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: two sorts of darts.] Their Darts are made of two sorts: the one
with many forkes of bones in the fore end and likewise in the midst: their
proportions are not much vnlike our toasting yrons, but longer: these they
cast out of an instrument of wood, very readily. The other sort is greater
then the first aforesayd, with a long bone made sharpe on both sides not
much vnlike a Rapier, which I take to bee their most hurtfull weapon.
[Sidenote: Two sortes of boates made of leather.] They haue two sorts of
boats made of leather, set out on the inner side with quarters of wood,
artificially tyed with thongs of the same: the greater sort are not much
vnlike our wherries, wherein sixteene or twenty men may sit: they haue for
a sayle drest the guts of such beasts as they kill very fine and thinne,
which they sew together: the other boate is but for one man to sit and row
in with one oare.
[Sidenote: They vse to foule, fish, and hunt.] Their order of fishing,
hunting, and fouling are with these said weapons; but in what sort, or how
they vse them we haue no perfect knowledge as yet.
[Sidenote: It is to be supposed that their inhabiting is elsewhere.] I can
suppose their abode or habitation not to be here, for that neither their
houses or apparell, are of such force to withstand the extremity of cold,
that the Countrey seemeth to be infected with all: neither do I see any
signe likely to performe the same.
Those houses or rather dennes which stand there, haue no signe of footway,
or any thing else troden, which is one of the chiefest tokens of
habitation. And those tents which they bring with them, when they haue
sufficiently hunted and fished, they remoue to other places: and when they
haue sufficiently stored them of such victuals, as the Countrey yeeldeth or
bringeth forth, they returne to their winter stations or habitations. This
coniecture do I make, for the infertility which I coniecture to be in that
Countrey.
[Sidenote: Their vse of yron.] They haue some yron whereof they make arrow
heads, kniues, and other little instruments, to worke their boates, bowes,
arrowes, and darts withall, which are very vnapt to doe any thing withall
but with great labour.
It seemeth that they haue conuersation with some other people, of whom for
exchange they should receiue the same. They are greatly delighted with any
thing that is bright, or giueth a sound.
[Sidenote: Anthropophagi.] What knowledge they haue of God, or what Idoll
they adore, we haue no perfect intelligence, I thinke them rather
Anthropophagi, or deuourers of mans flesh then otherwise: for that there is
no flesh or fish which they find dead (smell it neuer so filthily) but they
will eate it, as they finde it without any other dressing. A loathsome
thing, either to the beholders or hearers.
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