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
[Sidenote: Their flags made of bladders.] On Wednesday the fourteenth of
August, our Generall with two small boates well appointed, for that hee
suspected the countrey people to lie lurking thereabout, went vp a certaine
Bay within the Countesses sound, to search for Ore, and met againe with the
countrey people, who so soone as they saw our men made great outcries, and
with a white flag made of bladders sewed together with the guts and sinewes
of beasts, wafted vs amaine vnto them, but shewed not aboue three of their
company. But when wee came neere them, wee might perceiue a great multitude
creeping behinde the rockes, which gaue vs good cause to suspect their
traiterous meaning: whereupon we made them signes, that if they would lay
their weapons aside, and come foorth, we would deale friendly with them,
although their intent was manifested vnto vs: but for all the signes of
friendship we could make them they came still creeping towards vs behind
the rocks to get more aduantage of vs, as though we had no eyes to see
them, thinking belike that our single wits could not discouer so bare
deuises and simple drifts of theirs. Their spokesman earnestly perswaded vs
with many intising shewes, to come eate and sleepe ashore, with great
arguments of courtesie, and clapping his bare hands ouer his head in token
of peace and innocencie, willed vs to doe the like. [Sidenote: Great
offers.] But the better to allure our hungry stomackes, he brought vs a
trimme baite of raw flesh, which for fashion sake with a boat-hooke wee
caught into our boate: but when the cunning Cater perceiued his first cold
morsell could nothing sharpen our stomacks, he cast about for a new traine
of warme flesh to procure our appetites, wherefore be caused one of his
fellowes in halting maner, to come foorth as a lame man from behind the
rockes, and the better to declare his kindnes in caruing, he hoised him
vpon his shoulders, and bringing him hard to the water side where we were,
left him there limping as an easie prey to be taken of vs. His hope was
that we would bite at this baite, and speedily leape ashore within their
danger, wherby they might haue apprehended some of vs, to ransome their
friends home againe, which before we had taken. The gentlemen and souldiers
had great will to encounter them ashore, but the Generall more carefull by
processe of time to winne them, then wilfully at the first to spoile them,
would in no wise admit that any man should put himselfe in hazard ashore,
considering the matter he now intended was for the Ore, and not for the
Conquest: notwithstanding to prooue this cripples footemanship, he gaue
liberty for one to shoote: whereupon the cripple hauing a parting blow,
lightly recouered a rocke and went away a true and no fained cripple, and
hath learned his lesson for euer halting afore such cripples againe. But
his fellowes which lay hid before, full quickly then appeared in their
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