The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part IIIHakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 14: America, Part III
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
On Sunday the twelfth of October we found our selues altogether inclosed
with land, on the right hand with the maine, which compassed vs before
and behinde, and on the left hand with an Island of a league and a
halfe; and betweene the maine and the Island in the midst of the sea
there lay a small Islet, and also betweene the sayd maine and the Island
there were two mouthes, through which there appeared, a passage whereby
afterward we passed through. This maine was much more fresh and greene
then the other which wee had passed, and had certaine plaines and points
of mountaines of pleasant view, and full of greene grasse. Here all this
night we saw two or three villages which were very great, and at breake
of day we saw a Canoa or boate made of canes, which came from the land
out of a creeke, and wee stood still vntill it came neere vnto vs in the
ship, and they began to speake in their language which no man
vnderstood, whose pronuntiation was like to the Flemings, and being
called they returned with great haste vnto the shore, and we were very
sory because our boate had not followed them.
Here happened vnto vs a very strange thing, which was, that as this
Indian returned to the shore in certaine of these creekes where a number
of his fellow Indians were, as wee viewed that part, we sawe fiue Canoas
issue foorth, which came toward vs: whereupon wee stayed to see what
they would doe. In the meane while our Admirall came vp vnto vs, which
was neere the shore, for he also had seene them, and so being come
together we cast anker, expecting what those Canoas would doe. In the
meane while our Generall commanded vs to make ready our boate, and to
furnish the same with oares and men, to try if we could by any meanes
take some of them, that we might come to some knowledge of them, and
that wee might giue them some of our trifles, and specially of our
hookes and beads to winne their friendship. The Indians with their fiue
Canoas approached within one or two stones cast of vs, and then began to
speake very loude vnto vs in a very strange language, alwayes standing
vpon their guard to retire themselues with speede. When our Captaine saw
this, and that they would not come, neere vs, but rather retired, he
commanded sixe mariners to goe into the boate from the sterne of the
ship, and himselfe also went with them with all possible haste toward
the Indians. The Indians returned to the shore with so great celeritie,
that they seemed to flie in those little Canoas of canes. Neuerthelesse
our men vsed such diligence that one of the Canaos was boarded and
taken; but the Indian in the Canoa seeing himselfe now taken leapt into
the water, and our men followed with their boat to take him, but seeing
himselfe within their reach, he ducked with his head vnder their boate,
and so deceiued them, and then rose vp againe, and, with their oares and
with staues they gaue him certaine blowes, to amaze him, but nothing
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