We
Imagined That Some Wildmen Might Have Surprized Us; But I May Say They
Weare Far More Afrayd Then We.
Some dayes after we found it one half a mile
from the fort in a hole of a tree, the most part torne.
Then I killed an
Oriniack. I could have killed more, but we liked the fowles better. If we
had both libertie to goe from our fort, we should have procured in a month
that should serve us a whole winter. The wildmen brought us more meate then
we would, and as much fish as we might eate.
The 12th day we perceived afarr off some 50 yong men coming towards us,
with some of our formest compagnions. We gave them leave to come into our
fort, but they are astonied, calling us every foot devills to have made
such a machine. They brought us victualls, thinking we weare halfe starved,
but weare mightily mistaken, for we had more for them then they weare able
to eate, having 3 score bussards and many sticks where was meate hanged
plentifully. They offred to carry our baggage, being come a purpose; but we
had not so much marchandize as when they went from us, because we hid some
of them, that they might not have suspicion of us. We told them that for
feare of the dayly multitud of people that came to see us, for to have our
goods would kill us. We therefore tooke a boat and putt into it our
marchandises; this we brought farre into the bay, where we sunke them,
biding our devill not to lett them to be wett nor rusted, nor suffer them
to be taken away, which he promised faithlesse that we should retourne and
take them out of his hands; att which they weare astonished, believing it
to be true as the Christians the Gospell. We hid them in the ground on the
other sid of the river in a peece of ground. We told them that lye that
they should not have suspicion of us. We made good cheere. They stayed
there three dayes, during which time many of their wives came thither, and
we traited them well, for they eat not fowle att all, scarce, because they
know not how to catch them except with their arrowes. We putt a great many
rind about our fort, and broake all the boats that we could have, for the
frost would have broaken them or wild men had stolen them away. That rind
was tyed all in length to putt the fire in it, to frighten the more these
people, for they could not approach it without being discovered. If they
ventured att the going out we putt the fire to all the torches, shewing
them how we would have defended ourselves. We weare Cesars, being nobody to
contradict us. We went away free from any burden, whilst those poore
miserable thought themselves happy to carry our Equipage, for the hope that
they had that we should give them a brasse ring, or an awle, or an needle.
There came above foure hundred persons to see us goe away from that place,
which admired more our actions [than] the fools of Paris to see enter their
King and the Infanta of Spaine, his spouse; for they cry out, "God save the
King and Queene!" Those made horrid noise, and called Gods and Devills of
the Earth and heavens. We marched foure dayes through the woods. The
countrey is beautifull, with very few mountaines, the woods cleare. Att
last we came within a league of the Cabbans, where we layed that the next
day might be for our entrey. We 2 poore adventurers for the honneur of our
countrey, or of those that shall deserve it from that day; the nimblest and
stoutest went before to warne before the people that we should make our
entry to-morow. Every one prepares to see what they never before have
seene. We weare in cottages which weare neare a litle lake some 8 leagues
in circuit. Att the watterside there weare abundance of litle boats made of
trees that they have hollowed, and of rind.
The next day we weare to embarque in them, and arrived att the village by
watter, which was composed of a hundred cabans without pallasados. There is
nothing but cryes. The women throw themselves backwards uppon the ground,
thinking to give us tokens of friendship and of wellcome. We destinated 3
presents, one for the men, one for the women, and the other for the
children, to the end that they should remember that journey; that we should
be spoaken of a hundred years after, if other Europeans should not come in
those quarters and be liberal to them, which will hardly come to passe. The
first was a kettle, two hattchetts, and 6 knives, and a blade for a sword.
The kettle was to call all nations that weare their friends to the feast
which is made for the remembrance of the death; that is, they make it once
in seaven years; it's a renewing of ffriendshippe. I will talke further of
it in the following discours. The hattchetts weare to encourage the yong
people to strengthen themselves in all places, to preserve their wives, and
shew themselves men by knocking the heads of their ennemyes with the said
hattchetts. The knives weare to shew that the ffrench weare great and
mighty, and their confederats and ffriends. The sword was to signifie that
we would be masters both of peace and warrs, being willing to healpe and
relieve them, & to destroy our Ennemyes with our armes. The second guift
was of 2 and 20 awles, 50 needles, 2 gratters of castors, 2 ivory combs and
2 wooden ones, with red painte, 6 looking-glasses of tin. The awles
signifieth to take good courage, that we should keepe their lives, and that
they with their hushands should come downe to the ffrench when time and
season should permitt.
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