on each side, and touch not
the Water like Boats, but 1, 3 or 4 Foot above the Water, and serve for
the Barge Men to sit and Row and paddle on; the inside of the Vessel,
except only just afore and abaft, being taken up with the apartments
for the Passengers. There run a-cross the Outlayers two tire of Beams
for the Padlers to sit on, on each side the Vessel. The lower tire
of these Beams is not above a Foot from the Water: so that upon any
the least reeling of the Vessel, the Beams are dipt in the Water,
and the Men that sit are wet up to their Waste: their Feet seldom
escaping the Water. And thus as all our Vessels are Rowed from within,
these are Paddled from without.
The Sultan hath a Brother called Raja Laut, a brave Man. He is the
second Man in the Kingdom. All Strangers that come hither to Trade
must make their Address to him, for all Sea Affairs belong to him. He
Licenceth Strangers to Import or Export any Commodity, and 'tis by
his Permission that the Natives themselves are suffered to Trade:
Nay the very Fishermen must [t]ake a Permit from him: So that there is
no Man can come into the River or go out but by his leave. He is two
or three Years younger than the Sultan, and a little Man like him. He
has eight Women, by some of whom he hath Issue. He hath only one Son,
about twelve or fourteen Years old, who was Circumcised while we were
there. His Eldest Son died a little before we came hither, for whom
he was still in great heaviness. If he had lived a little longer he
should have Married the young Princess, but whether this second Son
must have her I know not, for I did never hear any Discourse about
it. Raja Laut is a very sharp Man; he speaks and writes Spanish, which
he learned in his Youth. He has by often conversing with Strangers,
got a great sight into the Customs of other Nations, and by Spanish
Books has some knowledge of Europe. He is General of the Mindanayans,
and is accounted an expert Soldier and a very stout Man; and the
Women in their Dances, Sing many Songs in his praise.
The Sultan of Mindanao sometimes makes War with his Neighbors the
Mountaneers or Alfoores. Their Weapons are Swords, Lances and some
Hand-Cressets. The Cresset [6] is a small thing like a Baggonet, which
they always wear in War or Peace, at Work or Play, from the greatest
of them to the poorest, or the meanest Persons. They do never meet
each other so as to have a pitcht Battle, but they build small Works
or Forts of Timber, wherein they plant little Guns, and lie in sight
of each other 2 or 3 Months, skirmishing every Day in small Parties,
and sometimes surprizing a Brestwork; and whatever side is like to be
worsted, if they have no probability to escape by flight, they sell
their lives as dear as they can; for there is seldom any quarter given,
but the Conqueror cuts and hacks his Enemies to pieces.
The Religion of these People is Mahometanism, Friday is their Sabbath;
but I did never see any difference that they make between this Day
and any other Day, only the Sultan himself goes then to the Mosque
twice. Raja Laut never goes to the Mosque, but Prays at certain
Hours, Eight or Ten times in a Day; where-ever he is, he is very
punctual to his Canonical Hours, and if he be aboard will go ashore,
on purpose to Pray. For no Business nor Company hinders him from this
Duty. Whether he is at home or abroad, in a House or in the Field,
he leaves all his Company, and goes about 100 Yards off, and there
kneels down to his Devotion. He first kisses the Ground, then prays
aloud, and divers times in his Prayers he kisses the Ground, and does
the same when he leaves off. His Servants, and his Wives and Children
talk and sing, or play how they please all the time, but himself is
very serious. The meaner sort of People have little Devotion: I did
never see any of them at their Prayers, or go into a Mosque.
In the Sultan's Mosque there is a great Drum with but one Head called
a Gong; which is instead of a Clock. This Gong is beaten at 12 a Clock,
at 3, 6, and 9; a Man being appointed for that Service. He has a Stick
as big as a Man's Arm, with a great knob at the end, bigger than a
Man's Fist, made with Cotton, bound fast with small Cords: with this
he strikes the Gong as hard as he can, about 20 strokes; beginning to
strike leisurely the first 5 or 6 strokes; then he strikes faster, and
at last strikes as fast as he can; and then he strikes again slower
and slower so many strokes: thus he rises and falls three times,
and then leaves off till three Hours after. This is done Night and Day.
