nd cap, which,
even in countries where dress is more particularly attended to, might
be reckoned elegant. The first are nearly of the size and shape of
the short cloaks worn by the women in England, and by the men in
Spain reaching to the middle of the back, and tied loosely before. The
ground of them is a net-work, upon which the most beautiful red
and yellow feathers are so closely fixed, that the surface might be
compared to the thickest and richest velvet, which they resemble, both
as to the feel, and the glossy appearance. The manner of varying the
mixture is very different, some having triangular spaces of red and
yellow, alternately, others a kind of crescent; and some, that were
entirely red, had a broad yellow border, which made them appear, at
some distance, exactly like a scarlet cloak edged with gold lace. The
brilliant colours of the feathers, in those that happened to be new,
added not a little to their fine appearance, and we found that they
were in high estimation with their owners, for they would not, at
first, part with one of them for any thing that we offered, asking no
less a price than a musket. However, some were afterward purchased for
very large nails. Such of them as were of the best sort, were scarce;
and it should seem, that they are only used on the occasion of some
particular ceremony, or diversion; for the people who had them, always
made some gesticulations, which we had seen used before by those who
sung.

The cap is made almost exactly like a helmet, with the middle part, or
crest, sometimes of a hand's breadth; and it sits very close upon the
head, having notches to admit the ears. It is a frame of twigs and
osiers, covered with a net work, into which are wrought feathers, in
the same manner as upon the cloaks, though rather closer, and less
diversified, the greater part being red, with some black yellow,
or green stripes on the sides, following the curve direction of the
crest. These, probably, complete the dress, with the cloaks, for the
natives sometimes appeared in both together.

We were at a loss to guess from whence they could get such a quantity
of these beautiful feathers, but were soon informed as to one sort,
for they afterward brought great numbers of skins of small red birds
for sale, which were often tied up in bunches of twenty or more, or
had a small wooden skewer run through their nostrils. At the first,
those that were bought, consisted only of the skin from behind