CHAP, fowl* fiRij Cayenne .pepper," and the young pods .of
XXV \ the ocra or althea’plant. '.Pepper-pot^ a difh of boiled
fifh and bapficum,'.eaten withroafted plantain^. Gangotay
is. m ade o f dried, and* afofoo of green'plantains. Acanfa
and doquenoo are campofed of the flour o f maize, and the;
latter is eaten with molaffes. His common drihk is the
limpid itream, fometi’mes eorrc&ed by a little rum. If
he.is accidentally wounded or indifpofed, he-is -cured for
nothing;.but it is very feMom he troubles the faculty,
beingtolbrably ikiHed in hetbs and fimples,/befides ^caffi
fyingkand puckering, the lkin, which fer.v|s inftead of
bleeding. The inconvenience of vermin he- remedies
without a comb, by plaiftering, up his hair. with, clay,
which being dried on the head, and then wafhed with foap
and water, makes him clean beyond?cpnception;; his||e,eth.
are conftantly kept as white as ivory; for thfsz pprpofe
he uies nothing but a fprig o f Orange-tree, bitten at one
end,until the fibres refemble a fmall brufli; and no negro,
rna.la or female, is to he feen without this little ioftru?
ment, which has befidesthe virtue of Tweet eninguthe
breath.
So much for his body ; and
is feldom troubled with any. qualms of confciepce, <?r fear
of death, as I have Hated, being firm and unfhaken in
what he was taught to believe, which is indeed little, but
plain; and when; he is no more, his companions or relations
carry him to fome grove of orange-trees, where he
is
D I T I O N T O S UR I NAM. 283
is not interred without expence, being generally put in a CHAP,
coffin o&thb' ^e'ry beft wood and/workmanffiip, while . XXVL;
the cries and lamentations' of h is fur'viving friends, who
ling a dirge,^pierce thfe *ikyih The grave beirig filled up,
and .a-grberi turf neatly fpread- over it;*-a couple of large
gourds late puVhy theffide, the ode with water, the other
yrith boiled'’ fowls^ pork', - caffava, ‘&c.* as- a libation/ not
from'a ffiperftiti0x^s*notion, AsTdffid.bH-ie^ei that' he will
eat or drink it, teftimbny of ' that! Regard S which
the^ have for his memory arid allies • while fome even
add tbeTitt-l’e 'furniture that he :left behind* breaking rt
in p'ieeifecrilr the grave. ' This‘dbrifer,Tver y *tMe! lakes his
laftTafbwillf fpeaking to him :a#|f alive, arid tfeftifyihg
tjieirifofrow at' hisdbpaf tureT’adding;' that they hope', to
fee him^hat^in Guinea, as foihe have written, but'ih that
better place, where he how enjoys the pleafant company •
o f his parents, friends,'-and' anceftdrs'; When’another dif-
mal-yell' ends-'the'<fcerembny, and all Ibturri'home. Next a
fat h%-being Tilled,' witli; fowls;'ducksi:Sec;^general
feaft fsy given by his friends' ‘to all the other negroes,1
whidi concludes not till the following day. The neareft
cowne&ioosand relations o f thedfeceafed, both male and
female; now cut|their hair * and lhave "f^eirhea^, Vound
^hich having tied'a d ark blue-handkerchief;- they wear
this mourning'fdr a wholte'yeAr; after Which, once'tnore
vifiting the gbave, they offer a laft -libation, and taking
their final farewell, another hog and fowls being killed,
W e sire told Job did the feme.
O 0 2 the