Having A Small Breeze From Shore We Were Fortunately Able To
Stand Off, And Went To The Westermost Island, Because We Saw Many Shoals
Off The Others.
The rocks we were so near running upon were off the
northmost isle, which we named the Island of Deceit.
On getting near
the westermost island which was the biggest of the three, forty or fifty
of their flying proas came off, in which there might be 450 men,
allowing ten to each proa, and we could also see multitudes of people on
the shore looking at us as we passed. The flying proas kept at a
distance from us, till we beckoned and made signs for them to come near,
and at length one came within a ship's length, in which were ten men
entirely naked, in the midst of whom was a grave old man of a pleasant
countenance, entirely naked like the rest, except that he had a
four-cornered cap on his head without a crown. By the respect shewn him
by all the rest in the boat, we judged this man to be a king or prince.
On their approach, they sung a song which continued near a quarter of an
hour, and had a very pretty tune. When this was done, they came almost
close to our vessel, and then sung another song, which was begun by the
old man, and followed by all the rest in the boat. At the end of which,
they put themselves in a posture of prayer, making many bows and cringes
towards us; and then one of the men in the boat, who had a very sore
leg, held it up to us, as if desiring us to cure it, whence we supposed
they had never seen white men before, and deemed us more than mortals.
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