Voyages in Search of the North-West PassageHakluyt, Richard
History
Voyages in Search of the North-West Passage
Hakluyt, Richard
Arctic regions -- Discovery and exploration; Northwest Passage; Voyages and travels
Another time, as our said general was coasting the country with two
little pinnaces, whereby at our return he might make the better relation
thereof, three of the crafty villains with a white skin allured us to
them. Once again our general, for that he hoped to hear of his men, went
towards them; at our coming near the shore whereon they were we might
perceive a number of them lie hidden behind great stones, and those three
in sight labouring by all means possible that some would come on land;
and perceiving we made no haste, by words nor friendly signs, which they
used by clapping their hands, and being without weapon, and but three in
sight, they sought further means to provoke us thereunto. One alone laid
flesh on the shore, which we took up with the boat-hook as necessary
victuals for the relieving of the man, woman, and child whom we had
taken, for that as yet they could not digest our meat; whereby they
perceived themselves deceived of their expectation for all their crafty
allurements. Yet once again to make, as it were, a full show of their
crafty natures and subtle sleights, to the intent thereby to have
entrapped and taken some of our men, one of them counterfeited himself
impotent and lame of his legs, who seemed to descend to the water's side
with great difficulty, and to cover his craft the more one of his fellows
came down with him, and in such places where he seemed unable to pass, he
took him on his shoulders, set him by the water's side, and departed from
him, leaving him, as it should seem, all alone; who, playing his
counterfeit pageant very well, thought thereby to provoke some of us to
come on shore, not fearing but that one of us might make our party good
with a lame man.
Our general, having compassion of his impotency, thought good, if it were
possible, to cure him thereof; wherefore he caused a soldier to shoot at
him with his calever, which grazed before his face. The counterfeit
villain deliverly fled without any impediment at all, and got him to his
bow and arrows, and the rest from their lurking holes with their weapons,
bows, arrows, slings, and darts. Our general caused some calevers to be
shot off at them, whereby, some being hurt, they might hereafter stand in
more fear of us.
This was all the answer for this time we could have of our men, or of our
general's letter. Their crafty dealing at these three several times
being thus manifest unto us, may plainly show their disposition in other
things to be correspondent. We judged that they used these stratagems
thereby to have caught some of us for the delivering of the man, woman,
and child, whom we had taken.
They are men of a large corporature, and good proportion; their colour is
not much unlike the sunburnt countryman, who laboureth daily in sun for
his living.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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