He Then
Inquired By Signs Who Was Captain, Or Diago As They Call It, And The
Master Of The Ship
Being pointed out to him, he began to shew his
grains, but held them so unreasonably dear that no profit
Could be made
of them; on which, and because they seemed to have no store, the master
came away with only about 50 pounds of grains. Going on shore at the
small town on their way back to the ships, some one of our people
plucked a gourd which gave great offence to the negroes, on which many
of them came with their darts and large targets, making signs for our
men to depart; which our men did, as they had only one bow and two or
three swords among them. As soon as they were on board we weighed and
set sail, but the wind was from the sea, so that we could not clear
certain rocks, for which reason we came again to anchor.
This river called St Vincent is in lat. 4 deg. 30' N[234]. The tide at this
place ebbs and flows every twelve hours, but while we were there the
rise and fall did not exceed 9 feet. So far as we could see, the whole
country was altogether covered with wood, all the kinds of trees being
unknown to us, and of many different sorts, some having large leaves
like gigantic docks, so high that a tall man is unable to reach their
tops. By the sea-side there grow certain pease upon great and long
stalks, one of which I measured and it was 27 paces long. These grow on
the sand like trees, and so very near the sea that we could distinctly
perceive by the water marks that the sea sometimes flows into the woods.
All the trees and other plants of this country are continually green.
Some of the women have exceedingly long breasts, but they are not all
so. All day the wind blows from the sea, and all night from the land,
though we found this to differ sometimes, at which our master was much
surprised.
[Footnote 234: This latitude would bring us to a river about half way
between the Grand Sesters and Cape Palmas; but which does not agree with
the former circumstances, as they could hardly have been so far to the
S.E. without seeing Cape Palmas. The river Sangwin, which we have before
supposed might be the St Vincent, is in lat. 5 deg. 20' N. almost a degree
farther north. - E.]
This night at 9 o'clock the wind came to east, which used ordinarily to
be at N.N.W. off shore[235]; yet we weighed and hauled off south to
seawards, and next morning stood in again towards the land, whence we
took in 6 tons of water for our ship, the Hind probably taking as much.
On this part of the coast I could not find that the natives had any gold
or other valuable article of trade, for indeed they are so savage and
idle that they give not themselves the trouble to seek for any thing,
for if they would take pains they might easily gather large quantities
of grains, yet I do not believe there were two tons to be had in all
that river. They have many fowls likewise in their woods, but the people
are not at the trouble to catch them. While here I collected the
following words of their language, all of which they speak very thick,
often repeating one word three times successively, and always the last
time longer than the two former.
[Footnote 235: The text here is probably corrupt. The direct off-shore
wind on the grain coast of Africa is N.E. The wind at N.N.W. certainly
is in some degree off-shore, but very obliquely; and the wind at east is
more direct from shore. - E.]
Bezow! bezow! Is their salutation.
Manegete afoye,[236], Grains enough.
Crocow afoye, Hens enough.
Zeramme afoye, Have you enough?
Begge sacke, Give me a knife.
Begge come, Give me bread.
Borke, Silence!
Contrecke, You lie!
Veede, Put forth, or empty.
Brekeke, Row!
Diago, or dabo, Captain, or chief.
[Footnote 236: In some maps the grain coast is named Malaguete, probably
from this word, and consequently synonimous with the ordinary name. It
is likewise called the Windward coast. - E.]
Towards night on the 18th, while sailing along the coast, we fell in
with some boats or canoes, when the natives expressed by signs that we
were abreast of a river where we might have grains, but we did not think
it right to stop there, lest other ships might get before us. This river
has three great rocks and five small ones lying before it, with one
great tree and a small one close by the river, which exceed all the rest
in height. This night we proceeded 10 leagues along the coast. About
noon of the 19th, while proceeding along shore, three boats came off to
tell us we might have grains, and brought some to shew, but we did not
choose to stop. Continuing our course we anchored at night, having run
this day 10 leagues. On the 20th as the Hind had come to anchor near us
among some rocks and foul ground, she lost a small anchor. While passing
along shore about noon a negro came off to us as before, offering grains
if we would go on shore, and where we anchored at night another brought
us a similar intimation, besides which a fire was kindled on shore, as
if indicating where we might land, which was likewise done on other
parts of the coast when they saw us anchored. Wherever we happened to
anchor on this coast from our first watering place, we always found the
tide [of flood?] running to the westwards, and saw many rocks close
along shore, many others being a league out to sea.
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