A Book of American ExplorersHigginson, Thomas Wentworth
History
A Book of American Explorers
Higginson, Thomas Wentworth
America -- Discovery and exploration; United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Another day, at the dinner-hour, we arrived at an island[45] which
seemed to be worth finding; for, judging by the extent of cultivation
in it, it appeared very populous. We went thither, and put into harbor,
when the admiral immediately sent on shore a well-manned barge to hold
speech with the Indians, in order to ascertain what race they were,
and also because we considered it necessary to gain some information
respecting our course; although it afterwards plainly appeared that
the admiral, who had never made that passage before, had taken a
very correct route. But, since doubtful questions ought always by
investigation to be reduced as nearly to a certainty as possible, he
wished that communication should be held with the natives at once;
and some of the men who went in a barge leaped on shore, and went up
to a village, whence the inhabitants had already withdrawn, and hidden
themselves. They took in this island five or six women and some boys,
most of whom were captives, like those in the other island. We learned
from the women whom we had brought with us, that the natives of this
place also were Caribbees. As this barge was about to return to the
ships with the capture which they had taken, a canoe came along the
coast, containing four men, two women, and a boy; and, when they saw
the fleet, they were so stupefied with amazement, that for a good hour
they remained motionless at the distance of nearly two gunshots from
the ships. In this position they were seen by those who were in the
barge, and also by all the fleet. Meanwhile, those in the barge moved
towards the canoe, but so close in shore, that the Indians, in their
perplexity and astonishment as to what all this could mean, never saw
them until they were so near that escape was impossible; for our men
pressed on them so rapidly, that they could not get away, although they
made considerable effort to do so.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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