Notable Voyagers, From Columbus to NordenskioldKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Notable Voyagers, From Columbus to Nordenskiold
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Explorers; Voyages and travels
The natives seemed astonished at the strength of the _Unity_. Some of
them were seen to dive under her bottom, knocking against it with
stones, as if to try how strong it was. Their King or chief sent on
board a black hog as a present, the messenger being ordered to take no
reward. Shortly afterwards he came in person, in a large double canoe,
attended by thirty-five single canoes. When at a distance he and his
people began to shout at the top of their voices, that being their
manner of welcoming strangers. He was not to be distinguished from any
of his subjects by any external mark, for he was as naked as they were;
but it was seen who he was by the reverence they showed him. The
Dutchmen, to do him honour, began beating their drums and sounding their
trumpets, and this seemed to afford him much satisfaction, as he and his
attendants, to show how highly they appreciated this reception, bowed
and clapped their hands until they grew tired of the performance. The
King then sent another pig, in one of the small canoes, on board the
_Unity_, for which Captain Schouten returned him an old hatchet, some
rusty nails, some glass beads, and a piece of linen cloth, with which he
seemed highly pleased.
They then invited him by signs to come on board. He would not, however,
trust himself with the strangers; but, after satisfying his curiosity,
he, followed by the rest of the canoes, took his departure.
At noon on the 13th, fully twenty-three double canoes and forty-five
single ones, in each of which there could not have been less than seven
or eight men, were seen coming off from the shore, and soon perfectly
surrounded the ship. At first the savages pretended to come for the
purpose of trading, making signs of friendship, and endeavouring to
persuade their visitors to remove the ship to another island, where
there was better anchorage. Captain Schouten suspected, however, in
spite of this, that there was some mischief intended. He therefore
ordered his men to arm themselves, and load their guns as well as their
muskets, to be ready for an attack. He was not mistaken, for in a short
time the savages, finding their signs not attended to, began to shout in
the most fearful manner, and then the crew of the King's ship, which was
nearest, plying her paddles, forced her with such force against the
_Unity_, that the heads of the two canoes composing it were both dashed
to pieces.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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