AD. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1565. 



Captaine onely with his armour without weapon, and the 

 Treasurer on horsebacke with his javeling, was afraide to 

 come neere him for feare of his armour, which he said 

 was worse then his weapon, and so keeping aloofe com- 

 muning together, granted in fine to all his requests. 

 Which being declared by the Captaine to the company, 

 they desired to have pledges for the performance of all 

 things, doubting that otherwise when they had made 

 themselves stronger, they would have bene at defiance 

 with us : and seeing that now they might have what they 

 would request, they judged it to be more wisedome to be 

 in assurance then to be forced to make any more labours 

 about it. So upon this, gages were sent, and we made 

 our trafique quietly with them. In the mean time while 

 we stayed here, wee watered a good breadth off from the 

 shore, where by the strength of the fresh water running 

 into the Sea, the salt water was made fresh. In this River 

 we saw many Crocodils of sundry bignesses, but some as 

 bigge as a boate, with 4. feete, a long broad mouth, and 

 a long taile, whose skinne is so hard, that a sword wil not 

 pierce it. His nature is to live out of the water as a 

 frogge doth, but he is a great devourer, and spareth 

 neither fish, which is his common food, nor beastes, nor 

 men, if hee take them, as the proofe thereof was knowen 

 by a Negro, who as hee was filling water in the River was 

 by one of them caried cleane away, and never scene after. 

 His nature is ever when hee would have his prey, to cry 

 and sobbe like a Christian body, to provoke them to come 

 to him, and then hee snatcheth at them, and thereupon 

 came this proverbe that is applied unto women when they 

 weepe, Lachrymae Crocodili, the meaning whereof is, that 

 as the Crocodile when hee crieth, goeth then about most 

 to deceive, so doeth a woman most commonly when she 

 weepeth. Of these the Master of the Jesus watched one, 

 and by the banks side stroke him with a pike of a bill in 

 the side, and after three or foure times turning in sight, 

 hee sunke downe, and was not afterward scene. In the 

 time of our being in the Rivers Guinie, wee sawe many 



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