which I expected
somewhat in return. I shewed them some hatchets and bill-hooks, and
pointed to some guanicoes, which happened to be near, and some ostriches
which I saw dead among them; making signs at the same time I wanted to
eat; but they either could not, or would not understand me: For though
they seemed very desirous of the hatchets and the bill-hooks, they did
not give the least intimation that they would part with any provisions;
no traffic therefore was carried on between us.

Each of these people, both men and women, had a horse, with a decent
saddle, stirrups, and bridle. The men had wooden spurs, except one, who
had a large pair of such as are worn in Spain, brass stirrups, and a
Spanish scymitar, without a scabbard; but notwithstanding these
distinctions, he did not appear to have any authority over the rest; the
women had no spurs. The horses appeared to be well-made, and nimble, and
were about fourteen hands high. The people had also many dogs with them,
which, as well as the horses, appeared to be of a Spanish breed.

As I had two measuring rods with me, we went round and measured those
that appeared to be tallest among them. One of these was six feet six
inches high, several more were six feet five, and six feet six inches;
but the stature of the greater part of them was from five feet ten to
six feet. Their complexion is a dark copper-colour, like that of the
Indians in North America; their hair is straight, and nearly as harsh as
hog's bristles: It is tied back with a cotton string, but neither sex
wears any head-dress. They are well-made, robust, and bony; but their
hands and feet are remarkably small. They are clothed with the skins of
the guanico, sewed together into pieces about six feet long and five
wide: These are wrapped round the body, and fastened with a girdle, with
the hairy side inwards; some of them had also what the Spaniards have
called a _puncho_, a square piece of cloth made of the downy hair of the
guanico, through which a hole being cut for the head, the rest hangs
round them about as low as the knee. The guanico is an animal that in
size, make, and colour, resembles a deer, but it has a hump on its back,
and no horns. These people wear also a kind of drawers, which they pull
up very tight, and buskins, which reach from the mid-leg to the instep
before, and behind are brought under the heel; the rest of the foot is
without any covering. We observed that some of the men, had a cir