On Coming Abreast Of The Town It Was
Recognized, And Having Anchored Within Half A Mile Of The Shore In Five
Fathoms, With Good Ground, We Put Wares Into Our Boat, And Went Near The
Shore To Endeavour To Open Trade.
Anchoring close to the shore, about 10
A.M. we saw many canoes on the beach, and some came past us, but no one
would draw near, being, as we supposed, afraid of us, as four men had
been forcibly taken away from thence the year before.
Seeing that no one
came off to us, we went again on board, expecting to make no sales; but
towards evening a great number of people came to the shore and waved a
white flag, as inviting us to land, after which their chief or captain
came down with many men along with him, and sat down under a tree near
the shore. On seeing this I took some things with me in the boat to
present to him, and at length he sent off a boat to us which would not
come near, but made signs for us to return next day. At length, by
offering things for their captain, I enticed them into our boat, and
gave them two ells of cloth, a latten basin, a white basin, a bottle, a
large piece of beef, and six biscuits, which they received and made
signs for us to come back next day, saying that their chief was _grand
captain_, which indeed appeared by his numerous attendants, who were
armed with darts, targets, and other weapons. This town is very large,
and stands upon a hill among trees, so that it cannot well be seen
except when one is near. To the eastwards of it there are two very high
trees on a hill close to the town[27]; and under the town is another
and lower hill washed by the sea, where it is all composed of great
black rocks. Beyond this town there is another considerably smaller on a
bay.
[252][Footnote 252: 27 It is added, _which is a good mark to know the
town_. But at this distance of time, above 250 years, such marks cannot
be supposed to remain. - E.]
In the morning of the 13th we took our boat and went close to the shore,
where we remained till ten o'clock, but no one came near us. We prepared
therefore to return on board, on seeing which some negroes came running
down and waved us back with a white flag, so we anchored again and they
made us to understand by signs that the chief would soon come down. In
the meantime we saw a sail pass by us, but being small we regarded it
not. As the sun was high, we made a tilt with our oars and sails. There
now came off to us a canoe with five men, who brought back our bottle,
and gave me a hen, making signs by the sun that within two hours the
merchants of the country would come and buy all we had. I gave them six
_manillios_ to present to their captain; and as they signified by signs
that they would leave a man with us if we gave them a pledge, we put one
of our men into their boat; but as they would not give us one of their
men, we took back our man again, and remained in expectation of the
merchants. Shortly afterwards there came down one of the natives to the
shore, arrayed like their captain, attended by a numerous train, who
saluted us in a friendly manner, and then sat down under a tree where
the captain used to sit in the former year. Soon afterwards we perceived
a great number of natives standing at the end of a hollow way, and
behind them the Portuguese had planted a base, which they suddenly
discharged, but its ball overshot us, though we were very near. Before
we could ship our oars to get away, they shot at us again, but did us no
harm; the negroes came to the rocks close beside us, whence they
discharged calivers at us, and the Portuguese shot off their base twice
more. On this our ship made some shots at them, but they were protected
by the rocks and hills.
We now went on board to leave this place, as the negroes were bent
against us, because in the former year Robert Gainsh had taken away the
captains son from this place, with three others, and all their gold and
every thing else they had about them; owing to which they had become
friends to the Portuguese, whom they hated before, as appeared in the
former year when the Trinity was there; when the chief came on board
and brought them to his town, trading with them largely, and offering
them ground on which to build a fort[253]. The 14th we plied back to
meet the Hind, which we met in the morning, and then both ships sailed
eastwards to try what could be done at the place where the Trinity sold
her friezes in the preceding year. The day after we parted, the Hind had
taken eighteen and a half ounces of gold from some negroes in exchange
for wares. This day, about one P.M. we saw some canoes on the coast,
with men standing beside them, and going to them with merchandise, we
took three ounces of gold for eighteen _fuffs_ of cloth, each _fuffe_
being three and a half yards, at the rate of one angel twelve grains the
_fuffe_. These people made us understand by signs that if we waited till
next day we might have plenty of gold. For this reason I sent off the
master with the Hind, accompanied by John Saville and John Makeworth, to
seek the other place, while I and Richard Pakeman remained here to try
our fortunes next day. When the negroes perceived the Hind going away
they feared the other ship would follow, wherefore they sent off four
men in two canoes, asking us to remain, and offering two men to remain
with us, if we would give one as a pledge or hostage for his safety.
Accordingly, one Edward, who was servant to Mr Morley, seeing them so
much in earnest, offered himself as a pledge, and we let him go for two
of them who staid with us, one of whom had his weights and scales, with
a chain of gold about his neck and another round his arm.
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