Page 464
An.1688
The poor winking People of New Holland.
shy; though the Inhabitants cannot trouble them much, having neither Boats nor Iron.
The Inhabitants of this Country are the misera- blest People in the world. The Hodmadods of Mo- nomatapa, though a nasty People, yet for Wealth are Gentlemen to these; who have no Houses and Skin Garments, Sheep, Poultry, and Fruits of the Earth, Ostrich Eggs, &c. as the Hodmadods have: and setting aside their humane shape, they differ but little from Brutes. They are tall, strait bo- died, and thin, with small long Limbs. They have great Heads, round Foreheads, and great Brows. Their Eye-lids are always half closed, to keep the Flies out of their Eyes: they being so troublesome here, that no fanning will keep them from coming to ones Face; and without the assistance of both hands to keep them off, they will creep into ones Nostrils; and Mouth too, if the Lips are not shut very close. So that from their Infancy being thus annoyed with these Insects, they do never open their Eyes, as other People: and therefore they cannot see far; unless they hold up their Heads, as if they were looking at somewhat over them.
They have great Bottle noses, pretty full lips, and wide mouths. The two fore teeth of their up- per Jaw are wanting in all of them, men and wo- men, old and young: whether they draw them out, I know not: Neither have they any Beards. They are long visaged, and of a very unpleasing aspect; having no one graceful feature in their faces. Their Hair is black, short and curl'd, like that of the Negroes: and not long and lank like the common Indians. The colour of their skins, both of their faces and the rest of their body, is coal black, like that of the Negroes of Guinea.
They have no sort of Cloaths; but a piece of the rind of a Tree ty'd like a Girdle about their waftes, and a handful of long Grass, or 3 or 4 small