excellency shall hear.

"Sailing along the coast again, and finding an island about
fifteen leagues from it at sea, we resolved to see if it
were inhabited. We found on this island the most bestial and
filthy people that were ever seen, but at the same time
extremely pacific, so that I am able to describe their
habits and customs. Their manners and their faces were
filthy, and they all had their cheeks stuffed full of a
green herb which they were continually chewing, as beasts
chew the cud, so that they were scarcely able to speak. Each
one of them wore, hanging at the neck, two dried
gourd-shells, one of which was filled with the same kind of
herb they had in their mouths, and the other with a white
meal, which appeared to be chalk-dust. They also carried
with them a small stick, which they wetted in their mouths
from time to time and then put in the meal, afterwards
putting it into the herb with which both cheeks were filled,
and mixing the meal with it. We were surprised at their
conduct, and could not understand for what purpose they
indulged in the strange practice.

"As soon as these people saw us, they came to us with as
much familiarity as if we had been old friends. Walking with
them along the shore, and wishing to find some fresh water
to drink, they made us to understand by signs that they had
none, and offered us some of their herbs and meal; hence we
concluded that water was very scarce in this island, and
that they kept these herbs in their mouth in order to allay
their thirst. We walked about the island a day and a half
without finding any living water, and noticed that all they
had to drink was the dew which fell in the night upon
certain leaves that looked like asses' ears. These leaves
being filled with dew-water the islanders use it for their
drink, and most excellent water it was; but there were many
places where the leaves were not to be found.

"They had no victuals or roots, such as we found on the
main-land, but lived on fish, which they caught in the sea,
of which there was an abundance, and they were very expert
fishermen. They presented us with many turtles, and many
large and very good fish. The women did not chew the herb as
the men did, but carried a gourd with water in it, of which
they