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
They are men very actiue and nimble. They are a strong people and very
warlike, for in our sight vpon the toppes of the hilles they would often
muster themselues, and after the maner of a skirmish trace their ground
very nimbly, and mannage their bowes and dartes with great dexterity.
[Sidenote: Their apparel.] They go clad in coates made of the skinnes of
beasts, as of Seales, Deere, Beares, Foxes, and Hares. They haue also some
garments of feathers, being made of the cases of Foules, finely sowed and
compact togither. Of all which sorts wee brought home some with vs into
England, which we found in their tents. In Sommer they vse to weare the
hairie side of their coates outward, and sometime goe naked for too much
heate. And in Winter (as by signes they haue declared) they weare foure or
fiue folde vpon their bodies with the haire (for warmth) turned inward.
Hereby it appeareth, that the ayre there is not indifferent, but either it
is feruent hote, or els extreme cold, and farre more excessiue in both
qualities, then the reason of the climate should yeeld. For there it is
colder, being vnder 62 degrees in latitude, then it is at Wardhouse in the
voyage to Saint Nicholas in Moscouie, being at about aboue 72. degrees in
latitude. [Sidenote: The accidental cause of cold ayre at Meta Incognita.]
The reason hereof may be, that this Meta Incognita is much frequented and
vexed with Easterne and Northeastern winds, which from the sea and yce
bringeth often an intollerable cold ayre, which was also the cause that
this yeere our straits were so long shut vp with so great store of yce. But
there is great hope and likelihood, that further within the Straights it
will bee more constant and temperate weather.
These people are in nature very subtill and sharpe witted, ready to
conceiue our meaning by signes, and to make answere well to be vnderstood
againe. And if they haue not seene the thing whereof you aske them, they
will wincke, or couer their eyes with their hands, as who would say, it
hath bene hid from their sight. If they vnderstand you not whereof you
should aske them, they wil stop their eares. They will teach vs the names
of each thing in their language which wee desire to learne, and are apt to
learne any thing of vs. [Sidenote: The sauages delight in Musicke.] They
delight in Musicke aboue measure, and will keepe time and stroke to any
tune which you shall sing, both with their voyce, head, hand and feete, and
will sing the same tune aptly after you. They will row with our Ores in our
boates, and keepe a true stroke with our Mariners, and seeme to take great
delight therein. [Sidenote: Hard kind of Living.] They liue in Caues of the
earth, and hunt for their dinners or praye, euen as the beare or other wild
beastes do. They eat raw flesh and fish, and refuse no meat howsoeuer it be
stinking. They are desperate in their fight, sullen of nature, and rauenous
in their maner of feeding.
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