The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part IHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation — Volume 12: America, Part I
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
vtterance: the woman at the first very suddenly, as though she disdeined or
regarded not the man, turned away, and began to sing as though she minded
another matter: but being againe brought together, the man brake vp the
silence first, and with sterne and stayed countenance, began to tell a long
solemne tale to the woman, whereunto she gaue good hearing, and interrupted
him nothing, till he had finished, and afterwards, being growen into more
familiar acquaintance by speech, they were turned together, so that (I
thinke) the one would hardly haue liued without the comfort of the other.
And for so much as we could perceiue, albeit they liued continually
together, yet they did neuer vse as man and wife, though the woman spared
not to doe all necessary things that appertained to a good housewife
indifferently for them both, as in making cleane their Cabin, and euery
other thing that appertained to his ease: for when he was seasicke, she
would make him cleane, she would kill and flea the dogs for their eating,
and dresse his meate. [Sidenote: The shamefastess and chastity of those
Sauage captiues.] Only I think it worth the noting, the continencie of them
both: for the man would neuer shift hemselfe, except he had first caused
the woman to depart out of his cabin, and they both were most shamefast,
least any of their priue parts should be discouered, either of themselues,
or any other body.
[Sidenote: Another appearance of the countrey people.] On Munday the sixth
of August, the Lieutenant with all the Souldiers, for the better garde of
the Myners and other things a shore, pitched their tents in the Countesses
Island, and fortifyed the place for their better defence as well as they
could, and were to the number of forty persons, when being all at labour,
they might perceiue vpon the top of a hill ouer against them a number of
the countrey people wafting with a flag, and making great outcries vnto
them, and were of the same companie, which had encountred lately our men
vpon the other shore, being come to complaine their late losses, and to
entreate (as it seemed) for restriction of the woman and child, which our
men in the late conflict had taken and brought away; whereupon, the
Generall taking the sauage captiue with him, and setting the woman where
they might best perceiue her in the highest place in the Island, went ouer
to talke with them. This captiue at his first encounter of his friends fell
so out into teares that he could not speake a word in a great space, but
after a while, ouercomming his kindnesse, he talked at full with his
companions, and bestowed friendly vpon them such toyes and trifles as we
had giuen him, whereby we noted, that they are very kind one to another,
and greatly sorrowfull for the losse of their friends. Our Generall by
signes required his fiue men which they tooke captiue the last yeere, and
promised them, not only to release those which he had taken, but also to
reward them with great gifts and friendship.
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