They circumcise the Males at 11 or 12 Years of Age, or older; and many
are circumcised at once. This Ceremony is performed with a great deal
of Solemnity. There had been no Circumcision for some Years before
our being here; and then there was one for Raja Laut's Son. They
chuse to have a general Circumcision when the Sultan, or General,
or some other great Person hath a Son fit to be Circumcised; for
with him a great many more are Circumcised. There is notice given
about 8 or 10 Days before for all Men to appear in Arms, and great
preparation is made against the solemn Day. In the Morning before the
Boys are Circumcised, Presents are sent to the Father of the Child,
that keeps the Feast; which, as I said before, is either the Sultan,
or some great Person: and about 10 or 11 a Clock the Mahometan Priest
does his Office. He takes hold of the fore-skin with two Sticks,
and with a pair of Scissors snips it off. After this most of the
Men, both in City and Country being in Arms before the House, begin
to act as if they were ingaged with an Enemy, having such Arms as I
described. Only one acts at a time, the rest make a great Ring of 2
or 300 Yards round about him. He that is to exercise comes into the
Ring with a great shriek or two, and a horrid look; then he fetches
two or three large stately strides, and falls to work. He holds his
broad Sword in one Hand, and his Lance in the other, and traverses
his Ground, leaping from one side of the Ring to the other; and in
a menacing posture and look, bids defiance to the Enemy, whom his
Fancy frames to him; for there is nothing but Air to oppose him. Then
he stamps and shakes his Head, and grinning with his Teeth, makes
many ruful Faces. Then he throws his Lance, and nimbly snatches out
his Cresset, with which he hacks and hews the Air like a Mad-man,
often shrieking. At last, being almost tired with motion, he flies
to the middle of the Ring, where he seems to have his Enemy at his
Mercy, and with two or three blows cuts on the Ground as if he was
cutting off his Enemy's Head. By this time he is all of a Sweat, and
withdraws triumphantly out of the Ring, and presently another enters
with the like shrieks and gesture. Thus they continue combating their
imaginary Enemy all the rest of the Day: towards the conclusion of
which the richest Men act, and at last the General, and then the Sultan
concludes this Ceremony: He and the General with some other great Men,
are in Armor, but the rest have none. After this the Sultan returns
home, accompanied with abundance of People who wait on him there till
they are dismist. But at the time when we were there, there was an
after-game to be played; for the General's Son being then Circumcised,
the Sultan intended to give him a second visit in the Night, so they
all waited to attend him thither. The General also provided to meet
him in the best manner, and therefore desired Captain Swan with his
Men to attend him. Accordingly Captain Swan ordered us to get our
Guns, and wait at the General's House till further Orders. So about
40 of us waited till Eight a Clock in the Evening. When the General
with Captain Swan, and about 1000 Men, went to meet the Sultan, with
abundance of Torches that made it as light as Day. The manner of the
march was thus: First of all there was a Pageant, and upon it two
dancing Women gorgeously apparelled, with Coronets on their Heads,
full of glittering Spangles, and Pendants of the same, hanging down
over their Breast and Shoulders. These are Women bred up purposely for
dancing: Their Feet and Legs are but little imployed, except sometimes
to turn round very gently; but their Hands, Arms, Head and Body are in
continual motion, especially their Arms, which they turn and twist so
strangely, that you would think them to be made without Bones. Besides
the two dancing Women, there were two old Women in the Pageant, holding
each a lighted Torch in their Hands, close by the two dancing Women,
by which light the glittering Spangles appeared very gloriously. This
Pageant was carried by six lusty Men: Then came six or seven Torches,
lighting the General and Captain Swan, who marched side by side next,
and we that attended Captain Swan followed close after, marching in
order six and six abreast, with each Man his Gun on his Shoulder,
and Torches on each side. After us came twelve of the General's Men
with old Spanish Match-locks, marching four in a row. After them about
forty Lances, and behind them as many with great Swords, marching all
in order. After them came abundance only with Cressets by their sides,
who marched up close without any order. When we came near the Sultan's
House, the Sultan and his Men met us, and we wheel'd off to let them
pass. The Sultan had three Pageants [that] went before him: In the
first Pageant were four of his Sons, who were about 10 or 11 Years
old. They had gotten abundance of small Stones, which they roguishly
threw about on the People's Heads. In the next were four young Maidens,
nieces to the Sultan, being his Sisters Daughters; and in the 3d,
there were three of the Sultan's Children, not above six Years
