ir pride, they weare crownes vpon
their heads, whereof some of them are of pure golde, and ringes of golde,
and some of siluer about their armes, euery one according to their
abilitie. They are very curious about their bodyes, for they washe
themselues at the least fiue or sixe times euery day: they neuer ease
themselues nor haue the company of their husbandes, but they presently
leape into the water and wash their bodies, and therefore the water that
runneth through Bantam is very vnwholesome; for euery one washeth
themselues in it, as well pockie as other people, whereby wee lost some of
our men that drunke of the water: The women are verie idle, for they do
nothing all the day but lie downe; the poore slaues must doe all the
drudgerie, and the men sit all day vpon a mat, and chaw Betele, hauing ten
or twentie women about them, and when they make water, presenly one of the
women washeth their member, and so they sit playing all the day with their
women: Many of them haue slaues that play vppon instrumentes much like our
Shakebois, [Footnote: Musical instruments mentioned in Nichol's Coronation
of Anne Boleyn, p. 2. Probably Sackbuts.] they haue likewise great basons
whereon they strike, and therewith know how to make good musicke, whereat
the women daunce, not leaping much, but winding and drawing their bodies,
armes and shoulders, which they vse all night long, so that in the night
time they make a great noyse with basons and other instruments, and the man
he sitteth and looketh vpon them, euerie one of the women striuing to doe
her best that she may get her husbands fauour and her secreat pleasure.
[Sidenote: How pepper groweth in that countrey.] The Gentlemen, Citizens,
and marchantes haue their Gardens, and fieldes without the towne, and
slaues for the purpose to labour in them, and bring their maisters all
kindes of fruit, Rice and Hennes in the towne, also the Pepper that groweth
there, which runneth vp by another tree, as Hoppes with vs, and groweth in
long bunches like Grapes, so that there is at the least 200. graines in one
bunch: it is first greene, and after it becommeth blacke, and is there in
great aboundance, so that it is the right Pepper countrey; for when we came
thither they said vnto vs, Aqui ai tanta Pimienta, como terra, that is,
here is as much Pepper as earth, and so we found it, and yet we departed
from thence by our owne follies, without our lading of Pepper: Wee staide
for new Pepper, meane tim