Page 127
An.1684
Other Islands in Amapalla Gulf.
all publick Meetings, and all Plays and Pastimes are acted there also ; therefore in the Churches belong- ing to Indian Towns they have all sorts of Vizards, and strange antick Dresses both for Men and Wo- men, and abundance of Musical Hautboys and Strumstrums. The Strumstrum is made somewhat like a Cittern ; most of those that the Indians use are made of a large Goad cut in the midst, and a thin board laid over the hollow, and which is fastned to the sides : this serves for the belly ; over which the strings are placed. The nights before any Holidays, or the nights ensuing, are the times when they all meet to make merry. Their Mirth consists in sing- ing, dancing, and sporting in those antick Habits, and using as many antick gestures. If the Moon shine they use but few Torches, if not the Church is full of light. They meet at these times all sorts of both Sexes. All the Indians that I have been acquainted with, who are under the Spaniards, seem to be more me- lancholy than other Indians that are free ; and at these publick Meetings, when they are in the greatest of their jollity, their mirth seems to be rather forced than real. Their Songs are very melancholy and doleful ; so is their Musick : but whether it be natu- ral to the Indians to be thus melancholy, or the ef- fect of their Slavery, I am not certain : But I have always been prone to believe, that they are then only condoling their misfortunes, the loss of their Country and Liberties : which altho' these that are now living do not know, nor remember what it was to be free, yet there seems to be a deep impression in their thoughts of the Slavery which the Spaniards have brought them under, increas'd probably by some Traditions of their ancient freedom.
Captain Davis intended when they were all in the Church to shut the Doors, and then make a bargain with them, letting them know what he was, and so draw them afterwards by fair means to our assistance: the