A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10: Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time. — John Shaqi
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10: Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.Kerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 10: Arranged in systematic order: Forming a complete history of the origin and progress of navigation, discovery, and commerce, by sea and land, from the earliest ages to the present time.
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
Soon after his arrival, the admiral received a present from the natives
of feathers and bags of tobacco, which was given in much form by a
numerous concourse of the Indians. These convened on the top of a hill
or rising ground, whence one of their number harangued the admiral,
whose tent was pitched at the bottom of the hill. When this speech was
ended, they all laid down their weapons on the summit of the hill,
whence they descended and offered their presents, at the same time
civilly returning those which the admiral had before given them. All
this time the native women remained on the top of the hill, where they
seemed as if possessed, tearing their hair, and howling in a most savage
manner. This is the ordinary music of their sacrifices, something of
that nature being then solemnizing. While the women above were thus
serving the devil, the men below were better employed, in listening
attentively to divine service, then performing in the admiral's tent
These circumstances, though trivial in themselves, are important in
ascertaining the first discovery of California by the English.
News of the arrival of the English having spread about the country, two
ambassadors came to the admiral, to inform him that the king was coming
to wait upon him, and desired to have a token of peace, and assurance of
safe conduct. This being given to their satisfaction, the whole train
began to move towards the admiral, in good order, and with a graceful
deportment. In front came a very comely person, bearing the sceptre
before the king, on which hung two crowns, and two chains of great
length. The crowns were made of net-work, ingeniously interwoven with
feathers of many colours, and the chains were made of bones. Next to the
sceptre-bearer came the king, a very comely personage, shewing an air of
majesty in all. This deportment, surrounded by a guard of tall
martial-looking men, all clad in skins. Then followed the common people,
who, to make the finer appearance, had painted their faces, some black,
and some of other colours. All of them had their arms full of presents,
even the children not excepted.
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