Their Huts Are Made Of Trees, In The Form Of A
Round Tent, Having A Hole At The Top To Let Out The Smoke.
Within they
are sunk two or three feet under the surface of the ground, and the
earth taken from this hollow is thrown upon the outside.
Their
fishing-tackle is very curious, and is furnished with hooks made of
stone, nearly of the same shape with ours. They are variously armed,
some having bows and arrows artificially headed with stone; others long
javelins or spears, headed with bone; some have great wooden clubs, some
have slings, and most have stone knives, or daggers, which are very
sharp. They are never seen without their arms, as they are always at war
among themselves; and it would appear that the several tribes paint
differently, that they may distinguish each other; for the people about
the island of Torhaltens, and about Schapenham bay, were all painted
black, while those about Greyhound bay were painted red.
Their canoes are very singular, being formed of bark, fortified both on
the inside and outside with several pieces of small wood, and then
covered over by bark, so as to be both tight and strong. These canoes
are from ten to fourteen, and even sixteen feet long, and two feet
broad, and will contain seven or eight men, who navigate them as swiftly
as our boats. In manners, these people resemble beasts more than men,
for they tear human bodies in pieces, and eat the raw and bloody flesh.
They have not the smallest spark of religion, neither any appearance of
polity or civilization, being in all respects utterly brutal, insomuch
that if they have occasion to make water, they let fly upon whoever is
nearest them. They have no knowledge of our arms, and would even lay
their hands on the edges of the Dutchmen's swords; yet are exceedingly
cunning, faithless, and cruel; shewing every appearance of friendship at
one time, and instantly afterwards murdering those with whom they have
been familiar. The Dutch found it impossible to procure any kind of
refreshments from them, though such surely were among them, for
quantities of cow-dung were seen; and their bow-strings were made of ox
sinews: besides, a soldier who went ashore from the Greyhound yacht,
while she lay at anchor, reported to the vice-admiral, that he had seen
a large herd of cattle feeding in a meadow.[137]
[Footnote 137: This is not at all likely to have been true. The cattle,
the dung, and the sinews mentioned in the text, are more likely to have
been of some species of the seal tribe - E.]
On the 27th of February, 1624, the admiral made a signal for sailing,
the wind being then N. so that hopes were entertained of getting from
the bay of Nassau to the west; but a storm came on in the evening at W.
and blew hard all night. March 3d, they had an observation at noon, when
they were in lat, 59 deg. 45' S. with the wind at N.W. Hitherto it had been
the opinion of nautical men, that it was easy to get from the Straits of
Le Maire to Chili, but hardly possible to pass from Chili by that strait
into the Atlantic, as they imagined that the south wind blew constantly
in these seas: but they now found the case quite otherwise, as the
frequent tempests they encountered from W. and N.W. rendered it beyond
comparison easier to have passed through the Straits of Le Maire from
the South Sea than from the Atlantic.
The wind still continuing strong from the west on the 6th, the admiral
held a council to consider of a proper rendezvous for the fleet, in case
of separation, or of being forced to winter, if these west winds should
still continue to oppose their entry into the South Sea. Some proposed
the Terra del Fuego, and others the Straits of Magellan. But the
majority were of opinion, that it was best to wait two months for a fair
wind, and to use their utmost endeavours to get into the South Sea. On
the 8th they were in 61 deg. S. on the 14th in 58 deg., and on the 18th, 19th
and 20th they had a fair wind at S.E. with warm weather, so that they
were now in hopes of having accomplished their purpose. On the 24th they
lost sight of the Maurice and David, the fleet being now reduced to
seven sail; and the same evening they were in lat. 47 deg. S. The 25th,
having still a fair wind and good weather, they reached 45 deg. S. and were
then in great hopes of overcoming all difficulties. The 28th they got
sight of the coast of Chili, bearing E.S.E. and in the evening were
within a league of the shore, which appeared high and mountainous.
SECTION II:
Transactions of the Fleet on the Western Coast of America.
The admiral was at this time confined to bed, and wished to have put
into the port of Chiloe; but his instructions did not allow of this
measure, requiring the performance of some action of importance against
the Spaniards in Peru. It was therefore resolved to proceed for the
island of Juan Fernandez, to make the best preparations in their power
for attacking the Spanish galleons in the port of Arica, if found there,
and to gain possession of that place, after which it was proposed to
extend their conquests by the aid of the Indians. On the 1st April,
being then in lat. 38 deg. 10' S. the vice-admiral took to his bed, quite
worn out with fatigue, so that they expected to lose both the admiral
and him. On the 4th they had sight of Juan Fernandez, in lat. 33 deg. 50' S.
and next day came to anchor in sixty fathoms in a fine bay. The 6th
orders were issued to provide all the ships with as many
cheveaux-de-frize and pallisades as they could.
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