The inhabitants are of a fmall ftature, below those which history defcribes for pigmies. The tallest of them exceed not fourteen or fifteen inches, and the least hardly three. This difference proceeds only from their growth before they are brought to light; for after we never observe them to grow, unless it please their parents, who have this uncommon method of enabling them: they recal them to the womb, where having been for fome time, they receive an addition to their bulk, then go back to their houses, and continue at a ftand as they did before. The experiment has been often tried with fuccefs, but fome have fuffered extremely by undergoing it.

Their skins are like the antient Britains, all drawn over with a variety of figures. The colour made ufe of for this end is generally black. I have indeed obferved in fome of the religious, and lawyers of the country, red here and there intermingled, though not fo commonly of late. They tell me too, they often used to paint with all colours; and I vifited two or three of the old inhabitants, who were adorned in that fashion; but this is now difused, fince the new inventions, by which the use of a black fountain that belongs to that country, is rendered more useful and serviceable.

The clothes in which they go clad, are the skins of beafts, worn by fome plain, by others with figures wrought upon them. Gold is alfo made ufe of by fome, to beautify their apparel; but very feldom

filver,

filver, unless, as bucklers are by us, for fastening the garment before. I have seen some of them go like feamen in thin blue skirts, others like Indians in a party-coloured loose kind of apparel, and others, who they told me were the politicians of the country, go about stark naked.

The manner of dreffing them is this: At first when they come into the world, they have a fuit given them, which if it do not fit exactly, is not as with us fitted up again, but the children are in a cruel manner cut and squeezed to bring them to its proportion. Yet this they seem not much to regard, provided their principal parts are not affected. When the drefs is thus fettled on them, they are clad for life, it being feldom their custom to alter it, or put it off: In short, they live in it night and day, and wear it to rags rather than part with it, being sure of the fame torture, and a greater danger, if they fhould be dreffed a fecond time. I have further taken notice, that they delight to go open-breasted, most of them shewing their bofoms fpeckled. Some lawyers indeed wear them quite white, perhaps for diftinction fake, or to be known at a distance. But the finest shew is among the beaux and ladies, who mightily affect fomething of gold, both before and behind them.

Food I never faw them eat; they being a people, who, as I obferved, live in air: Their houses are all fingle and high, having no back rooms, but frequently feven or eight stories, which are all separate

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houses above one another. They have one gate to their city, and generally no doors to their houses; tho' I have fometimes feem them have particular doors, and even made of glass, where the inhabitants have been observed to stand many days, that their fine apparel may be seen thro' them. If at any time they lye down, which they do when they come from their habitations (as if coming abroad were their greatest fatigue) they will lye together in heaps without receiving hurt: tho' the foundest fleep they get, is when they can have duft enough to cover them over.

The females amongst them are but few, nothing being there produced by a marriage of fexes. The males are of a different ftrength or endowment of parts, some having knowledge in an extream degree, and others none at all; yet at the fame time, they are mighty pretenders to inftruct others. Their names (for as many as would discover them to me) I obferved to be the very fame as ours are upon earth; I met a few who made theirs a myftery, but why, I am yet to learn. They are fo communicative, that they will tell all the knowledge they boaft, if a ftranger apply himself to their converfation and this may be worth his while, if he confiders that all languages, arts, and sciences, are profeft amongst them. I think I may say it without vanity, that I knew a certain Talisman, with proper figures and characters inscribed, whereby their greatest people may be charmed, brought to refide

with a man, and ferve him like a familiar in the -conduct of life.

There is no fuch thing as fighting amongst them, but their controverfies are determined by words, wherein they feldom own themselves conquered, yet proceed no further than two or three replies: perhaps indeed two others take up their neighbours quarrel, but then they desist too after the fame manner; fometimes however, blows have enfued upon their account, though not amongst them: In fuch a cafe they have defcended to inspire mankind with their fentiments, and chofen champions from among us, in order to decide it.

The time of their life is very different, fome die as foon as born, and others in their youth; fome get a new lease of life by their entering into the womb again, and if any weather it out to an hundred years, they generally live on to an extreme age. After which it is remarkable, that instead of growing weaker as we do, by time, they increase in ftrength, and become at laft fo confirmed in health, that it is the opinion of their country, they never can perish while the world remains.

The fickneffes which may take them off, befides what happens from their natural weakness of body, are of different forts. One is over-moifture, which, affecting their manfions, makes them lofe their complexions, become deformed, and rot away infenfibly: This is often obviated by their not keeping too much within doors. Another is the worms, which

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which prey upon their bowels: If they be maimed by accidents, they become like us, fo far useless ; and that maim will fometime or other be the occafion of their ruin. However, they perifh by these means only in appearance, and like Spirits, who vanish in one place, to be seen in another. But as men die of paffions, fo difefteem is what the most nearly touches them; then they withdraw into holes and corners, and confume away in darkness. Or if they are kept alive a few days by the force of fpices, it is but a short reprieve from their perishing to eternity; without any honour, but that instead of a burial, a small pile of pafte fhould be erected over them, while they, like the antient Romans, are reduced to ashes.

N. B. This vifion is to be understood of a library of books.

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