The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part IIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 13: America, Part II
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
So soone as we were come neere the Towne, a great number of the
inhabitants thereof came to present themselues before vs after their
fashion, making very much of vs: we were by our guides brought into the
middest of the towne. They haue in the middlemost part of their houses a
large square place, being from side to side a good stones cast, whither we
were brought, and there with signes were commanded to stay: then suddenly
all the women and maidens of the towne gathered themselues together, part
of which had their armes full of young children, and as many as could came
to rubbe our faces, our armes, and what part of the bodie soeuer they
could touch, weeping for very ioy that they saw vs, shewing vs the best
countenance that possibly they could, desiring vs with their signes, that
it would please vs to touch their children. That done, the men caused the
women to withdraw themselues backe, then they euery one sate downe on the
ground round about vs, as if they would haue shewen and rehearsed some
Comedie or other shew: then presently came the women againe, euery one
bringing a foure square Matte in manner of Carpets, and spreading them
abroad on the ground in that place, they caused vs to sit vpon them. That
done, the the Lord and King of the countrey was brought vpon 9 or 10 mens
shoulders, (whom in their tongue they call Agouhanna) sitting vpon a great
Stagges skinne, and they laide him downe vpon the foresaid mats neere to
the Captaine euery one beckning vnto vs that hee was their Lord and King.
This Agouhanna was a man about fiftie yeeres old: he was no whit better
apparelled then any of the rest, onely excepted, that he had a certaine
thing made of the skinnes of Hedgehogs like a red wreath, and that was in
stead of his Crowne. He was full of the palsie, and his members shronke
togither. After he had with certaine signes saluted our Captaine and all
his companie, and by manifest tokens bid all welcome, he shewed his legges
and armes to our Captaine, and with signes desired him to touch them, and
so he did, rubbing them with his owne hands: then did Agouhanna take the
wreath or crowne he had about his head, and gaue it vnto our Captaine:
that done they brought before him diuers diseased men, some blinde, some
criple, some lame and impotent, and some so old that the haire of their
eyelids came downe and couered their cheekes, and layd them all along
before our Captaine, to the end they might of him be touched: for it
seemed vnto them that God was descended and come downe from heauen to
heale them. Our Captaine seeing the misery and deuotion of this poore
people, recited the Gospel of Saint Iohn, that is to say, In the beginning
was the word; touching euery one that were diseased, praying to God that
it would please him to open the hearts of this poore people, and to make
them know his holy word, and that they might receiue Baptisme and
Christendome: that done, he tooke a Seruice-booke in his hand, and with a
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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