These Fowls Were In
Such Vast Multitudes, That Many More Ships Than We Had Might Have Been
Amply Supplied.
The 30th March, 1602, being in lat.
6 deg. S[106] we happened upon a ledge
of rocks, and looking overboard, saw them under the ship about five
fathoms below the surface of the water, which amazed us exceedingly by
their sudden and unexpected appearance. On casting the ship about, we
had eight fathoms, and so held on our course to the east. Not long
after, one of our men in the top saw an island S.E. of us, some five or
six leagues off, being low land, which we judged to be the island of
Candu,[107] though our course by computation did not reach so far
east. Continuing our course some thirteen or fourteen leagues, we fell
upon another flat of sunken rocks, when we cast about southwards, and in
sailing about twelve leagues more found other rocks, and in trying
different ways we found rocks all round about, having twenty, thirty,
forty, and even fifty fathoms among the flats. We were here two days and
a half in exceeding great danger, and could find no way to get out. At
last we determined to try to the northward and in 6 deg. 40' S. thank God,
we found six fathoms water. The pinnace went always before, continually
sounding, with orders to indicate by signals what depth she had, that we
might know how to follow.
[Footnote 106: The Speaker bank, in long. 78 deg. E. is nearly in the
indicated latitude. - E.]
[Footnote 107:4 There are two islands called Candu, very small, and
direct N. and S. of each other, in lat. 50 deg. 40' S. long. 78 deg. E. and less
than half a degree N.N.E. is a small group called the Adu islands,
surrounded by a reef - E.]
Being delivered out of this pound, we followed our course till the 9th
May about four in the afternoon, when we got sight of the islands of
Nicobar, on which we bore in and anchored on the north side of the
channel. But as the wind changed to S.W. we had to weigh again, and go
over to the south side of the channel, where we came to an anchor under
a small island on that shore. We here got fresh water and cocoa-nuts,
but very little other refreshments; yet the natives came off to us in
long canoes that could have carried twenty men in each. They brought
gums to sell instead of amber, with which they deceived several of our
men; for these eastern people are wholly given to deceit. They brought
also hens and cocoa-nuts for sale; but held them at so dear a rate that
we bought very few. We staid here ten days, putting our ordnance in
order and trimming our ships, that we might be in readiness at our first
port, which we were not now far from.
In the morning of the 20th April, we set sail for Sumatra, but the wind
blew hard at S.S.W. and the current set against us, so that we could not
proceed. While beating up and down, two of our ships sprung leaks, on
which we were forced to go to the island of Sombrero,[108] ten or
twelve leagues north of Nicobar. Here we in the Admiral lost an anchor,
for the ground is foul, and grown full of false coral and some rocks,
which cut our cable asunder, so that we could not recover our anchor.
The people of these islands go entirely naked, except that their parts
are bound up in a piece of cloth, which goes round the waist like a
girdle, and thence between their legs. They are all of a tawny hue, and
paint their faces of divers colours. They are stout and well-made, but
very fearful, so that none of them would come on board our ships, or
even enter our boats. The general reported that he had seen some of
their priests all over cloathed, but quite close to their bodies, as if
sewed on; having their faces painted green, black, and yellow, and horns
on their heads turned backwards, painted of the same colours, together
with a tail hanging down behind from their buttocks, altogether as we
see the devil sometimes painted in Europe. Demanding why they went in
that strange attire, he was told that the devil sometimes appeared to
them in such form in their sacrifices, and therefore his servants the
priests were so cloathed. There grew many trees in this island,
sufficiently tall, thick, and straight to make main-masts for the
largest ship in all our fleet, and this island is full of such.
[Footnote 108: So called, because on the north end of the largest island
of the cluster there is a hill resembling the top of an umbrella - ASTL.
I. 267. a.]
Upon the sands of this island of Sombrero we found a small twig growing
up like a young tree, and on offering to pluck it up, it shrinks down to
the ground, and sinks, unless held very hard. On being plucked up, a
great worm is found to be its root, and as the tree groweth in
greatness, so doth the worm diminish; and as soon as the worm is
entirely turned into tree, it rooteth in the earth, and so becomes
great. This transformation is one of the strangest wonders that I saw in
all my travels: For, if this tree is plucked up while young, and the
leaves and bark stripped off, it becomes a hard stone when dry, much
like white coral: Thus is this worm twice transformed into different
natures. Of these we gathered and brought home many.
* * * * *
The editor of Astley's Collection supposes this a mere fiction, or that
it might take its rise from coral growing accidentally on shell fish.
The first part of the story probably arose from some of the animals
called animal flowers, the body of which, buried in the sand, and
resembling a worm, extends some member having the appearance of a young
tree, which retracts when touched rudely.
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