vile as the Moros. The Pintados love their wives
so dearly, that, in case of a quarrel they take sides with their wives'
relatives, even against their own fathers and brothers.

Chapter Seventh

_Which treats of the belief held by the natives of the Pintados
islands concerning the creation_

There are two kinds of people in this land, who, although of the
same race, differ somewhat in their customs and are almost always on
mutually unfriendly terms. One class includes those who live along the
coast, the other class those who live in the mountains; and if peace
seems to reign among them, it is because they depend upon each other
for the necessities of life. The inhabitants of the mountains cannot
live without the fish, salt, and other articles of food, and the jars
and dishes, of other districts; nor, on the other hand, can those of
the coast live without the rice and cotton of the mountaineers. In
like manner they have two different beliefs concerning the beginning of
the world; and since these natives are not acquainted with the art of
writing, they preserve their ancient lore through songs, which they
sing in a very pleasing manner--commonly while plying their oars,
as they are island-dwellers.

Also, during their revelries, the singers who have good voices
recite the exploits of olden times; thus they always possess a
knowledge of past events. The people of the coast, who are called the
Yligueynes, believe that heaven and earth had no beginning, and that
there were two gods, one called Captan and the other Maguayen. [14]
They believe that the land breeze and the sea breeze were married;
and that the land breeze brought forth a reed, which was planted
by the god Captan. When the reed grew, it broke into two sections,
which became a man and a woman. To the man they gave the name of
Sicalac, and that is the reason why men from that time on have been
called _lalac_; the woman they called Sicavay, and thenceforth women
have been called _babayes_. One day the man asked the woman to marry
him, for there were no other people in the world; but she refused,
saying that they were brother and sister, born of the same reed,
with only one knot between them; and that she would not marry him,
since he was her brother. Finally they agreed to ask advice from the
tunnies of the sea, and from the doves of the air; they also went to
the earthquake, who said that it was necessary for them to marry,
so that the world might be