In Reply The Governor Invited Captain Eaton On Shore, Who
Landed With A Guard Of Twenty Men Doubly Armed, And Was Politely
Received.
On the 18th the governor sent ten hogs on board, together with
a prodigious quantity of potatoes, plantains, oranges,
Papaws, and red
pepper, in return for which Captain Eaton sent a diamond ring to the
governor worth twenty pounds, and gave swords to several Spanish
gentlemen who came off with the provisions. Next day the governor sent
to procure some powder, of which he was in want, as the natives were in
rebellion, and Captain Eaton gave him two barrels, for which to the
value of 1400 dollars were offered in gold and silver, but Eaton refused
to accept the money, in consequence of which the governor sent him a
diamond ring, worth fifty pounds. Every day after this the governor sent
them some kind of provisions, and about the end of March, when about to
sail, the governor sent them thirty hogs for sea store, with a large
supply of rice and potatoes.
On one occasion the Indians attacked a party of the English, who were on
shore to draw the sein, but were beaten off with much loss; yet they
afterwards endeavoured to prevail on Captain Eaton to join them in
driving out the Spaniards, which he positively refused. On the 1st
April, leaving the bay in which they had hitherto remained, the Nicholas
anchored before the Spanish fort; and after several civilities on both
sides, set sail in the afternoon of the 3d April with a fair wind.
This island of Guam is about fourteen leagues long by six broad, and
contains several very pleasant vallies, interspersed with fine fertile
meadows, watered by many rivulets from the hills. The soil in these
vallies is black and very rich, producing plenty of cocoas, potatoes,
yams, papaws, plantains, monanoes, sour-sops, oranges, and lemons,
together with some honey. The climate is naturally very hot, yet is
wholesome, as constantly refreshed by the trade-wind. The Indian
natives are large made, well proportioned, active and vigorous, some
being seven feet and a half high, and go mostly naked, both men and
women. They never bury their dead, but lay them in the sun to putrefy.
Their only arms are slings and lances, the heads of these being made of
human bones; and on the decease of any one his bones make eight lances,
four from his legs and thighs, and as many from his arms. These lance
heads are formed like a scoop, and jagged at the edges like a saw or
eel-spear; so that a person wounded by them dies, if not cured in seven
days.
The great annual ship between Manilla and Acapulco touches here for
refreshments, and the Spaniards said there were sometimes eight ships in
one year at this place from the East Indies. They said also, that they
had built a ship here, in 1684, of 160 tons, to trade with Manilla, and
pretended to have a garrison here of 600 men, most of the Indians being
in rebellion.
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