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
The next day at sunrise, the time the Indians had appointed, they
came as they had promised, and brought us a large quantity of fish,
and certain roots that are eaten by them, of the size of walnuts, some
a little larger, others a little smaller, the greater part of them got
from under the water, and with much labor. In the evening they returned,
and brought us more fish, and some of the roots. They sent their women
and children to look at us, who returned rich with the hawk-bells and
beads that we gave them; and they came afterward on other days in the
same way. As we found that we had been provisioned with fish, roots,
water, and other things for which we asked, we determined to embark
again, and pursue our course. We dug out our boat from the sand in
which it was buried; and it became necessary that we should all strip
ourselves, and go through great exertion to launch her, for we were
in such state, that things very much lighter sufficed to make us much
labor.
Thus embarked, at the distance of two cross-bow shots in the sea we
shipped a wave that wet us all. As we were naked, and the cold was very
great, the oars loosened in our hands; and the next blow the sea struck
us capsized the boat. The assessor and two others held fast to her
for preservation; but it happened to be for far otherwise, as the boat
carried them over, and they drowned under her. As the surf near the
shore was very high, a single roll of the sea threw the remainder into
the waves, and half drowned us on the shore of the island, without our
losing any more than the boat had taken under. Those of us who survived
escaped naked as we were born, losing all that we had; and, although
the whole was of little value, at that time it was worth much.
As it was then in the month of November, the cold severe, and our
bodies so emaciated that the bones might have been counted with little
difficulty, we had become perfect figures of death. For myself, I can
say, that, from the month of May past, I had not eaten other thing than
maize, and sometimes I found myself obliged to eat it unparched; for,
although the horses were slaughtered while the boats were being built,
I never could eat of them, and I did not eat fish ten times. I state
this to avoid giving excuses, and that every one may judge in what
condition we were. After all these misfortunes, there came a north wind
upon us, from which we were nearer to death than life. Thanks be to our
Lord, that, looking among the brands that we had used there, we found
sparks from which we made great fires. And thus we were asking mercy of
him, and pardon for our transgressions, shedding many tears, and each
regretting, not his own fate alone, but that of his comrades about him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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