The Admiral, As Her Majesty's
Representative, Accepted Of This New-Offered Dignity In Her Name And
Behalf; As From This Donation, Whether Made In Jest Or Earnest, It Was
Probable That Some Real Advantage Might Redound Hereafter To The English
Nation In These Parts.
After this ceremony, the common people dispersed
themselves about the English encampment, expressing their admiration and
respect for the
English in a most violent and even profane manner, even
offering sacrifices to them, as in the most profound devotion, till they
were repressed by force, with strong expressions of abhorrence, and
directed to pay their adorations to the supreme Creator and Preserver of
all things, whom only they ought to honour with religious worship.[32]
[Footnote 32: The whole of this story, of a king and his nobles, and the
investiture of Drake in the sovereignty of California, which he named
New Albion, is so completely absurd as not to merit serious
observation. - E.]
After this ceremony, the admiral and some of his people penetrated to
some distance into the interior country, which they found to be
extremely full of large fat deer, often seeing about a thousand in one
herd. There were also such immense numbers of rabbits, that the whole
country seemed one vast warren. These rabbits were of the size of those
of Barbary, having heads like our own rabbits in England, with feet like
those of a mole, and long tails like rats. Under the chin on each side,
they have a bag or pouch in the skin, into which they store up any food
they get abroad, which they there preserve for future use.
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