A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: 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 TimeKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels — Volume 12: 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
About 10 o'clock the next morning, the queen came on board according to
her promise, with a present of hogs and fowls, but went on shore again
soon afterwards. This day, the gunner sent off near thirty hogs, with
great plenty of fowls and fruit. We completed our wood and water, and
got all ready for sea. More inhabitants came down to the beach, from the
inland country, than we had seen before, and many of them appeared, by
the respect that was paid them, to be of a superior rank. About three
o'clock in the afternoon, the queen came again down to the beach, very
well dressed, and followed by a great number of people. Having crossed
the river with her attendants and our old man, she came once more on
board the ship. She brought with her some very fine fruit, and renewed
her solicitation, that I would stay ten days longer, with great
earnestness, intimating that she would go into the country and bring me
plenty of hogs, fowls, and fruit. I endeavoured to express a proper
sense of her kindness and bounty, but assured her that I should
certainly sail the next morning. This, as usual, threw her into tears,
and after she recovered, she enquired by signs when I should return: I
endeavoured to express fifty days, and she made signs for thirty: But
the sign for fifty being constantly repeated, she seemed satisfied. She
stayed on board till night, and it was then with the greatest difficulty
that she could be prevailed upon to go on shore. When she was told that
the boat was ready, she threw herself down upon the arm-chest, and wept
a long time with an excess of passion that could not be pacified; at
last, however, though with great reluctance, she went into the boat, and
was followed by her attendants and the old man. The old man had often
intimated that his son, a lad about fourteen years of age, should go
with us, and the boy seemed to be willing: He had, however, now
disappeared for two days; I enquired after him when I first missed him,
and the old man gave me to understand that he was gone into the country
to see his friends, and would return time enough to go with us; but I
have reason to think that, when the time drew near, the father's courage
failed, and that to keep his child he secreted him till the ship was
gone, for we never saw him afterwards.
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