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: The order of the people appearing on shoare.] Whilest he was
searching the Countrey neere the shoare, some of the people of the Countrey
shewed themselues leaping and dauncing, with strange shrikes and cries,
which gaue no little admiration to our men. Our Generall desirous to allure
them vnto him by faire meanes, caused kniues, and other things to be
profered vnto them, which they would not take at our hands: but being laid
on the ground, and the party going away, they came and tooke vp, leauing
some thing of theirs to counteruaile the same. [Sidenote: Fierce and bold
people.] At the length two of them leauing their weapons, came downe to our
Generall and Master, who did the like to them, commanding the company to
stay, and went vnto them: who after certaine dumbe signes, and mute
congratulations, began to lay handes vpon them, but they deliuerly escaped,
and ranne to their bowes and arrowes, and came fiercely vpon them, (not
respecting the rest of our companie which were readie for their defence,)
but with their arrowes hurt diuers of them: [Sidenote: One taken.] we tooke
the one, and the other escaped.
Whilest our Generall was busied in searching the Countrey, and those
Islands adiacent on the Eastshoare, the ship and barkes hauing great care,
not to put farre into the sea from him, for that he had small store of
victuals, were forced to abide in a cruell tempest, chancing in the night,
amongst and in the thickest of the yce, which was so monstrous, that euen
the least of a thousand had bene of force sufficient, to haue shiuered our
ship and barks into small portions, if God (who in all necessities, hath
care vpon the infirmitie of man) had not prouided for this our extremitie a
sufficient remedie through the light of the night, whereby we might well
discerne to flee from such imminent dangers, which we auoyded with 14.
Bourdes in one watch the space of 4 houres. [Sidenote: Richard Cox, Master
gunner. Master Iackman. Andrew Dier.] If we had not incurred this danger
amongst those monstrous Islands of yce, we should haue lost our Generall
and Master, and the most of our best sailers, which were on shoare
destitute of victuals: but by the valure of our Master Gunner, Master
Iackman, and Andrew Dier, the Masters Mates, men expert both in nauigation,
and other good qualities, wee were all content to incurre the dangers afore
rehearsed, before we would with our owne safetie, runne into the seas, to
the destruction of our sayd Generall, and his company.
The day following, being the 19. of Iulie, our captaine returned to the
ship, with report of supposed riches, which shewed it selfe in the bowels
of those barren mountaines, wherewith wee were all satisfied.
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