euery man sitteth him downe vpon the
seates which are round about in the house. If there be any thing to
intreate of, the King calleth the Iawas, that is to say their Priestes,
and the most ancient men, and asketh them their aduise. (M370) Afterward
he commaundeth Cassine to be brewed, which is a drinke made of the leaues
of a certaine tree: They drinke this Cassine very hotte: he drinketh
first, then he causeth to be giuen thereof to all of them one after
another in the same boule, which holdeth well a quart measure of Paris.
They make so great account of this drinke, that no man may taste thereof
in this assembly, vnlesse hee hath made proof of his valure in the warre.
Moreouer this drinke hath such a vertue, that assoone as they haue drunke
it, they become all in a sweate, which sweate, being past, it taketh away
hunger and thirst for foure and twenty houres after. (M371) When a King
dyeth, they burie him very solemnly, and vpon his graue they set the cuppe
wherein he was woont to drinke: and round about the sayde graue they
sticke many arrowes, and weepe and fast three dayes together without
ceasing. All the kings which were his friends make the like mourning: and
in token of the loue which they bare him, they cut of more then the one
halfe of their haire, as well men as women. During the space of sixe
Moones (so they reckon their moneths) there are certaine women appoynted
which bewaile the death of this King, crying with a loude voyce thrise a
day, to wit, in the Morning, at Noone, and at Euening. All the goods of
this King are put into his house, and afterward they set it on fire, so
that nothing is euer more after to be seene. (M372) The like is done with
the goods of the Priestes, and besides they burie the bodies of the
Priests in their houses, and then they set them on fire. They sowe their
Maiz twise a yere, to wit, in March and in Iune, and all in one and the
same soyle. The sayd Maiz from the time that it is sowed vntill the time
that it be ready to be gathered, is but three moneths on the ground. The
other 6. moneths they let the earth rest. They haue also faire Pumpions,
and very good Beanes. They neuer dung their land, onely when they would
sowe, they set the weedes on fire, which grewe vp the 6. moneths, and
burne them all. They dig their ground with an instrument of wood which is
fashioned like a broad mattocke, wherewith they digge their Vines in
France, they put two graines of Maiz together. When the