GEORGE BEST'S DISCOURSE a.d. 



1578. 

 cut off his boat from him, having stollen secretly be- 

 hinde the rocks for that purpose, where he speedily 

 hasted to his boat, and bent himselfe to his halberd, 

 and narrowly escaped the danger, and saved his boat. 

 Afterwards he had sundry conferences with them, and 

 they came aboord his ship, and brought him salmon Salmon. 

 and raw flesh and fish, and greedily devoured the same 

 before our mens faces. And to shew their agility, they 

 tried many masteries upon the ropes of the ship after 

 our mariners fashion, and appeared to be very strong 

 of their armes, and nimble of their bodies. They ex- 

 changed coats of seales, and beares skinnes, and such 

 like, with our men ; and received belles, looking glasses, 

 and other toyes, in recompense thereof againe. After 

 great curtesie, and many meetings, our mariners, con- 

 trary to their captaines direction, began more easily to 

 trust them ; and five of our men going ashore were by Five English- 



them intercepted with their boat, and were never since ment f er ~ 

 „ r , . -, . , , 1 • cepted and 



heard of to this day againe : so that the captaine Deing t * ken 



destitute of boat, barke, and all company, had scarsely 



sufficient number to conduct backe his barke againe. 



He could now neither convey himselfe ashore to rescue 



his men (if he had bene able) for want of a boat ; and 



againe the subtile traitours were so wary, as they would 



after that never come within our mens danger. The 



captaine notwithstanding desirous to bring some token 



from thence of his being there, was greatly discontented 



that he had not before apprehended some of them : 



and therefore to deceive the deceivers he wrought a 



prety policy ; for knowing wel how they greatly delighted 



in our toyes, and specially in belles, he rang a prety 



lowbell, making signes that he would give him the same 



that would come and fetch it. And because they would 



not come within his danger for feare, he flung one 



bell unto them, which of purpose he threw short, that 



it might fall into the sea and be lost. And to make Taking of the 



*hem more greedy of the matter he rang a louder bell, fi rst Sava i e - 



so that in the end one of them came nere the ship 



281 



