They
Found Bags Of Train Oil, Many Little Images Cut In Wood, Seal Skins
In Tan Tubs With Many Other Such Trifles, Whereof They Diminished
Nothing.
They also found ten miles within the snowy mountains a plain
champion country, with earth and grass, such as our moory and waste
grounds of England are.
They went up into a river (which in the
narrowest place is two leagues broad) about ten leagues, finding it
still to continue they knew not how far; but I with my company took
another river, which although at the first it offered a large inlet,
yet it proved but a deep bay, the end whereof in four hours I
attained, and there leaving the boat well manned, went with the rest
of my company three or four miles into the country, but found
nothing, nor saw anything, save only gripes, ravens, and small
birds, as lark and linnet.
The 3rd of July I manned my boat, and went with fifty canoes
attending upon me up into another sound, where the people by signs
willed me to go, hoping to find their habitation; at length they
made signs that I should go into a warm place to sleep, at which
place I went on shore, and ascended the top of high hill to see into
the country, but perceiving my labour vain, I returned again to my
boat, the people still following me and my company very diligent to
attend us, and to help us up the rocks, and likewise down; at length
I was desirous to have our men leap with them, which was done, but
our men did overleap them; from leaping they went to wrestling; we
found them strong and nimble, and to have skill in wrestling, for
they cast some of our men that were good wrestlers. The 4th of July
we launched our pinnace, and had forty of the people to help us,
which they did very willingly. At this time our men again wrestled
with them, and found them as before, strong and skilful. This 4th
of July, the master of the Mermaid went to certain islands to store
himself with wood, where he found a grave with divers buried in it,
only covered with seal skins, having a cross laid over them. The
people are of good stature, well in body proportioned, with small,
slender hands and feet, with broad visages, and small eyes, wide
mouths, the most part unbearded, great lips, and close toothed.
Their custom is, as often as they go from us, still at their return,
to make a new truce, in this sort: holding his hand up to the sun,
with a loud voice crieth "Ylyaoute," and striketh his breast, with
like signs being promised safety, he giveth credit. These people
are much given to bleed, and therefore stop their noses with deer
hair or the hair of an elan. They are idolaters, and have images
great store, which they wear about them, and in their boats, which
we suppose they worship. They are witches, and have many kinds of
enchantments, which they often used, but to small purpose, thanks be
to God.
Being among them at shore, the 4th of July, one of them, making a
long oration, began to kindle a fire, in this manner: he took a
piece of a board, wherein was a hole half through; unto that hole he
puts the end of a round stick, like unto a bed staff, wetting the
end thereof in train, and in fashion of a turner, with a piece of
leather, by his violent motion doth very speedily produce fire;
which done, with turfs he made a fire, into which, with many words
and strange gestures, he put divers things which we suppose to be a
sacrifice. Myself and divers of my company standing by, they were
desirous to have me go into the smoke; I willed them likewise to
stand in the smoke, in which they by no means would do. I then took
one of them, and thrust him into the smoke, and willed one of my
company to tread out the fire, and to spurn it into the sea, which
was done to show them that we did contemn their sorcery. These
people are very simple in all their conversation, but marvellous
thievish, especially for iron, which they have in great account.
They began through our lenity to show their vile nature; they began
to cut our cables; they cut away the Moonlight's boat from her
stern; they cut our cloth where it lay to air, though we did
carefully look unto it, they stole our oars, a calliver, a boat's
spear, a sword, with divers other things, whereat the company and
masters being grieved, for our better security desired me to
dissolve this new friendship, and to leave the company of these
thievish miscreants; whereupon there was a calliver shot among them,
and immediately upon the same a falcon, which strange noise did sore
amaze them, so that with speed they departed; notwithstanding, their
simplicity is such, that within ten hours after they came again to
us to entreat peace; which, being promised, we again fell into a
great league. They brought us seal skins and salmon peel, but,
seeing iron, they could in nowise forbear stealing; which, when I
perceived it, did but minister unto me an occasion of laughter to
see their simplicity, and willed that in no case they should be any
more hardly used, but that our own company should be the more
vigilant to keep their things, supposing it to be very hard in so
short time to make them know their evils. They eat all their meat
raw, they live most upon fish, they drink salt water, and eat grass
and ice with delight; they are never out of the water, but live in
the nature of fishes, but only when dead sleep taketh them, and then
under a warm rock, laying his boat upon the land, he lieth down to
sleep.
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