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
And we came to another land,[79] being fifteen leagues distant from the
island, where we found a passing good haven, wherein being entered, we
found about twenty small boats of the people, which, with divers cries
and wonderings, came about our ship. Coming no nearer than fifty paces
towards us, they staid and beheld the artificialness of our ship, our
shape, and apparel, that they all made a loud shout together, declaring
that they rejoiced. When we had something animated[80] them, using
their gestures, they came so near us, that we cast them certain bells
and glasses and many toys, which when they had received, they looked
on them with laughing, and came without fear aboard our ship. There
were amongst these people two kings of so goodly stature and shape as
is possible to declare: the eldest was about forty years of age; the
second was a young man of twenty years old. Their apparel was on this
manner: the elder had upon his naked body a hart’s[81] skin, wrought
artificially with divers branches like damask. His head was bare, with
the hair tied up behind with divers knots. About his neck he had a
large chain garnished with divers stones of sundry colors. The young
man was almost apparelled after the same manner. This is the goodliest
people, and of the fairest conditions, that we have found in this our
voyage. They exceed us in bigness. They are of the color of brass, some
of them incline more to whiteness: others are of a yellow color, of
comely visage, with long and black hair, which they are very careful
to trim and deck up....
There are also of them which wear on their arms very rich skins of
leopards: they adorn their heads with divers ornaments made of their
own hair, which hangs down before on both sides their breasts: others
use other kind of dressing themselves, like unto the women of Egypt and
Syria. These are of the elder sort; and, when they are married, they
wear divers toys,[82] according to the usage of the people of the East,
as well men as women....
Among whom we saw many plates of wrought copper, which they esteem more
than gold, which for the color they make no account of, for that among
all other it is counted the basest. They make the most account of azure
and red. The things that they esteemed most of all those which we gave
them were bells, crystal of azure color, and other toys to hang at
their ears or about their neck. They did not desire cloth of silk or
gold, much less of any other sort; neither cared they for things made
of steel and iron, which we often showed them in our armor, which they
made no wonder at; and, in beholding them, they only asked the art
of making them. The like they did at our glasses,[83] which when they
beheld, they suddenly laughed, and gave them us again....
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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