This Is A High Woody Island, Very Plain, And Green On The Top.
When Within A Mile Of This Island, We Lay To, And Several Fishing Boats
Came To Us, Bringing Us Fish, Yams, Eggs, Potatoes, And Other
Provisions, To Our Great Joy.
The men in these boats were very tall and
large-limbed, of tawny complexions, with long black hair reaching to
their middles, and were all utterly stark naked, not even covering their
parts of shame.
In exchange for what we had of these people we offered
them money, which they looked at and returned, making signs to give them
tobacco, which we did, and they seemed much pleased. We also gave them
some old shirts, which they tore in pieces and wrapped round their
heads. We would have given each a dram of brandy, but they were afraid
of it; only one man accepted a glass, which he drank off, but we thought
he would never have closed his mouth again, he seemed so astonished at
the heat it left in his mouth and stomach, that I believe he thought
himself on fire. He lay down and roared like a bull near half an hour,
when he fell asleep; and we being in haste, put him into his boat,
making signs to his companions to take care of him.
These islanders seemed a very civil people, yet we did not venture to
allow too many of them to come on board at once. When they first came
near us, they tied two sticks together in form of a cross, which they
held up, as we supposed, to signify to us that they had some knowledge
of Christianity; whereupon we shewed them a crucifix, we had taken from
the Spaniards, at the sight of which they all bowed their bodies, and
came on board.
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