old. The Sultan himself followed next, being carried in his Couch,
which was not like your Indian Palankins, but open, and very little
and ordinary. A multitude of People came after, without any order:
but as soon as he was past by, the General, and Captain Swan, and all
our Men, closed in just behind the Sultan, and so all marched together
to the General's House. We came thither between 10 and 11 a Clock,
where the biggest part of the Company were immediately dismist; but
the Sultan and his Children, and his Nieces, and some other Persons
of Quality, entred the General's House. They were met at the Head of
the Stairs by the General's Women, who with a great deal of Respect
conducted them into the House. Captain Swan, and we that were with
him followed after. It was not long before the General caused his
dancing Women to enter the Room, and divert the Company with that
pastime. I had forgot to tell you that they have none but vocal
Musick here, by what I could learn, except only a row of a kind of
Bells without Clappers, 16 in number, and their weight increasing
gradually from about three to ten pound weight. These were set in a
row on a Table in the General's House, where for seven or eight Days
together before the Circumcision day, they were struck each with a
little Stick, for the biggest part of the Day making a great noise,
and they ceased that Morning. So these dancing Women sung themselves,
and danced to their own Musick. After this the General's Women, and
the Sultan's Sons, and his Nieces danced. Two of the Sultan's Nieces
were about 18 or 19 Years Old, the other two were three or four Years
Younger. These Young Ladies were very richly drest, with loose garments
of Silk, and small Coronets on their Heads. They were much fairer
than any Women that I did ever see there, and very well featured;
and their Noses, tho' but small, yet higher than the other Womens,
and very well proportioned. When the Ladies had very well diverted
themselves and the Company with dancing, the General caused us to fire
some Sky-rockets, that were made by his and Captain Swan's Order,
purposely for this Nights Solemnity; and after that the Sultan and
his retinue went away with a few Attendants, and we all broke up,
and thus ended this Days Solemnity: but the Boys being sore with
their Amputation, went straddling for a fortnight after.
They are not, as I said before, very curious or strict in observing
any Days, or Times of particular Devotions, except it be Ramdam [i.e.,
Ramadan] time, as we call it. The Ramdam time was then in August,
as I take it, for it was shortly after our arrival here. In this
time they Fast all Day and about seven a Clock in the Evening, they
spend near an Hour in Prayer. Towards the latter end of their Prayer,
they loudly invoke their Prophet, for about a quarter of an Hour,
both old and young bawling out very strangely, as if they intended
to fright him out of his sleepiness or neglect of them. After their
Prayer is ended, they spend some time in Feasting before they take
their repose. Thus they do every Day for a whole Month at least;
for sometimes 'tis two or three Days longer before the Ramdam ends:
For it begins at the New Moon, and lasts till they see the next New
Moon, which sometimes in thick hazy Weather is not till three or four
Days after the Change, as it happen'd while I was at Achin, where
they continued the Ramdam till the New Moon's appearance. The next
Day after they have seen the New Moon, the Guns are all discharged
about Noon, and then the time ends.
A main part of their Religion consists in washing often, to keep
themselves from being defiled; or after they are defiled to cleanse
themselves again. They also take great care to keep themselves from
being polluted, by tasting or touching any thing that is accounted
Unclean; therefore Swines Flesh is very abominable to them; nay,
any one that hath either tasted of Swines flesh, or touched those
Creatures, is not permitted to come into their Houses in many Days
after, and there is nothing will scare them more than a Swine. Yet
there are wild Hogs in the Islands, and those so plentiful, that they
will come in troops out of the Woods in the Night into the very City,
and come under their Houses, to romage up and down the Filth that they
find there. The Natives therefore would even desire to lie in wait
for the Hogs, to destroy them, which we did frequently, by shooting
them and carrying them presently on board, but were prohibited their
Houses afterwards.
And now I am on this Subject, I cannot omit a Story concerning the
General. He once desired to have a pair of Shoes made after the
English Fashion, tho' he did very seldom wear any: So one [of] our
Men made him a Pair, which the General liked very well. Afterwards
some Body told him, That the Thread wherewith the Shoes were sowed,
were pointed with Hogs-bristles. This put him into a great Passion;
so he sent the Shoes to the Man that made them, and sent him withal
more Leather to make another Pair, with Threads pointed with some
other Hair, which was immediately done, and then he was well pleased.