hereof they make their
fire. They liue in common togither: then doe the husbands, wiues and
children each one retire themselues to their chambers. They haue also on
the top of their houses certaine garrets, wherein they keepe their corne
to make their bread withall: they call it Carraconny, which they make as
hereafter shall follow. They haue certaine peeces of wood, made hollow
like those whereon we beat our hempe, and with certaine beetles of wood
they beat their corne to powder; then they make paste of it, and of the
paste, cakes or wreathes, then they lay them on a broad and hote stone,
and then couer it with hote stones, and so they bake their bread in stead
of Ouens. (M135) They make also sundry sorts of pottage with the said
corne and also of pease and of beanes, whereof they haue great store, as
also with other fruits, as Muske-Millions, and very great Cowcumbers. They
haue also in their houses certaine vessels as bigge as any But or Tun,
wherein they preserue and keepe their fish, causing the same in sommer to
be dried in the sunne, and liue therewith in winter, whereof they make
great prouision, as we by experience haue seene. All their viands and
meates are without any taste or sauour of salt at all. They sleepe vpon
barkes of trees laide all along vpon the ground being ouer-spread with the
skinnes of certaine wilde Beastes, wherewith they also cloth and couer
themselues. The thing most precious that they haue in all the world they
call Asurgny: it is as white as any snow: they take it in the said riuer
of Cornibotz, in the maner folowing. When any one hath deserued death, or
that they take any of their enemies in Warres, first they kill him, then
with certaine kniues they giue great slashes and strokes vpon their
buttocks, flankes, thighs, and shoulders: then they cast the same bodie so
mangled downe to the bottome of the riuer, in a place where the said
Esurgny is, and there leaue it ten or 12 houres, then they take it vp
againe, and in the cuts find the said Esurgny or Cornibotz. Of them they
make beads, and weare them about their necks, euen as we doe chaines of
gold and siluer, accounting it the preciousest thing in the world. (M136)
They haue this vertue and propertie in them, they will stop or stanch
bleeding at the nose, for we haue prooued it. These people are giuen to no
other exercise, but onely to husbandrie and fishing for their sustenance:
they haue no care of any other wealth or commoditie in this