The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writersPigafetta, Antonio
History
The first voyage round the world, by Magellan : $b translated from the accounts of Pigafetta, and other contemporary writers
Pigafetta, Antonio
Magalhães, Fernão de, -1521; Voyages around the world -- Early works to 1800
After that the captain gave him two bells, a mirror, a comb, and a
chaplet of beads, and sent him back on shore, having him accompanied by
four armed men. One of the companions of this giant, who would never
come to the ship, on seeing the other coming back with our people, came
forward and ran to where the other giants dwelled. These came one after
the other all naked, and began to leap and sing, raising one finger to
heaven, and showing to our people a certain white powder made of the
roots of herbs, which they kept in earthen pots, and they made signs
that they lived on that, and that they had nothing else to eat than
this powder. Therefore our people made them signs to come to the ship
and that they would help them to carry their bundles.[180] Then these
men came, who carried only their bows in their hands; but their wives
came after them laden like donkeys, and carried their goods. These
women are not as tall as the men, but they are very sufficiently large.
When we saw them we were all amazed and astonished, for they had the
breasts half an ell[181] long, and had their faces painted, and were
dressed like the men. But they wore a small skin before them to cover
themselves. They brought with them four of those little beasts of which
they make their clothing, and they led them with a cord in the manner
of dogs coupled together. When these people wish to catch these animals
with which they clothe themselves, they fasten one of the young ones
to a bush, and afterwards the large ones come to play with the little
one, and the giants are hid behind some hedge, and by shooting their
arrows they kill the large ones. Our men brought eighteen of these
giants, both men and women, whom they placed in two divisions, half on
one side of the port, and the other half at the other, to hunt the said
animals. Six days after, our people on going to cut wood, saw another
giant, with his face painted and clothed like the above-mentioned, he
had in his hand a bow and arrows, and approaching our people he made
some touches on his head and then on his body, and afterwards did the
same to our people. And this being done he raised both his hands to
heaven. When the captain-general knew all this, he sent to fetch him
with his ship’s boat, and brought him to one of the little islands
which are in the port, where the ships were. In this island the captain
had caused a house to be made for putting some of the ships’ things in
whilst he remained there. This giant was of a still better disposition
than the others, and was a gracious and amiable person, who liked to
dance and leap. When he leapt he caused the earth to sink in a palm
depth at the place where his feet touched. He was a long time with us,
and at the end we baptised him, and gave him the name of John. This
giant pronounced the name of Jesus, the Pater noster, Ave Maria, and
his name as clearly as we did: but he had a terribly strong and loud
voice. The captain gave him a shirt and a tunic[182] of cloth, and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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