This Passage Took Forty-Five Days, From The 19th November,
1587, To The 3d January, 1588.
On this day, early in the morning, they
had sight of Guam, one of the Ladrones, in lat.
13 deg. 40' N. and long.
143 deg. 30' E. Sailing with a gentle gale before the wind, they came within
two leagues of the island, where they saw sixty or seventy canoes full
of savages, who brought cocoas, plantains, potatoes, and fresh fish, to
exchange for some of their commodities. They gave them in return some
pieces of old iron, which they hung upon small cords and fishing lines,
and so lowered down to the canoes, getting back, in the same manner,
what the savages offered in exchange. In the course of this traffic the
savages crowded so much about the ship, that two of their canoes were
broken; yet none of the savages were drowned, as they were almost as
familiar with the water as if they had been fishes. The savages
continued following the ship, and would not quit her company till
several shots were fired at them; though 'tis ten to one if any of them
were killed, as they are so very nimble, throwing themselves immediately
into the water, and diving beyond the reach of danger on the slightest
warning.
These islanders were large handsome men, extraordinarily fat, and of a
tawny colour, mostly having very long hair, some wearing it tied up in
large knots on the crown of their heads, like certain wooden images at
the heads of their canoes.
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